Jealous Comedy, The

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Historical Records

Performance Records (Henslowe's "diary")


One record of performance survives in Henslowe’s accounts for early 1592 (new style):

Fol. 8/ Greg I, 15

ne Res at the gelyous comodey the 5 of Jenewary 1592 .......... xxxxiiijs



Theatrical Provenance


When Lord Strange's men returned to the Rose playhouse at Christmastide 1592-3, "The Jealous Comedy" was their sixth offering and the only one to be marked "ne" until The Massacre at Paris was entered at its first performance on the 30th.


Probable Genre(s)

Comedy

Possible Narrative and Dramatic Sources or Analogues

References to the Play


Information welcome.


Critical Commentary

Greg II puzzled over the solo performance of "The Jealous Comedy" and suggested that its continuation might be concealed in the two performances of "The Comedy of Cosmo," which followed at intervals that mirror the timing of second and third performances of a given play (12 January, 25 January).

Wiggins, Catalogue finds Greg's reasoning appealing but nevertheless itemizes "The Jealous Comedy" and "The Comedy of Cosmo" separately.


For What It's Worth


The propinquity of early modern comedies to offer comedic plots based on jealousy means that "The Jealous Comedy" could be lumped with an extant play. Fleay, BCED thought that the text of The Merry Wives of Windsor was "just what we might expect in an alteration of the old Gelyous Comedy, hurriedly made by command" (II.184-5 #19).

Works Cited


Site created and maintained by Roslyn L. Knutson, Professor Emerita, University of Arkansas at Little Rock; 6 July 2020.