George Scanderbeg

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Anon. (Marlowe?) (c.1587)


Historical Records

Stationers' Register, 3 July 1601:

"The true historye of George Scanderbarge as yt was lately playd by the right honorable the Earle of Oxenforde his servantes." E. Allde
(Arber, iii.187; qtd. in Chambers 4.400)




Theatrical Provenance

From the S.R. entry it appears to have been played by the Earl of Oxford's servants in or around 1601.


Probable Genre(s)

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Possible Narrative and Dramatic Sources or Analogues

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References to the Play

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Critical Commentary

Chambers (4.400) asserted that "There seems no adequate reason for ascribing this to Marlowe (q.v.) or Nashe."

Hale Moore, analysing Gabriel Harvey's ostensible references to Marlowe, begins by dismissing the notion of any Scanderbeg connection on the Occam's Razor grounds that "The N.E.D. notes the word as an epithet of abuse, a rascal," observing that "Like Tamberlaine and Ismail, Scanderbeg was regularly used as a synonym for the mighty warrior and conqueror" (353). He thus initially concludes that "it is possible to understand the words without seeking for a hidden meaning" (353). However, Moore proceeds to analyse Harvey's line, "is that Gargantua mind conquered and left no Scanderbeg behind? Vowed he not to Paul's a second bile?" and observes:

This seems to indicate an affected surprise that Marlowe had not published Scanderbeg as well as Tamberlane, and surely attributes its authorship to Marlowe. The dates would suit very well, for a play performed by the Earl of Oxford's men could not be later than 1588; and Harvey would be likely to know of such plays of Marlowe's as were written at Cambridge and taken with him to London in 1587. This may, then,- have been a play performed before any of Marlowe's extant plays, in 1587; and Marlowe may have 'vowed a second bile' to Paul's by an intended publication of it. (353)




For What It's Worth

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Works Cited

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