Overview
The redefinition of the Thomas Middleton canon has led to an explosion
of interest in this quintessential Jacobean. Middleton's best-known
plays, such as Women Beware Women and The Changeling, are now staged,
filmed and rewritten for modern audiences. But Middleton also wrote
religious poetry, satires, historical allegory, prose and less familiar
plays, collaborating frequently, even with Shakespeare. His works are
rooted in his historical and cultural environment, from the Overbury
scandal to the fall of the boys' companies. Here, experts in literature,
theatre, history, law and religion analyze the complex contexts of
Middleton's works, clarifying debates over his religious and political
affiliations. Divided into sections presenting new interpretations of
the world in which Middleton wrote - as a Londoner, citizen, dramatist
and early modern man - and concluding with a section on performance
history, the essays cover the full range of his works, from the
frequently performed to the newest attributions.