Pythagoras

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=== Performance Records (Henslowe’s Diary)

===

F.14 (Greg I.27)

16 of Jenewary 1595 ne––Rd at pethageros . . . iij li j s

F.14v

23 of Jenewary 1595 Rd at pethagorus . . . xxxvj s

28 of Jenewary 1595` Rd at pethagoros . . . xxx s

9 of Febreary 1595 Rd at pethagores . . . xx s

15 of Febreary 1595 Rd at pethagores . . . xxxv s

23 of Febreary 1595 shroft tewsday Rd at pethagores xxxiiij s

F.15v

21 of aprell 1596 Rd at pethagorus . . . xviij s

4 of maye 1596 Rd at pethagorus . . . xx s

22 of maye 1596 mr pd Rd at pethagoros . . . xxvij s

F.21v

31 of maye whittsenmvnday Rd at pethagores . . . iij li

15 of June 1596 Rd at pethagores . . . xxiij s

On July 1st, 1596 Henslowe entered the takings from a new play. It appears that he began to write pethagores, but crossed it out and wrote "paradox" instead.

1 of Ju[n]ley 1596 ne––Rd at [peth] paradox ... xxxxv s

1[3]4 of July 1596 Rd at pethagores . . . xxij s

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Henslowe Papers ===

Another reference to this lost play occurs in a company inventory, transcribed and published by Malone and reprinted by Greg in Henslowe Papers (121)

“A Note of all bookes as belong to the Stocke, and such as I have bought since the 3d of March 1598.”

Pethagores

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Probable Genre(s) ===

Since the play presumably centers on the Ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras, it could perhaps fall under the category of Classical History. Harbage offers the tentative suggestion "Classical Biography(?)" in his Annals of English Drama (64-65). Pythagoras, however, was a magnet for colorful legends and apocryphal tales and his earliest biographies did not appear until several centuries after his death. So the label “Classical Biography” may give a misleading impression of historical accuracy. Since Pythagoras premiered at a time when the Admiral's repertoire featured a number of conjuror-and-devil plays and in the midst of a successful run of "Wise Men of West Chester" the play may have been a magus play in the tradition of Faustus.