ABSTRACT
On the late-Jacobean and Caroline stage, the disguised ruler remains of incidental narrative appeal, largely because of its heritage in the King's Men's repertory. Other plays belonging to the King s Men make passing reference to the disguised ruler. Whether introduced for comic, tragic, romantic, parodic or subversive effect, disguised rulers appear long after Elizabeth's death and James's accession faded in England's collective memory. Though no longer of sufficient theatrical importance to merit an entire play, the disguised ruler still provides a swift and identifiable plot mechanism to further the romantic or tragic narrative. The Wasp is a remarkable example of Caroline intertextuality that reintroduces the disguised ruler to its 'comical history' past. Of the comparatively few plays that have survived to the twenty-first century, a significant number introduce a disguised ruler, so pointing to the motif's continual refashioning. Frequently repackaged for the early modern stage, the disguised ruler continued to excite, entertain, enthral, amuse and shock for many decades.
