Conclusion

Abstract

Over the past three decades, scholars of the early-modern period have become increasingly interested in exploring the relationship between the individual early-modern writer and the larger social, cultural, political and economic contexts within which s/he operated. Moving away from the idea of the author-as-origin, we are developing a greater appreciation for the ways in which playwrights’ works were influenced and shaped by a multitude of external factors, such as the theatrical conventions and traditions of their time; the influence of rivals and collaborators and literary fashions; the tastes and expectations of audiences; the practical concerns of playing companies; and the strictures imposed by theatre economics.¹ In this book, I have attempted to develop a hermeneutic that bridges some of the gaps between literary analysis, performance criticism, biographical approaches and theatrical and audience history, in order to explore how the works of Jonson and Marston came to be written.