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When You See Me, You Know Me
Excerpt from When You See Me, You Know Me
Historical truth in Rowley's chronicle-history is partly strikingly neglected and partly as studiously observed; in both respects it stands side by side with Shakespeare's K. Henry VIII. Shakespeare makes Queen Katherine die three years earlier than she really did and the trial of Cranmer with him takes place a dozen of years before its time, while Rowley gives an additional length of about fourteen or fifteen years to Car dinal Wolsey's life. On the other hand Rowley has drawn even the subordinate characters of Doctor Tye and Will Sum mers, the king's fool, with an accuracy and truth, which a superficial reader would scarcely dream of. Will Summers character corresponds throughout with the description given of him by Robert Armin in his 'nest of Ninnies' on the testimony, as he says, of several old inhabitants of Greenwich who had personally known this favourite fool of K. Henry VIII.1 As Armin published his 'nest of Ninnies' three years after Rowley's 'when you see me, you know me', it may indeed be doubted if the latter has not been amongst his sources for the fools portrait, although the following lines show him to have been in possession of a store of other materials.
Historical truth in Rowley's chronicle-history is partly strikingly neglected and partly as studiously observed; in both respects it stands side by side with Shakespeare's K. Henry VIII. Shakespeare makes Queen Katherine die three years earlier than she really did and the trial of Cranmer with him takes place a dozen of years before its time, while Rowley gives an additional length of about fourteen or fifteen years to Car dinal Wolsey's life. On the other hand Rowley has drawn even the subordinate characters of Doctor Tye and Will Sum mers, the king's fool, with an accuracy and truth, which a superficial reader would scarcely dream of. Will Summers character corresponds throughout with the description given of him by Robert Armin in his 'nest of Ninnies' on the testimony, as he says, of several old inhabitants of Greenwich who had personally known this favourite fool of K. Henry VIII.1 As Armin published his 'nest of Ninnies' three years after Rowley's 'when you see me, you know me', it may indeed be doubted if the latter has not been amongst his sources for the fools portrait, although the following lines show him to have been in possession of a store of other materials.
134 pages, Paperback
First published December 31, 1970
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 15, 2023
A history play about Henry VIII which plays fast and loose with history.
July 27, 2009
This is a really peculiar play about Henry VIII, written sometime around 1603. I know next to nothing about it or about Rowley, but decided to read it because of the excellent title. The play is not what one would call historically accurate, and it doesn't really hold together dramatically -- there's no clear line/theme through it. But a lot of the speeches are awesome, and once I began reading it as Henry VIII fanfic I was very, very happy. Katherine Parr comes off quite well, too; she's clearly as intelligent as the men around her, and also wise enough to downplay her intelligence when it's necessary for her safety. Unexpected for an early 17th century author, but quite pleasing.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews