PREFACE

CONTENTS

An Historical View OF THE BEGINNINGS OF ENGLISH COMEDY

I. Liturgical Fragments, Early Saints' Plays and Parodies

2. The Miracle Cycles in their Relation to Comedy

3. The Dramatic Value of the English Miracle Plays

4. The Contribution of Later "Marvels" and Early Secular Plays

5. The Devil and the Vice

6. The Relation between Miracle, Moral, and Interlude

7. The Older Morals in their Relation to Comedy

8. The Dramatic Contribution of the Older Morals

9. The Period of Transition: Farce and Romantic Interlude

10. The Period of Transition: School Interlude and Controversial Moral

11. Polytypic, or Fusion, Plays

12. Survivals of the Moral Interlude

13. The Movement towards Romantic Comedy

14. Conclusion

FOOTNOTES:

John Heywood THE PLAY OF THE WETHER and A MERY PLAY BETWENE JOHAN JOHAN, THE HUSBANDE TYB, HIS WIFE, &c.

CRITICAL ESSAY

FOOTNOTES:

The play of the wether

FOOTNOTES:

JOHAN JOHAN

FOOTNOTES:

FOOTNOTES:

Nicholas Udall ROISTER DOISTER

CRITICAL ESSAY

FOOTNOTES:

ROISTER DOISTER BY NICHOLAS UDALL

[The Persons of the Play

FOOTNOTES:

Actus. i. Scæna. i.

Actus. i. Scæna. ii.

Actus. i. Scæna iii.

Actus. i. Scæna. iiii.

Actus. i. Scæna. v.

Actus. ii. Scæna i.[445] C [iii]

Actus ii. Scæna ii.

Actus. ii. Scæna. iii.

Actus. ii. Scæna. iiii. D i b

Actus. [i]ii. Scæna. i.

Actus. iii. Scæna. ii. D ii b

Actus. iii. Scæna. iii.

Actus. iii. Scæna. iiii.

Actus iii. Scæna v.

Actus iiii. Scæna i.

Actus iiii. Scæna ii.

Actus. iiii. Scæna. iii.

Actus. iiii. Scæna. iiii.

Actus. iiii. Scæna. v.

Actus. iiii. Scæna. vi. G ii b

Actus. iiii. Scæna. vii.

Actus. iiii. Scæna. viii.[576]

Actus. v. Scæna. i.

Actus. v. Scæna. ii.

Actus. v. Scæna. iii.

Actus. v. Scæna. iiii.

Actus. v. Scæna. v.[603]

Actus. v. Scæna. vi.

FOOTNOTES:

APPENDIX

FOOTNOTES:

William Stevenson GAMMER GURTONS NEDLE

CRITICAL ESSAY

FOOTNOTES:

A Ryght Pithy, Pleasaunt and merie Comedie: Intytuled Gammer gurtons Nedle: Played on Stage, not longe ago in Christes Colledge in Cambridge

The Names of the Speakers in this Comedie

FOOTNOTES:

The fyrst Acte. The fyrst Sceane.

The fyrst Acte. The second Sceane.

The fyrst Acte. The thyrd Sceane.

The fyrst Acte. The iiii. Sceane.

The i Acte. The v Sceane.

The Second Acte.

[The Second Acte.] The Fyrst Sceane.

The ii Acte. The ii Sceane.

The ii Acte. The iii Sceane. C

The ii Acte. The iiii Sceane.

The ii Acte. The v Sceane.

The iii. Acte. The i Sceane.

The iii. Acte. The ii Sceane.

The iii. Acte. The iii. Sceane.

The iii Acte. The iiii Sceane.

The iiii Acte. The i Sceane.[716] D

The iiii. Acte. The ii Sceane.[718]

The v. Acte. The i. Sceane.

The v. Acte. The ii Sceane.

FOOTNOTES:

APPENDIX

John Lyly ALEXANDER AND CAMPASPE

CRITICAL ESSAY

FOOTNOTES:

CAMPASPE

The Persons of the Play[752]

FOOTNOTES:

THE PROLOGUE AT the blacke Friers[753]

FOOTNOTES:

The Prologue at the Court.

FOOTNOTES:

Actus primus. Scæna prima[767]

Actus primus. Scæna secunda[785]

Actus primus. Scæna tertia[810]

Actus secundus.[841] Scæna prima.[842]

Actus tertius. Scæna prima.[856]

Actus tertius. Scæna secunda.[869]

Actus tertius. Scæna tertia.[875]

Actus tertius. Scæna quarta.[900]

Actus quartus. Scæna prima.[908]

Actus quartus. Scæna secunda.[922]

Actus quartus. Scæna tertia.[926]

Actus quartus. Scæna quarta.[934]

Actus quintus. Scæna prima.[939]

Actus quintus. Scæna secunda.[951]

Actus quintus. Scæna tertia.[955]

Actus quintus. Scæna quarta.[964]

FOOTNOTES:

THE EPILOGUE AT THE BLACKE FRIERS

FOOTNOTES:

The Epilogue at the Court

FOOTNOTES:

George Peele THE OLD WIVES' TALE

CRITICAL ESSAY

FOOTNOTES:

THE Old Wiues Tale.

[The Persons of the Play[1017]

FOOTNOTES:

FOOTNOTES:

APPENDIX

Robert Greene HIS PLACE IN COMEDY

GREENE'S PLACE IN COMEDY

Robert Greene THE HONORABLE HISTORIE OF FRIER BACON

CRITICAL ESSAY

FOOTNOTES:

THE HONORABLE HISTORIE of frier Bacon, and frier Bongay.

The Persons of the Play[1261]

FOOTNOTES:

[Scene First.[1262] In, or near, Fremingham]

[Scene Second. Frier Bacons cell at Brazennose]

[Scene Third. Harlston Faire.]

[Scene Fourth. The Court at Hampton House.]

[Scene Fifth. A Street in Oxford.]

[Scene Sixth. Frier Bacons cell in Brazennose.]

[Scene Seventh. The Regenthouse at Oxford.]

[Scene Eighth. The countrie-side; Fresingfield.]

[Scene Ninth. Oxford.]

[Scene Tenth. Near the Keepers lodge in Fresingfield.]

[Scene Eleventh. Frier Bacons cell.]

[Scene Twelfth. At Court.]

[Scene Thirteenth. Frier Bacons cell.]

[Scene Fourteenth. A Meadow near the Keepers lodge.]

[Scene Fifteenth. Frier Bacons cell.]

[Scene Sixteenth. At Court.]

FOOTNOTES:

APPENDIX

Henry Porter THE PLEASANT HISTORY OF THE TWO ANGRY WOMEN OF ABINGTON

CRITICAL ESSAY

FOOTNOTES:

PLEASANT HISTORY OF the two angry women of Abington.

The Names of the Speakers[1615]

FOOTNOTES:

The Prologue

FOOTNOTES:

[Scene First. Abington. Near Master Barneses House: The Orchard[1618]]

[Scene Second. In front of Barneses House.]

[Scene Third.[1669] Barneses Garden.]

[Scene Fourth. The Court-yard of Master Gourseys House at Milton.]

[Scene Fifth. In front of Gourseys House.]

[Scene Sixth. A Room in Gourseys House.]

[Scene Seventh.[1755] The Forest near Sir Raphs House.]

[Scene Eighth. In front of Barneses House.]

[Scene Ninth.[1818] The Cunny Greene.]

[Scene Tenth. A Grove in the Fields between the Cunny Greene and the Forest.]

[Scene Eleventh. The Fields between the Grove and the Forest.]

[Scene Twelfth. The Grove.]

[Scene Thirteenth. The Same.[1900]]

[Scene Fourteenth. A Hillside in the Fields.[1912]]

FOOTNOTES:

William Shakespeare AS A COMIC DRAMATIST

SHAKESPEARE AS A COMIC DRAMATIST

FOOTNOTES:

INDEX OF HISTORICAL AND CRITICAL MATERIALS

Transcriber's Note.

Corrections.

Errata.