Reading Robert Greene: Recovering Shakespeare's Rival

by Darren Freebury-Jones

Overview

This book offers the most rigorous attempt yet undertaken to determine the scope of Robert Greene's canon through analyses of Greene's verse style, vocabulary, rhyming habits, and the dramatist's phraseology in his attested plays.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781032154091
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	01/29/2024
Series:	Routledge Studies in Shakespeare
Pages:	228
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Darren Freebury-Jones is Lecturer in Shakespeare Studies at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. His 2016 doctoral thesis at Cardiff University examined Thomas Kyd's influence on Shakespeare's early work; he is the Associate Editor for the first edition of Kyd's collected works since 1901. He has also undertaken canon-defining studies for editions of the works of John Marston and Thomas Dekker. His research discoveries can be found in a range of journals and books and have featured in several national newspapers.

Table of Contents

Introduction

1. Situating Greene

2. Defining Greene

3. Greene’s Acknowledged Plays

3.1. Alphonsus, King of Aragon (1587)

3.2. Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay (1589)

3.3. James IV (1590)

3.4. Orlando Furioso (1591)

4. Collaborating with Greene

4.1. A Looking-Glass for London and England (1589)

4.2. John of Bordeaux (1591)

5. Greene’s Marginal Plays

5.1. Locrine (1591)

5.2. Selimus (1591)

5.3. George a Greene (1591)

5.4. A Knack to Know a Knave (1592)

6. Comparing Greene’s Marginal Plays

7. Recovering Greene

Works Cited

Appendix A: Rhyme combinations

 

Appendix B: Unique n-gram figures

Editorial Reviews

— Andrew Hadfield, The Times Literary Supplement (TLS)

—Goran Stanivukovic, Renaissance and Reformation

Reading Robert Greene: Recovering Shakespeare’s Rival marks an enthusiastic new beginning for Greene Studies."

—Domenico Lovascio, Archiv für das Studium der neueren Sprachen und Literaturen

"Darren Freebury-Jones’s book is the most serious attempt in over a century to solidify Greene's canon and assess his importance...This is a significant undertaking and major scholarly achievement...a wonderful introduction to any reader who is interested in learning more about Elizabethan drama."

—Blaine Greteman, Philological Quarterly 

“Although Reading Robert Greene is invaluable for presenting cutting-edge quantitative-analysis-based research, its value also lies in its re-creation of the early modern theatre scene in London and the country. Freebury-Jones captures its collaborative, creative energy and offers endearing portrayals of its unique characters, especially Greene. He provides many new facts and compelling, nuanced readings of Greene’s idioms, themes, dramatic structures, stage directions, and props … Freebury-Jones has written a captivating study of Greene’s dramatic work… informative, well researched, and provocative. What'self-respecting Greene scholar would not be excited about the conversations to come?”

—Kyle Louise DiRoberto, Early Modern Literary Studies

From the Publisher