Two Brothers' Tragedy
Historical Records
<The Two Brother’s Tragedy is known from entries in Henslowe’s Diary during October 1602. It is first mentioned at the very start of the month (Henslowe’s Diary, ed. Foakes, Second Edition, 2002, p.217): “pd at the Apoyntment of the company the 1 of October 1602 to mr smythe in pte of payment for A tragedie called the ii brothers the some of …. } xxxx s.” An unusually substantial run of seven further entries follow. The next two completed payments to the dramatist, Wentworth Smith: “pd at the A poyntment of John dewcke unto mr smythe in pte of payment of his Boocke called the ii brothers tragedie the 11 of October 1602 the some of .. } xxxx s” “pd at the apoyntment of John ducke to mr smyth in fulle payment of his Boocke called the ii brothers the 15 of October 1602 the some of …. } xxxx s”
After this, the disbursements start on costumes and properties (while he is writing about costumes and properties rather than about the ‘Book’, Henslowe inadvertently starts referring to the play as ‘The Three Brothers’ Tragedy’): “Lent at the apoyntment of the company to the tyerman to by sowtedge to make devells sewtes for the new playe of the ii brothers tragedie the some of … } viii s” “Lent at the apoyntment of the company unto the tyreman to bye saye for the playe of the ii brethers to macke a wiches gowne the some of …. } 18 s” “pd for bordes & quarters & nayles for to macke a tabell & a coffen for the playe of the iii brothes the 22 of october 1602 some of } 12 s iii d” “Lent unto John thare the 23 of October 1602 to paye unto the paynter of the properties for the playe of the iii brothers the some of …. } xx s” “pd unto the tyer man for mackynge of the devells sute & sperethes & for the witche for the playe of the iii brothers the 23 of October 1602 some of } x s ix d.” (quotations from Henslowe’s Diary, ed. Foakes, Second Edition, 2002, pp. 218-9)
There is no further information extant about this play. Henslowe’s entries need some verbal annotation: ‘sowtedge’ is glossed by Foakes as ‘soutage, a coarse cloth’; sound and context confirm that ‘sperethes’ means ‘spirits’.
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Theatrical Provenance
<Wentworth Smith usually worked as part of a team or syndicate for Henslowe’s companies. He worked with William Haughton on The Conquest of the West Indies in 1601; with Richard Hathaway and Haughton on Part 2 of Six Clothiers; he joined Henry Chettle, Anthony Munday and Michael Drayton for The Rising of Cardinal Wolsey (1601); Hathaway and Chettle on Too Good to be True (early 1602); Chettle for Love Parts Friendship (May 1602); John Day and Hathaway for Merry as May Be; and he wrote Albere Galles with Thomas Heywood in Sept 1602. Having been paid for The Two Brothers’ Tragedy on October 15th, 1602, he was teamed up with Chettle, John Webster, Thomas Heywood and Thomas Dekker on 1 Lady Jane, paid for on 21st October 1602. As another supernatural play, Smith worked on both Black Dog of Newgate plays, and on their additional scenes, with John Day, Richard Hathaway ‘and the other poet’ through November and December 1602, and on into January 1603. January 1603 was also a month when he was in a syndicate with Hathaway, Day, ‘and the other poet’ for The Unfortunate General (The French History). Apart from The Two Brothers’ Tragedy, just two plays that seem to have been solo works came from Smith: The Italian Tragedy in March 1602, and Marshall Osric in September of the same year. A familiar formula of combining genre, person, and place in a title can be seen in this list.
John Duke was one of the players with Worcester’s Men. He does not seem to have been in the first rank of the players, but made himself useful as an intermediary between the company and their landlord/banker (Henslowe). On behalf of the players, he transmits approval of Wentworth’s play. John Share played a similar role to Duke in authorising payments from Henslowe on behalf of the company. >
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
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For What It's Worth
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Works Cited
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