In the fictional encounter between William Shakespeare and a young John Webster in Shakespeare in Love, Webster expresses his enthusiasm for violence and “plenty of blood” in drama, saying he got his taste for this from having watched and acted in Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus. John Webster, (born c. 1580, London, Eng.—died c. 1632), English dramatist whose The White Devil (c. 1609– c. 1612) and The Duchess of Malfi (c. 1612/13, published 1623) are generally regarded as the paramount 17th-century English tragedies apart from those of Shakespeare. Written by Iohn Webster.Date: London : printed by N[icholas] O[kes] for Thomas Archer, and are to be sold at his shop in Popes head Pallace, neere the Royall Exchange, 1612.Repository: Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, DC, USACall number and opening: STC 25178, title page & sigs. In the film Shakespeare in Love (1998), John Webster makes a cameo as a young street urchin who enjoys feeding live mice to cats. Shakespeare in Love (1998) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. John Webster. His father was a carriage maker and was also known as John Webster. was known for his particularly gory tragedies. Webster’s canon is too compact for the three weeks of the event, and this year they are including plays that are known to have influenced the playwright. Friendship Best Your. As Shakespeare biographer Lois Potter notes, “Shakespeare is keeping company here with two very prolific dramatists who wrote both alone and, like Webster, in collaboration” (388-89). [In the following excerpt, Leech … John Webster (c. 1580 – c. 1634) was an English Jacobean dramatist, a late contemporary of William Shakespeare. John Webster, 1580-1634, was a playwright best known for his tragedies, The White Devil in 1609 and The Duchess of Malfi in 1613, which was regarded as a masterpiece of the time. The White Devil, based on the assassination of the Italian noblewoman Vittoria Accoramboni, follows the illicit affair between Vittoria and the Duke Bracciano, with their actions resulting in an epic and bloody end. Like them, Shakespeare was a man of the commercial theatre. Read John Webster biography Often ranked second only to Shakespeare among Jacobean tragedians, Webster is the author of two major works, The White Devil … The play is considered to be among the finest of all Jacobean tragedies. John Webster — English Playwright born on December 30, 1578, John Webster was an English Jacobean dramatist best known for his tragedies The White Devil and The Duchess of Malfi, which are often regarded as masterpieces of the early 17th-century English stage. John Webster was born in London in the year 1578, however, the exact dates of birth and death are unknown. His thoughts, works and dramas are considered to be the paragons of the early 17th century. Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, DC, USA, STC 25178, signature A1 verso and A2 recto, STC 25178, signature A2 verso and B1 recto, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, Contemporary accounts and critical responses to plays, Printed reference to Shakespeare by name in his lifetime. Webster's life is obscure, and his date-of-birth and death date are not known. The labor’d and vnderstandingworkes of Maister Iohnson. When Will Shakespeare asks the boy what he thought of Titus Andronicus, Webster replies, "I like it when they cut … Bloodthirsty child, collaborative dramatist and last of the great Elizabethan playwrights. When asked by Shakespeare what he thought of Titus Andronicus, Webster replies: 'I like it when they cut their heads off. From Professor John Webster: Today is Shakespeare's (estimated) birthday! … London : printed by N[icholas] O[kes] for Thomas Archer, and are to be sold at his shop in Popes head Pallace, neere the Royall Exchange, 1612. English dramatist. Edited by John Munro. Ben Jonson, the son of a clergyman and the stepson of a master bricklayer, received a good education at Westminster School. Find more articles on John Webster Lang: en John Webster (c. 1580 – c. 1632) was an English Jacobean dramatist best known for his tragedies The White Devil and The Duchess of Malfi, which are often regarded as masterpieces of the early 17th-century English stage. John Webster from the film Shakespeare in Love Around 15 years younger than Shakespeare, Webster must have been familiar with Shakespeare’s plays, and the two men probably knew each other. John Webster was born in the suggestively named parish of St Sepulchre, Newgate in London between 1578 and 1580. SOURCE: "Webster as a Dramatic Poet," in John Webster: A Critical Study, The Hogarth Press, 1951, pp. 90-119. He was known to be at par with William Shakespeare in many aspects. with Webster and Dekker then retaliating with Northwood Ho! In June 2019 the Shakespeare Institute in Stratford-upon-Avon, is celebrating another of Shakespeare’s contemporaries, John Webster, in the seventh of their marathon playreadings. Biography Webster's life is John Webster (c.1580 – c.1634) Webster was born in London sometime around 1580 (16 years after Shakespeare), the son of a carriage maker and a blacksmith's daughter. His father was a coachmaker, and a prominent member of the Guild of Merchant Taylors. In general, he was described as having quite a dark outlook on life. InternetExplorer 11.0, so you may experience some difficulties using this website. When I write plays they’ll be like Titus.- WS: You admire it.- See Shakespeare Documented, https://doi.org/10.37078/238. https://www.nosweatshakespeare.com/resources/era/contemporaries In 1606, Webster married Sara Peniall by special license in Islington, as at the time, she was seven months pregnant with their first child. Written by Iohn Webster. Later in the film, when asked what he thinks of Romeo and Juliet, Webster says: 'I liked it when she stabbed herself.' Comparison of John Webster's The Duchess of Malfi and William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. Copy-specific informationCreator: John WebsterTitle: The white diuel, or, The tragedy of Paulo Giordano Vrsini, Duke of Brachiano, with the life and death of Vittoria Corombona the famous Venetian curtizan. John Webster was born in London in the year 1578, however, the exact dates of birth and death are unknown. As a collaborator his canon is far bigger than this, and perhaps even more surprisingly many of the other plays are funny – and I don’t just mean black comedy. Brought up in the parish of St. Sepulchre, Newgate, his father was a prominent member of the Guild of Merchant Taylors, with Webster probably attending the Merchant Taylors' School. About this essay More essays like this: Not sure what I'd do without @Kibin - Alfredo Alvarez, student @ Miami University. William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night and John Webster's The Duchess of Malfi are fascinating plays with convoluted plots that cause the reader to ponder the possible differences of females roles in 17th century society versus the present day. We don't actually know exactly which day he was born, but we DO know that he was christened on April 26, 1564, and some scholars have declared that three days would be … Posted on June 7, 2019 by Sylvia Morris. We use cookies on this website. They cut my head off in Titus Andronicus. Let us learn more below. John Webster is known for two powerful tragedies, The White Devil and The Duchess of Malfi, which have sufficiently impressed readers to rank him second only to William Shakespeare … His father, a coach maker also named John Webster, married a blacksmith's daughter named Elizabeth Coates on 4 November 1577, and it is likely that Webster was born not long after in or near London. Shakespeare in Love-Wikipedia They discovered that they were writers, able to make a living off their talent, and they (excluding the poet Spenser) flocked to the London theatres where customers for their wares were to be found. John Webster Description. John Webster in Shakespeare in Love. Royal Shakespeare Company, The work of the RSC is supported by the Culture Recovery Fund, Unfortunately we cannot guarantee support for browsers with Javascript disabled, you may experience some difficulties using this website. Irvin Leigh Matus, Shakespeare, In Fact (New York: Continuum, 1994): 175. He was a contemporary of William Shakespeare. JOHN WEBSTER was a Londoner born in 1578 or 1579, which made him about fifteen years younger than Shakespeare, and he lived until the early 1630s. John Webster, an unpleasant young boy who hangs around the theatre, spies on Shakespeare and Viola making love and informs Tilney, who closes the Rose for breaking the ban on women actors. English - Playwright 1578 - 1634. This kind of rivalry was common in the London theatre and the audience would have enjoyed seeing the playwrights 'battle it out' for public favour. They discovered that they were writers, able to make a living off their talent, and they (excluding the poet Spenser) flocked to the London theatres where customers for their wares were to be found. All citations from The MMte Devil refer to Lucas' edition of the play in this volume. John Webster, Thomas Dekker, and Thomas Middleton came from similar backgrounds. The White Devil, for example, is especially concerned with the dark depths of politics. John Fletcher: written c. 1613; published 1623 The True Chronicle Historie of the Life and Death of Thomas Lord Cromwell: Wentworth Smith (?) 2021 John Webster (c.1580-c.1638) Regarded as 'the last of the great Elizabethan playwrights', John Webster was born sometime around 1580. It was first performed privately at the Blackfriars Theatre, then later to a larger audience at The Globe, in 1613–1614. Webster’s praise attests to Shakespeare’s reputation as a playwright among his peers during his lifetime. It is known that he was also capable of writing comedies, but he gained recognition for writing tragedies. Some of Webster's other collaborations include the tragedy Caesar's Fall, the history play Sir Thomas Wyatt and Christmas Comes but Once a Year. His tragedies The White Devil and The Duchess of Malfi are often regarded as masterpieces of the early 17th-century English stage. FOR ANY QUESTIONS OR INQUIRIES PLEASE CONTACT SHAKESPEAREDOCUMENTED@FOLGER.EDU. The Duchess of Malfi (originally published as The Tragedy of the Dutchesse of Malfy) is a Jacobean revenge tragedy written by English dramatist John Webster in 1612–1613. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings. Creator: John Webster Title: The white diuel, or, The tragedy of Paulo Giordano Vrsini, Duke of Brachiano, with the life and death of Vittoria Corombona the famous Venetian curtizan. The Cambridge Guide to the Worlds of Shakespeare - January 2016. John Webster was a playwright and younger contemporary of William Shakespeare in the 16th century. By using this site you agree that we may store and access cookies on your device. F. L. Lucas (London, 1928), I, p, Ï57 . It is known that he was also capable of writing comedies, but he gained recognition for writing tragedies. In the romantic comedy film Shakespeare in Love (1998), John Webster makes a brief cameo as a bloodthirsty child who claims that his favourite play is Titus Andronicus because ‘I like it when they cut heads off’. The Type of Marriage and Love Triangles in Two Plays: The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster and The Tempest by William Shakespeare PAGES 4. About nine years after the birth of Shakespeare his greatest successor in the English drama was born in London. John Webster. Folger Shakespeare Library staff, "The White Devil: John Webster refers to Shakespeare by name in his dedication," Shakespeare Documented, https://doi.org/10.37078/238. It caused a major Oscar upset. 1634) rests on two blank-verse tragedies, The White Devil and The Duchess of Malfi. Life. His two major works, The White Devil (1612) and The Duchess of Malfi (1614), are more frequently revived on stage than any plays of the period other than Shakespeare’s. Lay this unto your breast: Old friends, like old swords, still are trusted best. Folger Shakespeare Library, STC 25178. In the words of Echo & The Bunnymen, 'John Webster was, One of the best there was...', The RSC is a registered charity (no. F.J. Furnivall, C.M. In what is still regarded as one of the biggest upsets in Oscar history, … Tag Archives: John Webster. Webster was born in London sometime around 1580 (16 years after Shakespeare), the son of a carriage maker and a blacksmith's daughter. View Full Essay. Number of Pages: 6 Paper Abstract: Men's attitudes about women are contrasted and compared in six pages. Let us learn more below. Early Life of John Webster A portrait of John Webster. E. K. Chambers, William Shakespeare: A Study of Facts and Problems (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1930): 2:218. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the young prince clearly shows misogynistic emotions … Webster's most famous piece The Duchess of Malfi (c.1614), however, enjoyed success at the indoor Blackfriars Theatre and later, at the outdoor Globe Theatre. That is the only writing.' (London: Oxford University Press, 1932): 1: 116, 233. John Webster is a dramatist who excites controversy. Little is known of his early years except that he may have been a member of the Middle Temple and, considering his knowledge of Law in later plays, this seems likely. John Webster, Thomas Dekker, and Thomas Middleton came from similar backgrounds. John Webster, an unpleasant boy who hangs around the theatre, spies on Shakespeare and Viola making love and informs Tilney, who closes the Rose for breaking the ban on women actors. The Duchess of Malfi (2000) directed by Gale Edwards. Shakespeare and Webster bring in the idea of misogyny in their plays through Bosola and Hamlet. John Webster’s 400-year old revenge tragedy, The Duchess of Malfi, has always had a reputation as a potboiler of a play.Although set in Italy, it depicts a world of courtly ambition, love and intrigue fuelled by the existential battle between the Devil and God, that audiences in England at the time of James 1 would certainly have recognised. (1605). The Folger waives permission fees for non-commercial publication by registered non-profits, including university presses, regardless of the license they use. 121 of 122 found this interesting All this, of course, is fictional, but the characters in Webster's tragedies tend to meet rather gruesome ends... We know little about Webster's early years, except that he may have been a member of the Middle Temple; an entry to the admissions register 'Magister Johannes Webster' in 1598 and his knowledge of Law in later plays makes this likely. Lois Potter, The Life of William Shakespeare: A Critical Biography (Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2012): 389-389. It was first performed privately at the Blackfriars Theatre, then later to a larger audience at The Globe, in 1613–1614.. Acted by the Queenes Maiesties Seruants. In June 2019 the Shakespeare Institute in Stratford-upon-Avon, is celebrating another of Shakespeare’s contemporaries, John Webster, in the seventh of their marathon playreadings. Unfortunately, payments are no longer supported by Mastercard in your web browser Five sources are cited in the bibliography. Jonson outlived Shakespeare twenty-one years and helped to usher in the decline of the drama. His father was a carriage maker and was also known as John Webster. Like them, Shakespeare was a man of the commercial theatre. Well John Webster’s plays dealt with incredibly dark themes and were often quite grim in their outlook, especially compared to counterparts such as this one guy, William Shakespeare, who you might have heard of. Brought up in the parish of St. Sepulchre, Newgate, his father was a prominent member of the Guild of Merchant Taylors, with Webster probably attending the Merchant Taylors' School. His reputation rests on two famous Jacobean tragedies: The White Devil (1612) and The Duchess of Malfi (1614). 1580-ca. Thomas Dekker and John Webster: written c. 1607 All is True or The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight: Shakespeare and (?) John Webster Please help us improve with this one minute survey (opens in a new tab) In the 1998 film Shakespeare in Love, a young boy seen feeding a live mouse to a cat identifies himself as John Webster (1580-1634). Please enable Javascript, for help please visit. Little is known of his early years except that he may have been a member of the Middle Temple and, considering his knowledge of Law in later plays, this seems likely. Here it is the dialogue between William Shakespeare and John Webster, where we can see the role of the obscure author in a near future: 2 – JW: I was in a play. John Webster… After Webster's death, the Elizabethan theatre began to decline. As Shakespeare biographer Lois Potter notes, “Shakespeare is keeping company here with two very prolific dramatists who wrote both alone and, like Webster, in collaboration” (388-89). Yet for the last two centuries people have been arguing about Webster's worth. John Fletcher was born in 1579 and lived until 1625 and was, during his writing years, probably the most prolific and influential playwright of his time – even more so than Shakespeare. He was a contemporary of William Shakespeare. Paul Edmondson and Stanley Wells, eds., Shakespeare Beyond Doubt : Evidence, Argument, Controversy (Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2013): 80-1. The reputation of the English dramatist John Webster (ca. published 1613 The Chronicle History of Perkin Warbeck: John Ford John Webster was an illustrious English Jacobean dramatist, distinguished for his tragedies ‘The Duchess Of Malfi’ and ‘The White Devil’. Kate O'Connor In the 1998 film Shakespeare in Love, a young boy seen feeding a live mouse to a cat identifies himself as John Webster (1580-1634). WORDS 1,115. For more information, including permissions beyond the scope of this license, see Permissions. Thought that he was a playwright and younger contemporary of William Shakespeare: Study! And a prominent member of the play is considered to be at par William! You agree that we may store and access cookies on your device Jonson company... Around 1580 general, he was known to be at par with William:... 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