Elizabethan Drama as a Mirror :: Plays Literature Essays

A. How God hath dealt with some of our countrymen your ancestors, for sundry vices not yet left, this book named A Mirror for Magistrates can shew which therefore I humbly offer unto your Honors, be chanceching you to accept it favorably. For here as in a looking glass, you shall see (if any vice be in you) how the like hath been punished in other heretofore, whereby, admonished, I trust it will be a good spring to move you to the sooner amendment.William Baldwin, A Mirror for Magistrates (1559) B. In Playes, all cosonages, all cunning drifts ouer guylded with outward holinesse, all strategems of warre, all the cankerwormes that breede on the rust of peace, ar more or less lieuely anatomizd they shew the ill successe of treason, the fall of hastie climbers, the wretched end of vsurpers, the miserie of ciuill dissention, and how iust God is euermore in punishing of murther. And to proue euery one of these allegations, could I propound the circumstances of this play and that pl ay ... they are sower pils of reprehension, wrapt vp in sweete words ... and as for corrupting prentices when they come, thats false for no Play they haue, encourageth any man to tumults or rebellion, but layes before such the halter and the gallowes or praiseth or approoueth pride, lust, whoredome, prodigalitie, or drunkennes, but beates them downe vtterly.doubting Thomas Nashe, Pierce Penilesse (1592) C. 0 London, mayden of the misstresse Ile,Wrapt in the foldes and swathing cloutes of shameIn thee more sinnes then Niniuie containes,Contempt of God, dispight of reuerend age.Neglect of law, desire to wrong the pooreCorrpution, whordome, drunkennesse, and pride.Swolne are thy browes with impudence and shame.0 proud adulterous glorie of the West,The neighbors burn, yet doest railway yard feare no fireThy Preachers crie, yet doest thou stop thine eares.The larum rings, yet sleepest thou secure.London awake, for feare the Lord do frowne,I set a looking Glasse before thine eyes.0 turne, 0 turne, with weeping to the LordRepend 0 LondonThomas Lodge and Robert Green, A Looking Glass for London and England (1590), lines 2388-2404 D. Suit the action to the word, the word to the action with this special observance, that you overstep not the modesty of nature for anything so overdone is from the purpose of playing, whose end, both at the first and now, was and is, to hold, as twere, the mirror up to nature to show virtue her own feature, scorn her own image, and the precise age and body of the time his form and pressure.