"Alexander's Successors" redirects here. For the rivals who fought for control over Alexander the Great's empire, see Diadochi.
The Humorous Lieutenant, also known as The Noble Enemies, Demetrius and Enanthe, or Alexander's Successors,[1] is a Jacobean era stage play, a tragicomedy written by John Fletcher. Highly praised by critics, it has been called "Fletcher's best comedy."[2]
The second Beaumont/Fletcher folio of 1679 provides a cast list for the original King's Men's production, which includes Henry Condell, Joseph Taylor, John Lowin, William Ecclestone, Richard Sharpe, John Underwood, Robert Benfield—and Thomas Pollard, the comic actor who filled the title role. This is the only cast list that includes both Taylor and Condell; Taylor joined the company in the spring of 1619, to replace Richard Burbage after his death in March of that year; and Condell is thought to have retired not long after—which appears to date the play fairly securely to 1619.
Manuscript
In addition to the printed texts in the two folios, the play exists in a manuscript version, a presentation copy prepared by the professional scribe Ralph Crane for Sir Kenelm Digby. Crane sent the MS. to Digby on 27 November 1625. In Crane's text, the play is longer by some 70 lines; the printed texts provide a stage version trimmed for acting. The MS. is titled Demetrius and Enanthe, and attributes the play to Fletcher alone—a verdict that is generally accepted, since Fletcher's distinctive stylistic profile is continuous through the play. The MS. has been called "the most beautiful example of Crane's calligraphy that we have."[3]
After 1642
Comic material from the play was adapted into a droll during the Interregnum period. Like many plays in Fletcher's canon, The Humorous Lieutenant was revived at the start the Restoration era, in 1660. When the new Theatre Royal at Drury Lane opened on 8 April 1663, The Humorous Lieutenant was the first play staged, and ran for twelve nights in a row—highly unusual in the repertory system of the time. The play remained popular and was performed repeatedly, in various adaptations, into the early eighteenth century.[4] Adapted forms of the play were published in 1697 and 1717, while the manuscript text was first printed by Alexander Dyce in 1830.[5]
The plot
The Humorous Lieutenant has no known source in the previous literature,[6] and seems to be that rare item in English Renaissance drama: an original plot. It is set in the ancient Middle East after the death of Alexander the Great, and features the major historical figures of the era: Antigonus, his son Demetrius, and Seleucus, Ptolemy, and Lysimachus. The plot centers on the love between Demetrius and an obscure young woman named Celia—who at the end of the play turns out to be Enanthe, the daughter of King Seleucus and so a suitable match for a prince.
The title character is the play's main comic relief: an otherwise-unnamed lieutenant who is capable of fighting ferociously in battle but is a profound hypochondriac the rest of the time. He is "humorous" in the seventeenth-century sense of the word: his bodily humours are out of balance.
Leech, Clifford. The John Fletcher Plays. London, Chatto & Windus, 1962.
Logan, Terence P., and Denzell S. Smith, eds. The Later Jacobean and Caroline Dramatists: A Survey and Bibliography of Recent Studies in English Renaissance Drama. Lincoln, NE, University of Nebraska Press, 1978.
Oliphant, E. H. C. The Plays of Beaumont and Fletcher: An Attempt to Determine Their Respective Shares and the Shares of Others. New Haven, Yale University Press, 1927.
Potter, Alfred Claghorn. A Bibliography of Beaumont and Fletcher. Cambridge, MA, Library of Harvard University, 1890.
Sprague, Arthur Colby. Beaumont and Fletcher on the Restoration Stage. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press, 1926.
Wilson, F. P. "Ralph Crane, Scrivener to the King's Players." Library 7 (1926), pp. 194–215.
February 24, 2023
humorous, lieutenant, alexander, successors, redirects, here, rivals, fought, control, over, alexander, great, empire, diadochi, also, known, noble, enemies, demetrius, enanthe, alexander, successors, jacobean, stage, play, tragicomedy, written, john, fletcher. Alexander s Successors redirects here For the rivals who fought for control over Alexander the Great s empire see Diadochi The Humorous Lieutenant also known as The Noble Enemies Demetrius and Enanthe or Alexander s Successors 1 is a Jacobean era stage play a tragicomedy written by John Fletcher Highly praised by critics it has been called Fletcher s best comedy 2 The drama was initially published in the first Beaumont and Fletcher folio of 1647 Contents 1 Date and performance 2 Manuscript 3 After 1642 4 The plot 5 Notes 6 ReferencesDate and performance EditThe second Beaumont Fletcher folio of 1679 provides a cast list for the original King s Men s production which includes Henry Condell Joseph Taylor John Lowin William Ecclestone Richard Sharpe John Underwood Robert Benfield and Thomas Pollard the comic actor who filled the title role This is the only cast list that includes both Taylor and Condell Taylor joined the company in the spring of 1619 to replace Richard Burbage after his death in March of that year and Condell is thought to have retired not long after which appears to date the play fairly securely to 1619 Manuscript EditIn addition to the printed texts in the two folios the play exists in a manuscript version a presentation copy prepared by the professional scribe Ralph Crane for Sir Kenelm Digby Crane sent the MS to Digby on 27 November 1625 In Crane s text the play is longer by some 70 lines the printed texts provide a stage version trimmed for acting The MS is titled Demetrius and Enanthe and attributes the play to Fletcher alone a verdict that is generally accepted since Fletcher s distinctive stylistic profile is continuous through the play The MS has been called the most beautiful example of Crane s calligraphy that we have 3 After 1642 EditComic material from the play was adapted into a droll during the Interregnum period Like many plays in Fletcher s canon The Humorous Lieutenant was revived at the start the Restoration era in 1660 When the new Theatre Royal at Drury Lane opened on 8 April 1663 The Humorous Lieutenant was the first play staged and ran for twelve nights in a row highly unusual in the repertory system of the time The play remained popular and was performed repeatedly in various adaptations into the early eighteenth century 4 Adapted forms of the play were published in 1697 and 1717 while the manuscript text was first printed by Alexander Dyce in 1830 5 The plot EditThe Humorous Lieutenant has no known source in the previous literature 6 and seems to be that rare item in English Renaissance drama an original plot It is set in the ancient Middle East after the death of Alexander the Great and features the major historical figures of the era Antigonus his son Demetrius and Seleucus Ptolemy and Lysimachus The plot centers on the love between Demetrius and an obscure young woman named Celia who at the end of the play turns out to be Enanthe the daughter of King Seleucus and so a suitable match for a prince The title character is the play s main comic relief an otherwise unnamed lieutenant who is capable of fighting ferociously in battle but is a profound hypochondriac the rest of the time He is humorous in the seventeenth century sense of the word his bodily humours are out of balance Notes Edit Hazlitt p 289 Clifford Leech quoted in Logan and Smith p 40 F P Wilson quoted in Logan and Smith p 70 Sprague pp 4 5 10 15 20 76 109 121 3 Potter p 9 Logan and Smith p 41 References EditHazlitt William 1906 A View of the English Stage Or A Series of Dramatic Criticisms London George Bell amp Sons OCLC 645070404 Leech Clifford The John Fletcher Plays London Chatto amp Windus 1962 Logan Terence P and Denzell S Smith eds The Later Jacobean and Caroline Dramatists A Survey and Bibliography of Recent Studies in English Renaissance Drama Lincoln NE University of Nebraska Press 1978 Oliphant E H C The Plays of Beaumont and Fletcher An Attempt to Determine Their Respective Shares and the Shares of Others New Haven Yale University Press 1927 Potter Alfred Claghorn A Bibliography of Beaumont and Fletcher Cambridge MA Library of Harvard University 1890 Sprague Arthur Colby Beaumont and Fletcher on the Restoration Stage Cambridge MA Harvard University Press 1926 Wilson F P Ralph Crane Scrivener to the King s Players Library 7 1926 pp 194 215 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Humorous Lieutenant amp oldid 1010445256, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
