Agamemnon and Ulysses: Difference between revisions

(Created page with "Anon. (1584) ==Historical Records== ===Court Records=== ''Accounts of the Office of the Revels'' (here cited from Feuillerat, ed.): :The history of Agamemnon & Vlis...")
 
 
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''Accounts of the Office of the Revels'' (here cited from Feuillerat, ed.):
'''Accounts of the Office of the Revels'''


:The history of Agamemnon & Vlisses presented and enacted before her ma<i>ie</i>stie by the Earle of Oxenford his boyes on S<sup>t</sup> Iohns daie at night in Grenew<i>i</i>ch. (Feuillerat, 365)
Chrystmas Twelftyde & Shrouetyde and making choyse of plaies Anno R''egni'' R''egin''e Elizabeth''e'': xxvij<sup>o</sup> 1584
<br>
:The Charges of those tymes viz. betwene the laste daie of October 1584. Anno xxvj<sup>to</sup> Regni Regine Elizabeth''e'' and the <span style="color: white;">——</span style="color: white;"> of ffebruary .1584. Annoq''ue'' R''egni'' R''egin''e Elizabeth''e'' pred''icte'' xxvij<sup>o</sup> did rise aswell by meanes of attending making choyse, reforminge and altering of suche plaies Comodies maskes and inventions as were prepared sett furth and presented before her ma''ies''tie at the tymes aforesaid. ...
:The history of Agamemnon & Vlisses presented and enacted before her ma<i>ie</i>stie by the Earle of Oxenford his boyes on S<sup>t</sup> Iohns daie at night in Grenew<i>i</i>ch.  
(Feuillerat, 365)
<br>




''Declared Accounts of the Treasurer of the Chamber'' (here cited from Cook and Wilson, ed.):
'''Declared Accounts of the Treasurer of the Chamber'''
 
:To Henry Evans vppon the Counsell[s] warr[ant] dated at
Grenew<sup>ch</sup> vij<sup>mo</sup> Aprilis 1585 for one play or Interlude pre-
sensed before her ma<sup>tie</sup> on S<sup>t</sup> Iohn the Evangeliste[s] day
last past at nighte by the †Chdren of Therle of Oxforde          vi<sup>li</sup> xiij<sup>s</sup> iiij<sup>d</sup> (Cook and Wilson 22-23)
 


:To Henry Evans vppon the Counsell[s] warr[ant] dated at Grenew<sup>ch</sup> vij<sup>mo</sup> Aprilis 1585 for one play or Interlude presensed before her ma<sup>tie</sup> on S<sup>t</sup> Iohn the Evangeliste[s] day last past at nighte by the †Chdren of Therle of Oxforde <b>          </b>vi<sup>li</sup> xiij<sup>s</sup> iiij<sup>d</sup>
(Cook and Wilson 22-23)


==Theatrical Provenance==
==Theatrical Provenance==


<Enter information about which company performed the play, and where/when it was performed, etc.>
"Agamemnon and Ulysses" was performed by the Earl of Oxford's Boys at court on St. John's Day (27 December) 1584. It is one of seven performances listed in the Revels Accounts as having been played before the Queen between 26 October 1584 and 27 February 1585: the other performances in the winter season included '''[[Phyllida and Corin]]''', '''[[Felix and Philomena]]''', '''[[Five Plays in One (Queen's)|Five Plays in One]]''', '''[[Three Plays in One]]''', an '''[[Antic Play and a Comedy]]''' (all performed by the Queen's players), as well as "Dyuers feats of Actyuytie" performed by John Symons and his fellows. Henry Evans was paid for the performance.
 




==Probable Genre(s)==
==Probable Genre(s)==


Classical Legend (Harbage).
Classical Legend ([[WorksCited|Harbage]]).
 
 


==Possible Narrative and Dramatic Sources or Analogues==
==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.>
The play certainly treated the two famous mythical Greek commanders, presumably at some around the Trojan war. The sources for the playwright may have included Homer, classical tragedy, medieval Troy narratives, etc. (See '''[[#Critical_Commentary|Critical Commentary]]''' below for further speculation.)




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==References to the Play==
==References to the Play==


<List any known or conjectured references to the lost play here.>
None known.




Line 47: Line 45:
==Critical Commentary==
==Critical Commentary==


<Summarise any critical commentary that may have been published by scholars. Please maintain an objective tone!>
'''Nelson''': "the sole candidate for a lost work from Oxford's pen is 'Agamemnon and Ulysses', a play more likely to have been written by John Lyly, or by Henry Evans, who received payment for its performance" (393).


[[WorksCited|Wiggins, ''Catalogue'' (#761)]]: "There is no way of knowing whether the play dramatized a broad selection of incidents from the Trojan War involving the two title characters, or whether it centered on their relationship in a more focused narrative. If the latter, the most promising material comes at the beginning of the war." Wiggins offers a conjectural plot in which Agamemnon tricks Ulysses into joining the Greek forces against Troy, followed by the sacrifice of Agamemnon's daughter Iphigenia.
<br><br>


==For What It's Worth==
==For What It's Worth==


St. John's Day was on 27 December in 1584.
 




Line 58: Line 58:
==Works Cited==
==Works Cited==


Cook, David and F.P. Wilson. "Dramatic Records in the Declared Accounts of the Treasurer of the Chamber 1558-1642''. ''Malone Society Collections'' VI. 1962.
<div style="padding-left: 2em; text-indent: -2em">Cook, David and F.P. Wilson. ''Dramatic Records in the Declared Accounts of the Treasurer of the Chamber 1558-1642''. ''Malone Society Collections'' VI. 1962.</div>
Feuillerat, Albert, ed. ''Documents Relating to the Office of the Revels in the Time of Queen Elizabeth''. Louvain: A. Uystpruyst, 1908.
<div style="padding-left: 2em; text-indent: -2em">Feuillerat, Albert, ed. ''Documents Relating to the Office of the Revels in the Time of Queen Elizabeth''. Louvain: A. Uystpruyst, 1908.</div>
 
<div style="padding-left: 2em; text-indent: -2em">Nelson, Alan H. ''Monstrous Adversary: The Life of Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford''. Liverpool: Liverpool UP, 2003.</div>




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Latest revision as of 17:10, 25 January 2021

Anon. (1584)


Historical Records

Court Records

Accounts of the Office of the Revels

Chrystmas Twelftyde & Shrouetyde and making choyse of plaies Anno Regni Regine Elizabethe: xxvijo 1584

The Charges of those tymes viz. betwene the laste daie of October 1584. Anno xxvjto Regni Regine Elizabethe and the —— of ffebruary .1584. Annoque Regni Regine Elizabethe predicte xxvijo did rise aswell by meanes of attending making choyse, reforminge and altering of suche plaies Comodies maskes and inventions as were prepared sett furth and presented before her maiestie at the tymes aforesaid. ...
The history of Agamemnon & Vlisses presented and enacted before her maiestie by the Earle of Oxenford his boyes on St Iohns daie at night in Grenewich.

(Feuillerat, 365)


Declared Accounts of the Treasurer of the Chamber

To Henry Evans vppon the Counsell[s] warr[ant] dated at Grenewch vijmo Aprilis 1585 for one play or Interlude presensed before her matie on St Iohn the Evangeliste[s] day last past at nighte by the †Chdren of Therle of Oxforde vili xiijs iiijd

(Cook and Wilson 22-23)

Theatrical Provenance

"Agamemnon and Ulysses" was performed by the Earl of Oxford's Boys at court on St. John's Day (27 December) 1584. It is one of seven performances listed in the Revels Accounts as having been played before the Queen between 26 October 1584 and 27 February 1585: the other performances in the winter season included Phyllida and Corin, Felix and Philomena, Five Plays in One, Three Plays in One, an Antic Play and a Comedy (all performed by the Queen's players), as well as "Dyuers feats of Actyuytie" performed by John Symons and his fellows. Henry Evans was paid for the performance.


Probable Genre(s)

Classical Legend (Harbage).

Possible Narrative and Dramatic Sources or Analogues

The play certainly treated the two famous mythical Greek commanders, presumably at some around the Trojan war. The sources for the playwright may have included Homer, classical tragedy, medieval Troy narratives, etc. (See Critical Commentary below for further speculation.)


References to the Play

None known.


Critical Commentary

Nelson: "the sole candidate for a lost work from Oxford's pen is 'Agamemnon and Ulysses', a play more likely to have been written by John Lyly, or by Henry Evans, who received payment for its performance" (393).

Wiggins, Catalogue (#761): "There is no way of knowing whether the play dramatized a broad selection of incidents from the Trojan War involving the two title characters, or whether it centered on their relationship in a more focused narrative. If the latter, the most promising material comes at the beginning of the war." Wiggins offers a conjectural plot in which Agamemnon tricks Ulysses into joining the Greek forces against Troy, followed by the sacrifice of Agamemnon's daughter Iphigenia.

For What It's Worth

Works Cited

Cook, David and F.P. Wilson. Dramatic Records in the Declared Accounts of the Treasurer of the Chamber 1558-1642. Malone Society Collections VI. 1962.
Feuillerat, Albert, ed. Documents Relating to the Office of the Revels in the Time of Queen Elizabeth. Louvain: A. Uystpruyst, 1908.
Nelson, Alan H. Monstrous Adversary: The Life of Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford. Liverpool: Liverpool UP, 2003.


Site created and maintained by Misha Teramura, Harvard University; updated 7 January 2014.