Elizabethan Drama as a Mirror :: Plays Literature Essays

A. How [God] hath managed a portion of our compatriots your precursors, for various indecencies not yet left, this book named A Mirror for Magistrates can shew; which accordingly I modestly offer unto your Honors, entreating you to acknowledge it well. For here as in a mirror, you will check whether (any bad habit be in you) how the like hath been rebuffed in other up to this time, whereby, counseled, I believe it will be a decent event to move you to the sooner correction. William Baldwin, A Mirror for Magistrates (1559) B. In Playes, all cosonages, every single crafty float ouer guylded with outward holinesse, all strategems of warre, all the cankerwormes that breede on the rust of harmony, are most lieuely anatomiz'd: they shew the evil successe of treachery, the fall of hastie climbers, the pitiful finish of vsurpers, the miserie of ciuill dissention, and how iust God is euermore in rebuffing of murther. What's more, to proue euery one of these claims, might I be able to propound the conditions of this play and that play ... they are sower pils of reprehension, wrapt vp in sweete words ... what's more, concerning tainting [prentices] when they come, that is bogus; for no Play they haue, encourageth any man to tumults or resistance, yet layes before such the strap and the gallowes; or praiseth or approoueth pride, desire, whoredome, prodigalitie, or drunkennes, however beates them downe vtterly. Thomas Nashe, Pierce Penilesse (1592) C. 0 London, mayden of the misstresse Ile, Wrapt in the foldes and wrapping cloutes of disgrace: In thee more sinnes then Niniuie containes, Hatred of God, dispight of reuerend age. Disregard of law, want to wrong the poore: Corrpution, whordome, drunkennesse, and pride. Swolne are thy browes with impudence and disgrace. 0 pleased two-timing glorie of the West, The neighbors consume, yet doest thou feare no fire Thy Preachers crie, yet doest thou stop thine eares. The larum rings, yet sleepest thou secure. London alert, for feare the Lord do frowne, I set a looking Glasse before thine eyes. 0 turne, 0 turne, with sobbing to the Lord Repend 0 London Thomas Lodge and Robert Green, A Looking Glass for London and England (1590), lines 2388-2404 D. Suit the activity to the word, the word to the activity; with this uncommon recognition, that you exceed not the humility of nature: for anything so exaggerated is from the reason for playing, whose end, both at the first and now, was and is, to hold, as Ã…'twere, the mirror up to nature; to show temperance her own element, disdain her own picture, and the very age and body of the time his structure and weight.