Jacques Grevin (1539–1570)

A fairly standard Renaissance play. The characters are stock characters, the situations are standard, and the characters get what they deserve in the end, at least by the lights of the time on who deserves what. The women are deplorably depicted, but the men don't get off much easier. There is a prologue which suggests that women were already very aware of poor depictions, as the author addressed himself to the women who had expressed displeasure that he had portrayed them so negatively (whether they actually had or he was pre-empting, i do not know). This was actually rather amusing, but the rest of the play was rather banal. It is interesting as a slice of history to see where theatre has been, and give us an idea how it grew into what it is now.… (mehr)