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"The next good mood I find my father in, I'll get him quite
discarded" With these chillingly offhand words, Beatrice-Joanna,
the spoilt daughter of a powerful nobleman, plots to get rid of the
family servant who has crossed her once too often. The Changeling's
vivid tale of sexual appetite, repulsion, betrayal and lunacy
remains one of the most compelling tragedies of the 17th century.
Exposing the vexed relationship between servants and masters,
setting notions of `change' against the revelation of psychological
'secrets' as ways of explaining human behaviour, and exploring the
idea of love as a `tame madness', the play reveals the terrifying
consequences of ungoverned sexual appetite and betrayal. Featuring
the full and modernized play text, this revised edition includes
incisive commentary notes which explain the nuances of the play's
vibrant, colloquial language and demonstrate its sly delight in the
characters' conscious and unconscious wordplay. Michael Neill's
illuminating introduction provides a firm grounding in the play's
socio-political context, demonstrates how careful close-reading can
expand your enjoyment of the play, explains the play's violent
linkage of comic and tragic plots and gives theatrical life to the
text via a discussion of its stage history, with a particular
emphasis on the most interesting recent productions. The New
Mermaids plays offer: * Modernized versions of the play text edited
to the highest textual standards * Fully annotated student editions
with obscure words explained and critical, contextual and staging
insight provided on each page * Full Introductions analyzing
context, themes, author background and stage history
Thomas Middleton (1580-1627), a bricklayer's son, rose to become
one of the most eminent playwrights of the Jacobean period. Along
with Ben Johnson he helped shape the dynamic course of drama in
Renaissance England. His range is broad, as his work successfully
covers comedy, tragedy, and history. Praised during his life as
well as today, Middleton remains relevant and influential. The
Changeling (1630) was composed with the aid of Middleton's friend
William Rowley, also an established playwright. The drama tells of
the destructive powers of vice and lust. Beatrice-Joanna is a young
woman betrothed to Alonzo de Piracquo, yet Beatrice-Joanna is truly
in love with another-the nobleman Alsemero. Beatrice-Joanna uses
manipulative and violent means to rid herself of her suitor
Alsemero. The ensuing drama results in a catastrophic tragedy,
leaving only a few to contemplate justice and passion. The
characters, style, and action of The Changeling effortlessly come
together, making it one of the greatest tragedies of its time.
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The Changeling (Paperback)
Thomas Middleton, William Rowley; Edited by Matthew W. Black
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R628
Discovery Miles 6 280
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Ships in 10 - 15 working days
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"The Changeling" is a powerful psychological tragedy of the
moral degeneration of a highborn Spanish girl through a crime
prompted by obsessive love. Thomas Middleton (1580-1627) was
probably responsible for the tragic plot, and William Rowley (c.
1585-1626) for the comic subplot concerning the antics of a young
rake who contrives to have himself committed to an insane asylum
for love of the proprietor's handsome wife.
In the village of Edmonton, Elizabeth Sawyer is shunned by her
neighbours. A poor and lonely old woman, she is harassed and
accused of being a witch. In her abject misery, she wishes that she
really were bewitched and so able to have her revenge. Unluckily
for Elizabeth and the villagers of Edmonton, someone with the power
to grant that wish is listening. First performed in 1621, The Witch
of Edmonton was based by its authors Thomas Dekker, John Ford and
William Rowley on a real-life case of a woman accused of
witchcraft. The play was revived by the Royal Shakespeare Company
as part of its 2014 Roaring Girls season, in the Swan Theatre,
Stratford-upon-Avon, directed by RSC Artistic Director Gregory
Doran and with Eileen Atkins as Elizabeth Sawyer. This Prompt Book
edition of the play features the text edited for the RSC
production, and introductions by key members of its creative team,
including Doran.
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