Shirley, James

Shirley, James

▪ English playwright
born September 1596, London, Eng.
 
buried Oct. 29, 1666, London

      English poet and dramatist, one of the leading playwrights in the decade before the closing of the theatres by Parliament in 1642.

      Shirley was educated at the University of Cambridge and after his ordination became master of the St. Albans Grammar School. About 1624 he moved to London and became a playwright. His first play, The Schoole of Complement, was performed in 1625 at the Phoenix, Drury Lane. When the theatres closed in 1636 as a precaution against further spread of the plague, Shirley became dramatist for St. Werburgh's Theatre in Dublin. He returned to London in 1640, succeeding Philip Massinger (Massinger, Philip) as dramatist for the King's Men at the Blackfriars Theatre. After the English Civil Wars (1642–51) he returned to teaching and published two Latin grammars and some nondramatic verse and masques.

      Shirley was the most prolific and highly regarded dramatist during the reign of King Charles I, writing 31 plays, 3 masques, and 3 moral allegories. He is best remembered for his comedies of fashionable London life, including The Wittie Faire One (1628), Hyde Park (1632), and The Lady of Pleasure (1635), which depict a leisured, courtly society at love and play and look forward to the achievements of Restoration comedy. His best tragedies, both on dark, Italianate themes, are The Traytor (1631) and The Cardinal (1641). His elaborate masque The Triumph of Peace (1634) was performed at the Inns of Court, with scenery by Inigo Jones and music by William Lawes.

Additional Reading
Sandra A. Burner, James Shirley (1988); Ira Clark, Professional Playwrights: Massinger, Ford, Shirley, & Brome (1992).

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Shirley, James — • English poet and dramatist (1596 1666) Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006 …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Shirley, James — (1596 1666)    Born in London, he was educated at Merchant Taylors School, St. John s College, Oxford, and Catharine Hall, Cambridge. He took holy orders before becoming a schoolmaster in Hertfordshire; at sometime he converted to Roman… …   British and Irish poets

  • Shirley, James — ► (1596 1666) Dramaturgo inglés renacentista y postisabelino. Autor de El traidor (1631) …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • SHIRLEY, JAMES —    dramatist, born in London, educated at Oxford and Cambridge; entered the Church, but turning Catholic resigned, and after trying teaching established himself in London as a play writer; wrote with great facility, producing upwards of thirty… …   The Nuttall Encyclopaedia

  • Shirley, James — (1596 1666)    Dramatist, b. in London, ed. at Merchant Taylor s School, London, and at Oxf. and Camb., became a master of St. Alban s Grammar School, and afterwards joined the Roman Catholic Church, and going to London wrote for the stage,… …   Short biographical dictionary of English literature

  • James Shirley — James Shirley. James Shirley (o Sherley) (nacido en Londres el 13 de septiembre de 1596 † en Londres, 29 de octubre de 1666), fue un dramaturgo inglés. Perteneció al gran período de la literatura dramática inglesa, pero, en palabras de Charles… …   Wikipedia Español

  • James Shirley —     James Shirley     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► James Shirley     Poet and dramatist, b. in London, 18 Sept., 1596; d. there Oct., 1666. As a boy he attended the Merchant Taylors School, from October, 1608, to June, 1612, matriculating at St.… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • James Shirley — James Shirley. James Shirley, gelegentl. James Sherley (* 18. September 1596 in London; † vor 29. Oktober 1666, beigesetzt in London) war ein englischer Schriftsteller. Leben Über Shirleys Kindheit und Jugend ist recht wenig bekannt. Er studierte …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Shirley — Shirley, James * * * (as used in expressions) Chisholm, Shirley Shirley Anita St. Hill Jackson, Shirley (Hardie) MacLaine, Shirley Shirley McLean Beaty Shirley, William Myra Belle Shirley Temple, Shirley Shirley Temple Black …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • SHIRLEY (J.) — SHIRLEY JAMES (1596 1666) Après avoir enseigné, Shirley devint ministre protestant puis se convertit au catholicisme. Sa première pièce, L’École de la galanterie (The School of Complement ), fut représentée en 1625. À la fermeture des théâtres de …   Encyclopédie Universelle

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”