Thomas Middleton

Thomas Middleton (baptized April 18, 1580, died 1627) was an English Jacobean playwright and poet. He studied at The Queen's College, Oxford and was admitted to the practice of law. He was appointed City Chronologer of the City of London in 1620, a post that he held until his death. His successor in the post was Ben Jonson.

Related Topics:
April 18 - 1580 - 1627 - English - Jacobean playwright - Poet - The Queen's College, Oxford - City Chronologer - City of London - 1620 - Ben Jonson

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Middleton wrote in many genres, including tragedy, history and city comedy. His best-known plays are the tragedies The Changeling (written with William Rowley) and Women Beware Women, and the cynically satiric city comedy A Chaste Maid in Cheapside. It is also widely believed that he wrote The Revenger's Tragedy, previously attributed to Cyril Tourneur, and collaborated with Shakespeare on the scenes involving the Weird Sisters and Hecate in Macbeth.

Related Topics:
Tragedy - History - City comedy - The Changeling - William Rowley - Women Beware Women - A Chaste Maid in Cheapside - The Revenger's Tragedy - Cyril Tourneur - Shakespeare - Hecate - Macbeth

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Middleton's plays are characterized by their cynicism about the human race, a cynicism that is often very funny. True heroes are a rarity in Middleton; in his plays, almost every character is selfish, greedy and self-absorbed. This quality is best observed in the A Chaste Maid in Cheapside, a panoramic view of a London populated entirely by sinners, in which no social rank goes unsatirized. It can also be seen in the tragedies Women Beware Women and The Revenger's Tragedy, in which enjoyably amoral Italian courtiers endlessly plot against each other, resulting in a climactic bloodbath. When Middleton does portray good people, the characters have very small roles, and are flawless to perfection. Thanks to a theological pamphlet that he wrote, Middleton is known to have been a strong believer in Calvinism, the dominant theology of the time, which rigidly divides humanity into the damned and the elect. His drama seems to reflect that belief.

Related Topics:
Cynicism - Calvinism - Theology

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