Untitled Play by Henry Burnell: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 21:56, 3 March 2021

Henry Burnell (1636-1639)

Historical Records

None known.

Theatrical Provenance

Unknown.

Probable Genre(s)

Unknown.

Possible Narrative and Dramatic Sources or Analogues

Unknown.

References to the Play

In Burnell's play Landgartha (performed, 1640; published, 1641), the Prologue explains why they are dressed as an Amazon: "marvell not / The present author (having not forgot / How in 's first Play, he met with too much spite) / Sho'd send an armed Amazon" (sig A4v). The ill-received "first Play" that Burnell wrote is now lost.

Critical Commentary

For What It's Worth

Bentley assumes that it is this reference to Burnell's previous, unknown play that led Harbage to ascribe "The Toy" and "The Irish Gentleman" to Burnell (3.96-97). As Rankin notes, however, there “is no evidence for this” (ODNB).

Burnell's Landgartha was "the first extant play by an Irishman to be performed at the first theater in Dublin" (Rankin, "Kinds," 111); Landgartha was also the last performance by Ogilby's Men at the Werburgh Street Theatre in Dublin. It is possible that Burnell's earlier, now-lost play was performed under the same auspices.

Landgartha was first performed on St. Patrick's Day (17 March), as the quarto announces: "This Play was first Acted on S. Patricks day, 1639" (sig. K1v); Bentley notes that would be 1639/40 (3.97). Given that Landgartha's Amazonian prologue refers to costume, it was likely written for the first performance, which creates a terminus ad quem for the composition and performance of Burnell's earlier lost play.

Works Cited

Rankin, Deana. "Burnell, Henry (fl. 1640–1654), playwright." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press, 2004. Date of access 6 Oct. 2020.

Rankin, Deana. "Kinds of Irishness: Henry Burnell and Richard Head." A Companion to Irish Literature. Ed. Julia M. Wright. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010. 108-24.

Site created and maintained by Laura Estill, St. Francis Xavier University; updated 3 March 2021.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-[[Playwright's Name]] ([[Year]])
+[[Burnell, H.|Henry Burnell]] (1636-1639)
 ==Historical Records==
-<Reproduce relevant documentary evidence from historical records here. (For example, entries from Henslowe's Diary).>
+None known.
 ==Theatrical Provenance==
-<Enter information about which company performed the play, and where/when it was performed, etc.>
+Unknown.
 ==Probable Genre(s)==
-<List possible genres of the play: if noted by a critic, cite them, e.g. "Comedy (Harbage)". If an original speculation, simply list the genre.>
+Unknown.
 ==Possible Narrative and Dramatic Sources or Analogues==
-<Enter any information about possible or known sources. Summarise these sources where practical/possible, or provide an excerpt from another scholar's discussion of the subject if available.>
+Unknown.
 ==References to the Play==
-<List any known or conjectured references to the lost play here.>
+In Burnell's play ''Landgartha'' (performed, 1640; published, 1641), the Prologue explains why they are dressed as an Amazon: "marvell not / The present author (having not forgot / How in 's first Play, he met with too much spite) / Sho'd send an armed ''Amazon''" (sig A4v). The ill-received "first Play" that Burnell wrote is now lost.
 ==Critical Commentary==
-<Summarise any critical commentary that may have been published by scholars. Please maintain an objective tone!>
 ==For What It's Worth==
-<Enter any miscellaneous points that may be relevant, but don't fit into the above categories. This is the best place for highly conjectural thoughts.>
+Bentley assumes that it is this reference to Burnell's previous, unknown play that led Harbage to ascribe "[[Toy, The|The Toy]]" and "[[Irish Gentleman, The|The Irish Gentleman]]" to Burnell (3.96-97). As Rankin notes, however, there “is no evidence for this” (''ODNB'').
+Burnell's ''Landgartha'' was "the first extant play by an Irishman to be performed at the first theater in Dublin" (Rankin, "Kinds," 111); ''Landgartha'' was also the last performance by [[:Category:Ogilby's (Dublin)|Ogilby's Men]] at the Werburgh Street Theatre in Dublin. It is possible that Burnell's earlier, now-lost play was performed under the same auspices.
+''Landgartha'' was first performed on St. Patrick's Day (17 March), as the quarto announces: "This Play was first Acted on S. Patricks day, 1639" (sig. K1v); Bentley notes that would be 1639/40 (3.97). Given that ''Landgartha''<nowiki/>'s Amazonian prologue refers to costume, it was likely written for the first performance, which creates a ''terminus ad quem'' for the composition and performance of Burnell's earlier lost play.
 ==Works Cited==
-<List all texts cited throughout the entry, except those staple texts whose full bibliographical details have been provided in the masterlist of Works Cited found on the sidebar menu. Use the coding below to format the list>
+Rankin, Deana. "Burnell, Henry (fl. 1640–1654), playwright." ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography''. Oxford University Press, 2004. Date of access 6 Oct. 2020.
-<div style="padding-left: 2em; text-indent: -2em"> citation goes here </div>
-<If you haven't done so already, also add here any key words that will help categorise this play. Use the following format, repeating as necessary: [[category:example]]>
+Rankin, Deana. "Kinds of Irishness: Henry Burnell and Richard Head." ''A Companion to Irish Literature''. Ed. Julia M. Wright.  Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010. 108-24.
-Site created and maintained by Laura Estill, St. Francis Xavier University; updated 3 March 2021.
+Site created and maintained by [[Laura Estill]], St. Francis Xavier University; updated 3 March 2021.
-[[category:all]][[category:Laura Estill]]
+[[category:all]]
+[[category:Laura Estill]]
+[[Category:Henry Burnell]]