ABSTRACT
In presenting his newest work to his ‘Gentlemen Readers’ in 1585, Robert Greene was quick to point out that his intention was not to describe ‘any straunge or myraculous newes of the opposition … of the Starres’. Planetomachia (‘war of the planets’) simply promised its readers a ‘general opposition of the seven planets’ illustrated by ‘pleasant and tragical histories’, one that you could use as a handbook to identify various planetary influences on ‘natural constitution’.1 Greene’s narrative structure uses a learned astrological debate among the planets as its central frame or cornice, within which warring planets take turns to describe the malefic effects of their opponents. In the process, three stories heavily influenced by Italian novellae are told to illustrate the effects of Saturn, Venus and Mars on the human psyche. Before readers can come to this, however, a range of other textual elements need to be negotiated – two prefaces, numerous dedicatory verses, a defence of astrology, a Latin dialogue ostensibly between Greene and his friend Francis Hand, as well as brief astrological descriptions of each of the planets under discussion. This raises questions immediately about the kind of cultural work that this text is supposed to perform. Collection of sensational stories, guide to popular astrology and psychology, Humanist treatise – what is it supposed to be? Whom does it address?
