Richard Tarlton (died September 1588) was an English actor of the Elizabethan era. He was the most famous clown of his era, known for his extempore comic doggerel verse, which came to be known as "Tarltons". He helped to turn Elizabethan theatre into a form of mass entertainment paving the way for the Shakespearean stage. After his death many witticisms and pranks were attributed to him and were published as Tarlton's Jests.
Richard Tarlton with his pipe and tabor. All images of Tarleton derive from this illustration depicting him in manuscript Harley 3885, an Alphabet book, with English or Latin phrases. The original contains the verse: "The picture here set down, / Within this letter T, / Aright doth shew the form and shape / Of Tharlton unto thee"
Tarlton was also an accomplished dancer, musician and fencer. He was also a writer, authoring a number of jigs, pamphlets and at least one full-length play.
Information on Tarlton's family background is meagre. His father's first name is unknown. His mother's first name was Katherine, but her maiden name is also unknown. A later lawsuit establishes that he had a sister named Helen. His birthplace is also unknown, although more than a century after Tarlton's death Thomas Fuller said that he was born at Condover in Shropshire, where his father was a pig farmer, and that the family later moved to Ilford in Essex.[1]
CareerEdit
Tradition claims that Tarlton started his career in London as either an apprentice, a swineherd in Ealing, or a water-carrier; it is not impossible that he was all three.[2] By 1583, when he is mentioned as one of the original members of the Queen's Men, he was already an experienced actor.[3]
He was an early yet extraordinary influence on Elizabethan clowns. His epitaph says: "he of clowns to learn still sought/ But now they learn of him they taught". Tarlton was the first to study natural fools and simpletons to add knowledge to his characters. His manner of performance combined the styles of the medieval Vice, the professional minstrel, and the amateur Lord of Misrule. During the play, he took it upon himself to police hecklers by delivering a devastating rhyme when necessary. He would spend time after the play in a battle of wits with the audience. He worked with Queen Elizabeth's Men at the Curtain Theatre at the beginning of their career in 1583. The 1600 publication Tarlton's Jests tells how Tarlton, upon his retirement, recommended Robert Armin take his place.[4]
He was Queen Elizabeth's favourite clown. He had a talent for improvising doggerel on subjects suggested by his audience; in fact, improvised doggerel verse became known for a time as "Tarltons".[5] To cash in on his popularity, a great number of songs and witticisms of the day were attributed to him, and after his death the text Tarlton's Jests, containing many jokes in fact older than he was, made several volumes. Other books, and several ballads, coupled his name with their titles. Some have suggested that the evocation of Yorick in Hamlet's soliloquy was composed in memory of Tarlton.[3]
In addition to his other talents, Tarlton was a fencing master. He wrote at least one play, The Seven Deadly Sins (1585); though it was enormously popular in its day, no copy has survived. Besides ballads and a play, Tarlton wrote several pamphlets starting in the 1570s, one of which was A True report of this earthquake in London (1580). These were apparently genuine, though after his death a variety of other works were attributed to him as well. Gabriel Harvey refers to him as early as 1579, indicating that Tarlton had already begun to acquire the reputation that rose into fame in later years. That fame transcended the social limits that judged players to be little more than rogues.
Tarlton, according to one of his sons, gambled away the family's entire fortune. Tarlton lived in Drayton Manor House, Hanwell where he rumoured to be buried. Drayton Manor is now Drayton Manor High School.
Tarlton made his last will on 3 September 1588, describing himself as "Richard Tarlton, one of the Grooms of the Queen's Majesty's Chamber". In the will he entrusted the son he had illegitimately fathered, Philip Tarlton, to the care of "my most loving mother, Katherine Tarlton, widow, and my very loving and trusty friends Robert Adams, gentleman, and my fellow, William Johnson, one also of the Grooms of her Majesty's Chamber".[6]
^Chettle, Tarlton's Jests: and News out of purgatory The forgeries by John Payne Collier had not yet been exposed when this 1844 edition of Tarlton's Jests: and News out of purgatory was published. Therefore this edition can’t be trusted when Collier is referred to, as he is several times in the introduction. And one of Collier’s forgeries is included in the edition, as though it were authentic, which it isn’t. It is titled “Tarlton’s Jiggs of a horse loade of Fooles", and appears in the introduction beginning on page xx.
^Stephen, Sir Leslie. Dictionary of National Biography, Volume 55. Macmillan. 1898. p. 370.
Thomson, Peter (2004). "Tarlton, Richard (d. 1588)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/26971. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
Dutton, Richard, Alison Gail Findlay, and Richard L. Wilson, eds. Lancastrian Shakespeare: Region, Religion, and Patronage. Manchester, Manchester University Press, 2004.
Gurr, Andrew. The Shakespearean Stage 1574–1642. Third edition, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1992.
Peter Thomson (17 June 2013). Shakespeare's Theatre. Routledge. ISBN978-1-136-11364-2.
External linksEdit
Will of Richard Tarleton or Tarlton, Groom of Her Majesty’s Chamber, proved 6 September 1588, National Archives Retrieved 22 April 2013
August 31, 2023
richard, tarlton, died, september, 1588, english, actor, elizabethan, most, famous, clown, known, extempore, comic, doggerel, verse, which, came, known, tarltons, helped, turn, elizabethan, theatre, into, form, mass, entertainment, paving, shakespearean, stage. Richard Tarlton died September 1588 was an English actor of the Elizabethan era He was the most famous clown of his era known for his extempore comic doggerel verse which came to be known as Tarltons He helped to turn Elizabethan theatre into a form of mass entertainment paving the way for the Shakespearean stage After his death many witticisms and pranks were attributed to him and were published as Tarlton s Jests Richard Tarlton with his pipe and tabor All images of Tarleton derive from this illustration depicting him in manuscript Harley 3885 an Alphabet book with English or Latin phrases The original contains the verse The picture here set down Within this letter T Aright doth shew the form and shape Of Tharlton unto thee Tarlton was also an accomplished dancer musician and fencer He was also a writer authoring a number of jigs pamphlets and at least one full length play Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 See also 4 References 5 Bibliography 6 External linksEarly life EditInformation on Tarlton s family background is meagre His father s first name is unknown His mother s first name was Katherine but her maiden name is also unknown A later lawsuit establishes that he had a sister named Helen His birthplace is also unknown although more than a century after Tarlton s death Thomas Fuller said that he was born at Condover in Shropshire where his father was a pig farmer and that the family later moved to Ilford in Essex 1 Career EditTradition claims that Tarlton started his career in London as either an apprentice a swineherd in Ealing or a water carrier it is not impossible that he was all three 2 By 1583 when he is mentioned as one of the original members of the Queen s Men he was already an experienced actor 3 He was an early yet extraordinary influence on Elizabethan clowns His epitaph says he of clowns to learn still sought But now they learn of him they taught Tarlton was the first to study natural fools and simpletons to add knowledge to his characters His manner of performance combined the styles of the medieval Vice the professional minstrel and the amateur Lord of Misrule During the play he took it upon himself to police hecklers by delivering a devastating rhyme when necessary He would spend time after the play in a battle of wits with the audience He worked with Queen Elizabeth s Men at the Curtain Theatre at the beginning of their career in 1583 The 1600 publication Tarlton s Jests tells how Tarlton upon his retirement recommended Robert Armin take his place 4 He was Queen Elizabeth s favourite clown He had a talent for improvising doggerel on subjects suggested by his audience in fact improvised doggerel verse became known for a time as Tarltons 5 To cash in on his popularity a great number of songs and witticisms of the day were attributed to him and after his death the text Tarlton s Jests containing many jokes in fact older than he was made several volumes Other books and several ballads coupled his name with their titles Some have suggested that the evocation of Yorick in Hamlet s soliloquy was composed in memory of Tarlton 3 In addition to his other talents Tarlton was a fencing master He wrote at least one play The Seven Deadly Sins 1585 though it was enormously popular in its day no copy has survived Besides ballads and a play Tarlton wrote several pamphlets starting in the 1570s one of which was A True report of this earthquake in London 1580 These were apparently genuine though after his death a variety of other works were attributed to him as well Gabriel Harvey refers to him as early as 1579 indicating that Tarlton had already begun to acquire the reputation that rose into fame in later years That fame transcended the social limits that judged players to be little more than rogues Tarlton according to one of his sons gambled away the family s entire fortune Tarlton lived in Drayton Manor House Hanwell where he rumoured to be buried Drayton Manor is now Drayton Manor High School Tarlton made his last will on 3 September 1588 describing himself as Richard Tarlton one of the Grooms of the Queen s Majesty s Chamber In the will he entrusted the son he had illegitimately fathered Philip Tarlton to the care of my most loving mother Katherine Tarlton widow and my very loving and trusty friends Robert Adams gentleman and my fellow William Johnson one also of the Grooms of her Majesty s Chamber 6 See also EditJest book William KempeReferences Edit Thomson 2004 Richard Dutton et al eds Hanwell Shakespeare p 24 a b Chisholm 1911 Chettle Tarlton s Jests and News out of purgatory The forgeries by John Payne Collier had not yet been exposed when this 1844 edition of Tarlton s Jests and News out of purgatory was published Therefore this edition can t be trusted when Collier is referred to as he is several times in the introduction And one of Collier s forgeries is included in the edition as though it were authentic which it isn t It is titled Tarlton s Jiggs of a horse loade of Fooles and appears in the introduction beginning on page xx Stephen Sir Leslie Dictionary of National Biography Volume 55 Macmillan 1898 p 370 Honigmann 1993 p 57 Bibliography Edit nbsp This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain Chisholm Hugh ed 1911 Tarlton Richard Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol 26 11th ed Cambridge University Press Honigmann E A J 1993 Playhouse Wills Manchester Manchester University Press pp 57 8 ISBN 9780719030161 Retrieved 22 April 2013 Carlyle Edward Irving 1898 Tarlton Richard In Lee Sidney ed Dictionary of National Biography Vol 55 London Smith Elder amp Co Thomson Peter 2004 Tarlton Richard d 1588 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online ed Oxford University Press doi 10 1093 ref odnb 26971 Subscription or UK public library membership required Dutton Richard Alison Gail Findlay and Richard L Wilson eds Lancastrian Shakespeare Region Religion and Patronage Manchester Manchester University Press 2004 Gurr Andrew The Shakespearean Stage 1574 1642 Third edition Cambridge Cambridge University Press 1992 Peter Thomson 17 June 2013 Shakespeare s Theatre Routledge ISBN 978 1 136 11364 2 External links EditWill of Richard Tarleton or Tarlton Groom of Her Majesty s Chamber proved 6 September 1588 National Archives Retrieved 22 April 2013 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Richard Tarlton amp oldid 1166900401, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
