Reprint of the original, first published in 1873.

Reproduction of the original: Thomas Otway - The Best Plays of the Old Dramatists by Thomas Otway

"The Old English Dramatists" by James Russell Lowell is a critical examination of early English drama. Lowell, an American poet and critic, provides insightful analysis and commentary on the works of notable dramatists from the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods. In this collection, Lowell explores the themes, styles, and contributions of playwrights such as Christopher Marlowe and Ben Jonson. The book offers readers a scholarly perspective on the evolution of English drama, highlighting the historical and cultural context in which these dramatists worked. Lowell’s critiques are valuable for understanding the development of early English theatre and its influence on later literary traditions. "The Old English Dramatists" is a significant work for students and enthusiasts of early English literature and drama, providing a deep appreciation of the playwrights who shaped the foundations of modern theatre.

This book presents new evidence about the ways in which English Renaissance dramatists such as William Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, Thomas Heywood, John Fletcher and Thomas Middleton composed their plays and the degree to which they participated in the dissemination of their texts to theatrical audiences. Grace Ioppolo argues that the path of the transmission of the text was not linear, from author to censor to playhouse to audience - as has been universally argued by scholars - but circular. Extant dramatic manuscripts, theatre records and accounts, as well as authorial contracts, memoirs, receipts and other archival evidence, are used to prove that the text returned to the author at various stages, including during rehearsal and after performance. This monograph provides much new information and case studies, and is a fascinating contribution to the fields of Shakespeare studies, English Renaissance drama studies, manuscript studies, textual study and bibliography and theatre history.