荎弊恅悝妢

荎弊恅悝

	殿隙忑珜	藝弊恅悝	諺最衙扴	諒呇潠賡	諺最悝炾	悝炾訧埭	葩炾枙踱

Ben Jonson<-chapter 3<-contents<-position

    In short, Jonson's reputation was developing in two very different marketplaces, with very different economics: the public theatres and the court. Furthermore, different with his friend and rival Shakespeare, Jonson was very interested in the printings of his own plays. In 1616, he printed and issued the folio Works of Benjamin Jonson. This was a collection of his drama, masques and poetry. Jonson's drama for the professional stage was not only hard-to-write work, but was excellent in the sense of literature. Sir John Suckling noted that Jonson had admitted "His were called Works, where others' were but Plays." Although the Folio did not succeed commercially, it provided the example for the collection of Shakespeare's works in 1623 after Shakespeare's death. Jonson also wrote commendatory words for this collection. More importantly, it planted the idea that the works of the Renaissance stage could be considered as equally important as classical literature. They could also be regarded as literature works and be appreciated. Although the authorities did not trust Jonson, he was appointed court poet in 1605. He was created Poet Laureate in 1616.
    When writing drama for the public theatres, Jonson also wrote masque. He developed a different form, with complete anti-masque episode, which was comic and satirical. His masque was disorder and later was conquered by the arrival of the real masques. But before Charles came to power, Jonson was losing ground as the court masque-writer. In 1631 his uneasy relationship with Inigo Jones broke down when they argued whether the most important element of a masque was the script or the scene.
    Jonson was disabled because of a stroke in 1628. He was less active in his last years, and spent most of his time in his home in Westminster. His influence was huge. In his last years, many poets gathered round him. Carew and Herrick were two of them. These poets were known as the "sons of Ben". Jonson died on August 16, 1637, at Westminster.
    Even when he was alive, critical opinions towards him were different. Although Jonson was widely respected as a poet and master playwright, his new plays often failed completely on the stage. After his death, he was regarded as equally important as Shakespeare and John Fletcher. They three were named as the "triumvirate of wit". Their works represented the best of the pre-1642 theatre. By the nineteenth century, Shakespeare started to rise and Fletcher started to drop. And Jonson was generally regarded as a foil to Shakespeare. His faults (over-learnedness, satirical bitterness) showed off Shakespeare's natural beauty. Jonson's poetry has always been liked, but recent years there have been more and more interest in Jonson's late plays and masques.

previous page next page