Diocletian
Historical Records
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Theatrical Provenance
Performed as a new play by the Admiral's Men at the Rose on Saturday 16 November 1594. Performed again on Friday 22 November.
Probable Genre(s)
Classical history (?) (Harbage), tragedy (?) (Wiggins).
Possible Narrative and Dramatic Sources or Analogues
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References to the Play
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Critical Commentary
Harbage suggests Thomas Dekker may have been the author of the play. His hypothesis rests on the fact that The Virgin Martyr (1620) by Dekker and Philip Massinger features Diocletian as a character. However, there is no evidence that The Virgin Martyr is a revision of the earlier play.
For What It's Worth
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Works Cited
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Site created and maintained by Domenico Lovascio, University of Genoa; updated 01 July 2015.