Puer Vapulans

Michael Murgetrode (1581-1582)

Historical Records

Jesus College Audit Book (1581-82) JEA: A/C 1.2, p.818 (Necessary and external expenses):

Item to mr Murgetrod for puer vapulans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v s x d

Nelson, REED Cambridge 1.305

Theatrical Provenance

Produced at Jesus College, Cambridge, 1581-2. Written in Latin.

Probable Genre(s)

Latin Comedy (Harbage)

Possible Narrative and Dramatic Sources or Analogues

The title, Puer Vapulans, means "the beaten boy", but this provides little clue to the content. As Martin Wiggins notes, there must have been a boy actor available at Cambridge to "to take the unenviable title role" (528).

References to the Play

(Information welcome)

Critical Commentary

See Wiggins serial number 728.

For What It's Worth

(Information welcome)

Works Cited

Nelson, Alan H. REED Cambridge 1.

Wiggins, Martin. "When did Marlowe Write Dido, Queen of Carthage?" Review of English Studies 59 (2008): 521-41. Print.


Site created and maintained by Dana F. Sutton, University of California, Irvine; updated David McInnis 11 March 2010.