ABSTRACT

First published in English in 1965, this book discusses the roots and development of the dumb show as a device in Elizabethan drama. The work provides not only a useful manual for those who wish to check the occurrence of dumb shows and the uses to which they are put; it also makes a real contribution to a better understanding of the progress of Elizabethan drama, and sheds new light on some of the lesser known plays of the period.

part |26 pages

Part I

chapter |16 pages

Origin and Beginnings

chapter |8 pages

Forms of the Dumb Show

part |142 pages

Part II

chapter |34 pages

The Classical Tragedies

chapter |9 pages

Thomas Kyd

chapter |16 pages

The ‘University Wits'

chapter |14 pages

William Shakespeare

chapter |15 pages

John Marston

chapter |8 pages

John Webster

chapter |9 pages

Thomas Middleton

chapter |14 pages

Romantic Tragicomedy

chapter |3 pages

Conclusion