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Dauphine Was Right: Masques, the Authenticity of (Un)Performed Identity, and the Two Prologues of Epicene
- Author(s):
- Eric Dunnum (see profile)
- Date:
- 2015
- Group(s):
- EMDC: The Early Modern Digital Collaboratory, Performance Studies
- Subject(s):
- Sixteenth century, Seventeenth century, Renaissance, European drama--Renaissance
- Item Type:
- Article
- Tag(s):
- ben jonson, early modern England, masque, Renaissance drama, 16th century, 17th century, Early Modern
- Permanent URL:
- http://dx.doi.org/10.17613/M6RJ8H
- Abstract:
- This paper argues that Epicene, Jonson's first public play after being made official court masque writer, is unusually optimistic about the possibilities of drama. The play explores the possibility of creating an authentic personality through performance, an idea that Jonson is often hostile towards. However, Jonson's flirtation with this pro-theater perspective was short lived. For complex reasons, Lady Arbella's complaint about the play led Jonson to once again grow cynical about the possibilities of the public stage. These vacillating perspectives, I argue, can be traced within the two different prologues, which offer two very different perspectives on playing, play going and the theater.
- Metadata:
- xml
- Published as:
- Journal article
- Status:
- Published
- Last Updated:
- 6 years ago
- License:
- All Rights Reserved
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