The Prisoners (play)
Encyclopedia
The Prisoners is a Caroline era stage play, a tragicomedy
written by Thomas Killigrew
. It was premiered onstage c. 1635, acted by Queen Henrietta's Men
at the Cockpit Theatre
; and was first printed in 1641
. Killigrew's first play, The Prisoners inaugurated its author's playwriting career.
and The Princess
. This is unsurprising, since tragicomedy was the favored genre of the court of Queen Henrietta Maria
. The courtier dramatists of the 1630s, men like William Cartwright, Lodowick Carlell
and Sir John Suckling
, worked largely in tragicomedy. And Killigrew the courtier functioned in the same social and artistic milieu; "As part of Henrietta Maria's circle, he penned the courtly romances she favoured, such as The Prisoners...." (For an extreme example of the type of drama favored at the Queen's court, see The Shepherd's Paradise
.)
on May 24, 1640
; it was published together with Claricilla in a single duodecimo
volume in 1641, a book printed by Thomas Cotes
for the bookseller Andrew Crooke
. The volume featured commendatory poems by William Cartwright and Henry Bennet, 1st Earl of Arlington
.
In the 1641 edition, each of the plays has a separate title page; and while the title page for Claricilla is correctly dated "1641," that for The Prisoners is misdated "1640." This was a common feature of some of the early collected editions of plays in the seventeenth century. In, for example, the 1659
collection of Richard Brome's works, Five New Plays (also published by Crooke), the plays have separate title pages, and three are misdated "1658." It is generally thought that the booksellers of the mid-seveneteenth century designed their collections so that the plays could be sold either individually or collectively, as market conditions warranted; and that practical and financial constraints sometimes extended the preparation of a collection over more than one calendar year.
No evidence indicates that The Prisoners was ever issued in a single-play edition, either in 1640 or at any other time in the seventeenth century.
The misdating phenomenon recurs in the publication history of The Prisoner. The play next appeared in print when it was included in Comedies and Tragedies, the collected edition of Killigrew's plays issued by Henry Herringman
in 1664
. Several of the plays in that volume have individual title pages dated "1663."
In the collected edition, The Prisoners is dedicated to the dramatist's niece, Lady Crompton.
, Venice
, Naples
, Florence
, Turin
, Madrid
, even Basel
in Switzerland
— where Killigrew lived during his Continental travels (1635-41) and his years in exile during the Commonwealth era (1647–60). Only The Prisoners was written at home in England, in London
.
Tragicomedy
Tragicomedy is fictional work that blends aspects of the genres of tragedy and comedy. In English literature, from Shakespeare's time to the nineteenth century, tragicomedy referred to a serious play with either a happy ending or enough jokes throughout the play to lighten the mood.-Classical...
written by Thomas Killigrew
Thomas Killigrew
Thomas Killigrew was an English dramatist and theatre manager. He was a witty, dissolute figure at the court of King Charles II of England.-Life and work:...
. It was premiered onstage c. 1635, acted by Queen Henrietta's Men
Queen Henrietta's Men
Queen Henrietta's Men was an important playing company or troupe of actors in Caroline era London. At their peak of popularity, Queen Henrietta's Men were the second leading troupe of the day, after only the King's Men.-Beginnings:...
at the Cockpit Theatre
Cockpit Theatre
The Cockpit was a theatre in London, operating from 1616 to around 1665. It was the first theatre to be located near Drury Lane. After damage in 1617, it was christened The Phoenix....
; and was first printed in 1641
1641 in literature
The year 1641 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:*Pierre Corneille marries Marie de Lampérière.*Sir William Davenant is convicted of high treason.*Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon becomes an advisor to King Charles I of England....
. Killigrew's first play, The Prisoners inaugurated its author's playwriting career.
Genre
Killigrew's first essay in drama was in the tragicomic genre, as were his subsequent plays ClaricillaClaricilla
Claricilla is a Caroline era stage play, a tragicomedy written by Thomas Killigrew. The drama was acted c. 1636 by Queen Henrietta's Men at the Cockpit Theatre, and first published in 1641...
and The Princess
The Princess (Killigrew)
The Princess, or Love at First Sight is a Caroline era stage play, a tragicomedy written by Thomas Killigrew. The play was most likely written c. 1636, while Killigrew was travelling in Italy, and was acted on the stage c...
. This is unsurprising, since tragicomedy was the favored genre of the court of Queen Henrietta Maria
Henrietta Maria of France
Henrietta Maria of France ; was the Queen consort of England, Scotland and Ireland as the wife of King Charles I...
. The courtier dramatists of the 1630s, men like William Cartwright, Lodowick Carlell
Lodowick Carlell
Lodowick Carlell , also Carliell or Carlile, was a seventeenth-century English playwright, active mainly during the Caroline era and the Commonwealth period.-Courtier:...
and Sir John Suckling
John Suckling (poet)
Sir John Suckling was an English poet and one prominent figure among those renowned for careless gaiety, wit, and all the accomplishments of a Cavalier poet; and also the inventor of the card game Cribbage...
, worked largely in tragicomedy. And Killigrew the courtier functioned in the same social and artistic milieu; "As part of Henrietta Maria's circle, he penned the courtly romances she favoured, such as The Prisoners...." (For an extreme example of the type of drama favored at the Queen's court, see The Shepherd's Paradise
The Shepherd's Paradise
The Shepherd's Paradise was a Caroline era masque, written by Walter Montagu and designed by Inigo Jones. Acted in 1633 by Queen Henrietta Maria and her ladies in waiting, it was noteworthy as the first masque in which the Queen and her ladies filled speaking roles...
.)
Publication
The Prisoners as entered into the Stationers' RegisterStationers' Register
The Stationers' Register was a record book maintained by the Stationers' Company of London. The company is a trade guild given a royal charter in 1557 to regulate the various professions associated with the publishing industry, including printers, bookbinders, booksellers, and publishers in England...
on May 24, 1640
1640 in literature
The year 1640 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:*January 21 - Salmacida Spolia, a masque written by Sir William Davenant and designed by Inigo Jones, is performed at Whitehall Palace — the final royal masque of the Caroline era.*March 17 - Henry Burnell's play Landgartha...
; it was published together with Claricilla in a single duodecimo
Book size
The size of a book is generally measured by the height against the width of a leaf, or sometimes the height and width of its cover. A series of terms is commonly used by libraries and publishers for the general sizes of modern books, ranging from "folio" , to "quarto" and "octavo"...
volume in 1641, a book printed by Thomas Cotes
Thomas Cotes
Thomas Cotes was a London printer of the Jacobean and Caroline eras, best remembered for printing the Second Folio edition of Shakespeare's plays in 1632.-Life and work:...
for the bookseller Andrew Crooke
Andrew Crooke and William Cooke
Andrew Crooke and William Cooke were London publishers of the mid-17th-century. In partnership and individually, they issued significant texts of English Renaissance drama, most notably of the plays of James Shirley....
. The volume featured commendatory poems by William Cartwright and Henry Bennet, 1st Earl of Arlington
Henry Bennet, 1st Earl of Arlington
Henry Bennet, 1st Earl of Arlington KG, PC was an English statesman.- Background and early life :He was the son of Sir John Bennet of Dawley, Middlesex, and of Dorothy Crofts. He was the younger brother of John Bennet, 1st Baron Ossulston; his sister was Elizabeth Bennet who married Robert Kerr,...
.
In the 1641 edition, each of the plays has a separate title page; and while the title page for Claricilla is correctly dated "1641," that for The Prisoners is misdated "1640." This was a common feature of some of the early collected editions of plays in the seventeenth century. In, for example, the 1659
1659 in literature
The year 1659 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:* Andrew Marvell becomes a member of Parliament.* Méric Casaubon edits John Dee's journal of angel magic.-New books:*Richard Baxter - The Holy Commonwealth...
collection of Richard Brome's works, Five New Plays (also published by Crooke), the plays have separate title pages, and three are misdated "1658." It is generally thought that the booksellers of the mid-seveneteenth century designed their collections so that the plays could be sold either individually or collectively, as market conditions warranted; and that practical and financial constraints sometimes extended the preparation of a collection over more than one calendar year.
No evidence indicates that The Prisoners was ever issued in a single-play edition, either in 1640 or at any other time in the seventeenth century.
The misdating phenomenon recurs in the publication history of The Prisoner. The play next appeared in print when it was included in Comedies and Tragedies, the collected edition of Killigrew's plays issued by Henry Herringman
Henry Herringman
Henry Herringman was a prominent London bookseller and publisher in the second half of the 17th century. He is especially noted for his publications in English Renaissance drama and English Restoration drama; he was the first publisher of the works of John Dryden...
in 1664
1664 in literature
The year 1664 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:* Sir William Davenant's "dramatic opera" Macbeth, adapted from Shakespeare's play, premiers on November 5....
. Several of the plays in that volume have individual title pages dated "1663."
In the collected edition, The Prisoners is dedicated to the dramatist's niece, Lady Crompton.
Location
The collected edition also specifies the city in which Killigrew wrote each drama. Almost all of the plays were written in the various cities in Europe — ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, even Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
— where Killigrew lived during his Continental travels (1635-41) and his years in exile during the Commonwealth era (1647–60). Only The Prisoners was written at home in England, in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.