Thomas Middleton

Thomas Middleton ( baptized April 18, 1580, † 1627 ) was an English writer and poet.

As John Fletcher and Ben Jonson, he was one of the most successful playwrights of the English Renaissance. Together with William Shakespeare may be counted among the few playwrights of this period which have achieved as much success in comedy and in tragedy.

Biography

Thomas Middleton was born in London. His father died when Middleton was very young, and the second marriage of his mother caused a never-ending battle for the legacy of Thomas and his siblings. Middleton attended the Queen's Collgege in Oxford, where he made but no degree. During his college period of 1598 - 1601 he wrote and published three long poems in Elizabethan style. None of it was particularly popular and one of his "Book of Satires " was even banned and burned by the Anglican Church. Nevertheless, the foundation was laid for his literary career. To the 1600s Thomas Middleton wrote his first known piece, which enjoyed great popularity: Penniless Parliament of Threadbare Poets. As we know from the diaries of Philip Henslowe, Middleton wrote about the same time at " Admiral 's Men" ( " The Admiral's Men "). Unlike Shakespeare Middleton remained a freelance writer who has written for all those who were willing to pay him for it.

In 1603 Thomas Middleton married. In the same year the plague broke out in England, which meant that all the theater had to be closed. James I. ascended the throne. All these events mark the beginning of Middleton's greatest creative period. During this period songs like " City Comedy" ("city comedy" ) and "The Revenger 's Tragedy " ( The tragedy of the Avengers ). He continued his collaboration with Thomas Decker, and together they produced " The Roaring Girl", a sort of biography of contemporary thief Mary Firth.

Around 1610, Middleton began his successful collaboration with William Rowley; 1613 was his sole work " A chaste maid in Cheapside ," a comedic masterpiece. His own pieces from this decade reveal a kind of balance. There is no comedy with satirical detail as " Michaelmas Term " and not so bloodthirsty tragedy like "The Revenger 's Tragedy ". Middleton also dabbled in other dramaturgical directions to the letter. In the twenties he was appointed to the city chronicler of the city of London. A post he retained until his death in 1627, after he took over Ben Jonson just this.

Middletons public duties did not keep him from further continue his dramaturgical work. Also in the twenties, the joint production of him and Rowley, the tragedy " The Changeling " was ( " The disintegration " ) brought to the stage. Some other tragedies followed. Large notoriety reached Middleton, as in 1624 his allegory "A Game at Chess" was brought by the "King 's Men" on stage. This piece used the idea of ​​a chess game to the intrigues of the Spanish court to represent and parody. Although Middleton's intention was strictly patriotic, decided the advisor to the King to discontinue the piece after his ninth performance because of some complaints from the Spanish ambassador. Middleton faced an unknown, but no less worrying punishment. As for " A Game at Chess" not another bit more was known, it is suspected that part of the punishment was that Middleton was not allowed to write for the stage.

He died in 1627 at his home in Newington Butts.

Works

• Together with Philip Massinger, William Rowley: The Old Law 1656 ( posthumously )
• The Collected Works, hrg. by John Lavagnino and Gary Taylor, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008

Secondary literature

• The Oxford Handbook of Thomas Middleton, hrg. by Trish Thomas Henley and Gary Taylor, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012, ISBN 978-0-19-955988-6