A short view of tragedy, 1693

by Thomas Rymer

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1693 ...after that were reckon'd for Comedy, Edward Earl of Oxford; for Tragedy amongft others, Thomas Lord of Buchurfit whofe Gorbodutk is a fable, doubtlefs, better turn'd for tragedy, than any on this fide the Alp in his time 5 and might have been a better direction to Shakefpear and Ben. Johnfon than any guide they have had the luck to follow. Here Shflttn. Here is a King, the Queen, and their two Sons. The King divides his Realm, and gives it betwixt his two Sons. They auar-rel. The Elder Brother Kills the Tounget, Which provokes the Mother to Kill the Elder. Thereupon the King Kills the Mother And then to make a clear Stage the people rife and difpatch old Gorboduck. It is objected by our Neighbours againft the Engli(h,that weddight in bloody fpe£tacles. Our Foets who have not imitated Gorboduck in the regularity and roundnefs of the defign, have not failed on the Theatre to give us the atrecite and blood, enough in all Conference. From this time Dramatick Poetry began to thrive with us, and flourifli wonderfully. The French confefs they had nothing in this kind confiderable till J6$ j. that the Academy Royal was founded. Long before which time we had from Shakefpear, Fletcher, and Ben. Johnfon whole Volumes; at this day in pofleflion of the Stage, and afted with greater applaufe than ever. Yet after all, I fear what Quintilian pronounced concerning the Roman Comedy, may as juftly be faid of Englilh / Tragoedia maxime claudica miu, vix levetn confequimur umbram. In Tragedy we come fliort extreamly; hardly have we a (lender lhadow of it. CHAPCHAP. VXL Othello. More of a piece, in Tragedy four parts. Fable, the Poets part. Cinthio's Novels. Othello altered for the worfe. Marriage, abfurd, forbidden by Horace. Fable of Othello. Vfe and application....

38 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2012

About the author

Thomas Rymer (c. 1643 – 13 December 1713), English historiographer royal, was the younger son of Ralph Rymer, lord of the manor of Brafferton in Yorkshire, described by Clarendon as possessed of a good estate, who was executed for his share in the Presbyterian rising of 1663.

Rymer's most lasting contribution to scholarship was the sixteen volumes of Foedera he published from 1704 to 1713; a collection of "all the leagues, treaties, alliances, capitulations, and confederacies, which have at any time been made between the Crown of England and any other kingdoms, princes and states," it was an immense labor of research and transcription on which he spent the last twenty years of his life.

Rymer died on 13 December 1713, and was buried four days later in St Clement Danes Church in the Strand. He apparently left no immediate family.