Queen of Ethiopia, The?
Historical Records
Listed in the Bristol Mayor's audits (31 August-6 September): "Item paid to my lord Charles haward players at the end of their play before master mayer and the Aldermen in the yeld hall their matter was of the Queen of Ethiopia (Reed: Bristol, 116). Note that the reference is to the "matter" of the play and not necessarily the title.
Theatrical Provenance
Howard's at Bristol.
Probable Genre(s)
Heroical Romance (Harbage 49).
Possible Narrative and Dramatic Sources or Analogues
Much about this play can be learned from its probable sources. In Plays Confuted in Five Actions (1582), Stephen Gosson lists the Aethiopian History as one of the books "ransackt to furnish the Play houses in London" (D6v). The STC lists a printing of An Aethiopian History around 1569 that was translated from a Greek text by Thomas Underdowne (STC (2nd ed.), 13041). This edition was reprinted in 1577 (STC (2nd ed.), 13042). This story comes from Heliodorus of Emesa's history of Theagenes and Chariclea.
The story of the Queen of Ethiopia is also translated from the French by James Sandford in 1567, a supplement to his translation of a work entitled The Amorous and Tragicall Tales of Plutarch (STC (2nd ed.), 20072).
This play was either a revival or made from the same or similar sources of a lost play entitled Chariclea (Theagenes and Chariclea) in 1572.
The romance is the story of Chariclea, the daughter of King Hydaspes and Queen Persinna of Ethiopia, who was born white because her mother gazed upon a painting of Andromeda while Chariclea was being conceived. This happened just after the queen was rescued by Perseus. The queen fears being accused of adultery. So Persinna leaves the baby Chariclea in the care of Sisimithras, who takes the baby to Egypt and in turn leaves her in the care of a Pythian priest.
Chariclea is later taken to Delphi, and made a priestess of Artemis. When Theagenes the Thessalian comes to Delphi, the two fall in love. Theagenes runs off with Chariclea with the help of Calasiris, an Egyptian employed by Queen Persinna to find Chariclea. Theagenes and Chariclea go through a number of trials, having encounters with pirates and thieves. The plot culminates with Chariclea taken and offered as a sacrifice to the gods by her own father. But her birth is made known, and Chariclea and Theagenes are married.
References to the Play
Stephen Gosson in 1582 lists the Aethiopian History, the probable source text for this play, as one of the books "ransackt to furnish the Play houses in London" (D6v).
Critical Commentary
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For What It's Worth
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Works Cited
Heliodorus, of Emesa. An Aethiopian History. trans. Thomas Underdowne. London: Frauncis Coldocke, 1577. Gosson, Stephen. Plays Confuted in Five Actions. London: Thomas Gossson, 1582.
Site created and maintained by Thomas Dabbs, Aoyama Gakuin University; updated 23 December 2012.