Phaeton: Difference between revisions
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'''Steggle''' begins a reconsideration of "Phaeton" by explicating that item in inventory, "j hecfor ... the limes dead." He explains that the word does mean "heifer,' as scholars have long believed. Further, his search by way of EEBO-TCP turns up "no obvious possible other meanings" (66). Further, he explains that the characterization of the limbs as "dead" indicate that the legs of the cow were stiff and motionless, a meaning derived from machinery in which the parts "'do not themselves rotate or move'" (71). | '''Steggle''' begins a reconsideration of "Phaeton" by explicating that item in inventory, "j hecfor ... the limes dead." He explains that the word does mean "heifer,' as scholars have long believed. Further, his search by way of EEBO-TCP turns up "no obvious possible other meanings" (66). Further, he explains that the characterization of the limbs as "dead" indicate that the legs of the cow were stiff and motionless, a meaning derived from machinery in which the parts "'do not themselves rotate or move'" (71). | ||
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<blockquote>Dismissing suggestions that the cow-property was used in an animal sacrifice in the play, or as evidence of the effect on livestock of Phaeton's fiery chariot, or perhaps the "sacred cattle of Helios" (67), Steggle offers an alternative: that the hecfor is Io from the story of Jupiter and Io which directly precedes the story of Phaeton in Ovid's ''Metamorphoses''.([https://archive.org/details/cu31924026559777 Golding's ''Metamorphoses'', Book 1, 740-942]). In Steggle's opinion, the combination of Io's story with Phaeton's might account for additional properties in Henslowe's inventory: for example, for Mercury, the wings (l.80); for Argus, "Argosse heade" (l. 66) and the 'ij fanes of feathers" (l. 75); and for Jupiter's righteously suspicious wife, "Junoes cotte" (l.122). The clincher in Steggle's co-joining the narratives of Io and Phaeton is Epaphus, Io's god-conceived child, who grows up with Phaeton and, by urging him to confront his father (Apollo) and demand his rights as son, sets in motion the actions that will lead Phaeton to destruction.</blockquote> | <blockquote>Dismissing suggestions that the cow-property was used in an animal sacrifice in the play, or as evidence of the effect on livestock of Phaeton's fiery chariot, or perhaps the "sacred cattle of Helios" (67), Steggle offers an alternative: that the hecfor is Io from the story of Jupiter and Io which directly precedes the story of Phaeton in Ovid's ''Metamorphoses''.([https://archive.org/details/cu31924026559777 Golding's ''Metamorphoses'', Book 1, 740-942]). In Steggle's opinion, the combination of Io's story with Phaeton's might account for additional properties in Henslowe's inventory: for example, for Mercury, the wings (l.80); for Argus, "Argosse heade" (l. 66) and the 'ij fanes of feathers" (l. 75); and for Jupiter's righteously suspicious wife, "Junoes cotte" (l.122) ([https://archive.org/details/henslowepapersbe00hensuoftGreg, ''Henslowe Papers'']). The clincher in Steggle's co-joining the narratives of Io and Phaeton is Epaphus, Io's god-conceived child, who grows up with Phaeton and, by urging him to confront his father (Apollo) and demand his rights as son, sets in motion the actions that will lead Phaeton to destruction.</blockquote> | ||
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Revision as of 22:30, 26 March 2018
Historical Records
Payments to Playwrights (Henslowe's Diary)
F. 44 Greg, I, 83
| lent vnto the company the 15 of Jenewary 1597 | } |
| to bye a boocke of mr dicker called fayeton | } iiijli |
| fower pownde I saye lent | } |
Payments for Apparel (Henslowe's Diary)
F. 44 Greg, I, 83
| lent vnto Thomas dowton for the company | } |
| to bye a sewte for phayeton & ij Rebates | } |
| & j fardengalle the 26 of Jenewary 1598 the | } iijli |
| some of three pownde I saye lent | } |
| lent vnto Thomad dowton the 28 of Janewary | } |
| 1598 to bye a whitte satten dublette for | } xxxxs |
| phayeton forty shyllenges I saye lent | } |
Payments for offering at court
F. 70v Greg, I, 124
| Lent vnto Samwell Rowley the 14 of | } |
| desembʒ 1600 to geue vnto thomas dickers | } xs |
| for his paynes in fayeton some of | } |
| ............................... for the corte | } |
F. 71 Greg, I, 125
| Lent vnto Samwell Rowley the 22 of | } |
| decembʒ 1600 to geue vnto Thomas deckers | } xxxs |
| for alterynge of fayton for the corte | } |
Henslowe's Inventory and Play List
The Enventary of all the aparell for my Lord Admiralles men, tacken the 10 of marche 1598. —Leaft above in the tier-house in the cheast. Greg, Henslowe Papers, 116
- Item, ij leather anteckes cottes with basses, for Fayeton.
The Enventary tacken of all the properties for my Lord Admeralles men, the 10 of Marche 1598. Greg, Henslowe Papers, 116, 117
- Item, viij lances, j payer of stayers for Fayeton. ...
- Item, j hecfor for the playe of Faeton, the limes dead. ...
- Item, j lyone skin; j beares skyne; & Faetones lymes, & Faeton charete; & Argosse heade.
The Enventorey of all the aparell of the Lord Admeralles men, taken the 13th of Marche 1598, as followeth: Greg, Henslowe Papers, 120
- Item, j Faeytone sewte.
A Note of all suche bookes as belong to the Stocke, and such as I have bought since the 3d of March 1598 Greg, Henslowe Papers, 121
- Phayeton
Theatrical Provenance
The Admiral's men had 'Phaeton' ready for the stage at the Rose by late January 1598 when they purchased a suit and doublet for the main character. They prepared it for performance at court two years later, when its playwright (Dekker) was paid to amend the script. Possibly still in performance since its 1598 debut, the play is more likely to have been in revival when Dekker prepared for performance before a royal audience. If it also played publicly in January 1600, its venue would have been the company's new playhouse, the Fortune.
Probable Genre(s)
Harbage tagged "Phaeton" as a classical legend, which the story of Apollo's reckless son undoubtedly was. However, Matthew Steggle argues for a more complex generic design. Linking the Phaeton story to that of Jupiter and Io (which directly precedes Phaeton's in Ovid's Metamorphosis, he suspects a 'mixed-genre' text like Thomas Heywood's Ages plays (72). Steggle describes the effect of such mixture as a combination of tragedy, comedy, and bathos (see Critical Commentary, below).
Possible Narrative and Dramatic Sources or Analogues
Theater historians have consistently offered Ovid's Metamorphoses as the narrative source of Dekker's "Phaeton." The Ovid that Dekker knew (and Shakespeare as well) was that translated by Arthur Golding in 1567. The story of Phaëton is introduced at the end of Book I and opens Book 2 (Internet Archive, Book I, 940-88; Book II, 1-417).
Steggle argues that Dekker was also reading the preceding story, that of Io. (Internet Archive, Book I, ll. 701-942.). See Possible Genre(s) and Critical Commentary for further discussion of the linked story lines.
References to the Play
Information welcome.
Critical Commentary
Steggle begins a reconsideration of "Phaeton" by explicating that item in inventory, "j hecfor ... the limes dead." He explains that the word does mean "heifer,' as scholars have long believed. Further, his search by way of EEBO-TCP turns up "no obvious possible other meanings" (66). Further, he explains that the characterization of the limbs as "dead" indicate that the legs of the cow were stiff and motionless, a meaning derived from machinery in which the parts "'do not themselves rotate or move'" (71).
Dismissing suggestions that the cow-property was used in an animal sacrifice in the play, or as evidence of the effect on livestock of Phaeton's fiery chariot, or perhaps the "sacred cattle of Helios" (67), Steggle offers an alternative: that the hecfor is Io from the story of Jupiter and Io which directly precedes the story of Phaeton in Ovid's Metamorphoses.(Golding's Metamorphoses, Book 1, 740-942). In Steggle's opinion, the combination of Io's story with Phaeton's might account for additional properties in Henslowe's inventory: for example, for Mercury, the wings (l.80); for Argus, "Argosse heade" (l. 66) and the 'ij fanes of feathers" (l. 75); and for Jupiter's righteously suspicious wife, "Junoes cotte" (l.122) (Henslowe Papers). The clincher in Steggle's co-joining the narratives of Io and Phaeton is Epaphus, Io's god-conceived child, who grows up with Phaeton and, by urging him to confront his father (Apollo) and demand his rights as son, sets in motion the actions that will lead Phaeton to destruction.
For What It's Worth
Lumping: Malone did not comment on the likeness of "Phaeton" to extant plays, but Collier did. He suggested that Dekker's (now lost) January 1598 play "may have been the production to which [John] Ford afterwards contributed, to which Ford afterwards contributed," namely The Sun's Darling (1657). Fleay likewise considered "Phaeton" "palpably a refashioning by Ford" (BCED, I, 232]. Greg followed suit; considering Henslowe's payments to Dekker in 1598, Greg adds to the payments for "Phaeton" an earlier entry dated the 8th of January for which the company paid Dekker 20s "to by a bookes" unnamed (II, #124).
Additional Properties: The Foakes and Rickert edition of Henslowe's Diary (1961) tags "j crown with a sone" in Henslowe's property list dated 10 March 1598 as possibly being an item used in "Phaeton" (2002 ed, 321). Greg did not similarly tag it (Henslowe Papers), but Gurr did (232n). Steggle, too, considers it a possibility, expanding the context by referring to "the Ovidian source" and its description of Apollo's head gear as a "'crown of glittering rays'" (66).
Works Cited
Site created and maintained by Roslyn L. Knutson, Professor Emerita, University of Arkansas at Little Rock; updated 22 March 2018.