The Cardinal

by James Shirley, E. M. Yearling

James Shirley was born in London in September 1596. His education was through a collection of England’s finest establishments: Merchant Taylors' School, London, St John's College, Oxford, and St Catharine's College, Cambridge, where he took his B.A. degree in approximately 1618. He first published in 1618, a poem entitled Echo, or the Unfortunate Lovers. As with many artists of this period full details of his life and career are not recorded. Sources say that after graduating he became "a minister of God's word in or near St Albans." A conversion to the Catholic faith enabled him to become master of St Albans School from 1623–25. He wrote his first play, Love Tricks, or the School of Complement, which was licensed on February 10th, 1625. From the given date it would seem he wrote this whilst at St Albans but, after its production, he moved to London and to live in Gray’s Inn. For the next two decades, he would write prolifically and with great quality, across a spectrum of thirty plays; through tragedies and comedies to tragicomedies as well as several books of poetry. Unfortunately, his talents were left to wither when Parliament passed the Puritan edict in 1642, forbidding all stage plays and closing the theatres. Most of his early plays were performed by Queen Henrietta's Men, the acting company for which Shirley was engaged as house dramatist. Shirley's sympathies lay with the King in battles with Parliament and he received marks of special favor from the Queen. He made a bitter attack on William Prynne, who had attacked the stage in Histriomastix, and, when in 1634 a special masque was presented at Whitehall by the gentlemen of the Inns of Court as a practical reply to Prynne, Shirley wrote the text—The Triumph of Peace. Shirley spent the years 1636 to 1640 in Ireland, under the patronage of the Earl of Kildare. Several of his plays were produced by his friend John Ogilby in Dublin in the first ever constructed Irish theatre; The Werburgh Street Theatre. During his years in Dublin he wrote The Doubtful Heir, The Royal Master, The Constant Maid, and St. Patrick for Ireland. In his absence from London, Queen Henrietta's Men sold off a dozen of his plays to the stationers, who naturally, enough published them. When Shirley returned to London in 1640, he finished with the Queen Henrietta's company and his final plays in London were acted by the King's Men. On the outbreak of the English Civil War Shirley served with the Earl of Newcastle. However when the King's fortunes began to decline he returned to London. There his friend Thomas Stanley gave him help and thereafter Shirley supported himself in the main by teaching and publishing some educational works under the Commonwealth. In addition to these he published during the period of dramatic eclipse four small volumes of poems and plays, in 1646, 1653, 1655, and 1659. It is said that he was “a drudge” for John Ogilby in his translations of Homer’s Iliad and the Odyssey, and survived into the reign of Charles II, but, though some of his comedies were revived, his days as a playwright were over. His death, at age seventy, along with that of his wife, in 1666, is described as one of fright and exposure due to the Great Fire of London which had raged through parts of London from September 2nd to the 5th. He was buried at St Giles in the Fields, in London, on October 29th, 1666.

Genres: Plays

166 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1986

Reviews

[Bill Kerwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

James Shirley was born in the last years of the sixteenth century, and his last major play was performed in 1642 immediately before the closing of the theaters. He is considered the last of the Renaissance dramatists, and--although more a poet than a practical man of the theater---he clearly loved drama and possessed the talent necessary to create believable scenes and powerful effects.

Shirley converted to Catholicism, thus losing any possibility of a career in the church, and subsequently made his living as a schoolmaster. As he was a staunch Royalist and fought--albeit briefly-during the Civil War, Shirley was able to find favor with Charles II, and in his sixties had the pleasure of seeing a few of his comedies and tragedies revived. His life came to an unfortunate end in 1666, however, when he and his wife were driven into the streets of London by the Great Fire. They both died of shock and exposure soon after.

The Cardinal was first performed in 1642 and is considered the last of the Renaissance tragedies. Although it is never great, it is consistently excellent, worth reading by anyone who loves Shakespeare and likes Webster and Middleton. The verse reminds me of John Fletcher: rarely memorable but always musical, suited to the personalities and emotions of its characters. It also contains some interesting recurring images—spy glasses and sea voyages are the most notable—which give the text added richness. The plot is reminiscent of The Duchess of Malfi,, but echoes of Shakespeare and Beaumont and Fletcher abound.

There are two things I particularly liked about the play. First, there is a charming, funny scene in which a group of masquers anxiously await their entrances, only to have their masque cancelled, and this scene is swiftly followed by another scene featuring the replacement masque, which turns out to be a mere stratagem for wreaking real horror and murder. It is a huge shift in tone, expertly executed. Secondly, the denouement—in which we are first led to sympathize with the wicked cardinal, only to find he is more wicked than we had supposed—is full of surprises and memorable effects.

[Gill · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The last great tragedy of the Jacobean/Caroline era" (M. Wiggins.) Indeed it is. The play flows smoothly, with terrific set-pieces, including two massacres, the obligatory mad scene, and death by poisoning, yet is fresh and new, not just another "Hamlet" rip-off. The setting - Navarre at war with Aragon is not terribly important, but the sinister Cardinal and his nephew face up against our heroine and hero with ultimately catastrophic effects. The female lead, Rosaura, a dowager duchess, has significant autonomy too. There are inevitable echoes of Shakespeare and Webster, but this stands on its own as a powerful play about obsession and corruption.

Read as part of the REP online readathon of the King's Men repertoire, now reaching the end of 1641 and thus close to the closure of the theatres.

[Tom · Rating 2 out of 5]

Essentially a Duchess of Malfi-lite, this is an okay play from 1640. The only tragedy he wrote (for the King's Men), the epilogue suggests he wanted to be the successor to Shakespeare, Fletcher and Jonson: this doesn't really show that, I'm afraid.

The Duke's Mistress, by the same author, is much better.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

As much as I tend to love the lesser-known Renaissance dramatists, this play is not one I'd recommend. My sense is that Shirley had the idea for the ending and then concocted a "plot" to get it there. This is the flimsiest Renaissance tragedy I've ever read--little depth, virtually no character development, little to offer in the way of meaty speeches.... I haven't read much Shirley, but my impression coming into this play was that he could do much better. Kyle, Shakespeare, Webster, and Beaumont and Fletcher certainly did.