William Davenant
Encyclopedia
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
. Along with Thomas Killigrew
Thomas Killigrew
Thomas Killigrew was an English dramatist and theatre manager. He was a witty, dissolute figure at the court of King Charles II of England.-Life and work:...
, Davenant was one of the rare figures in English Renaissance theatre
English Renaissance theatre
English Renaissance theatre, also known as early modern English theatre, refers to the theatre of England, largely based in London, which occurred between the Reformation and the closure of the theatres in 1642...
whose career spanned both the Caroline and Restoration eras and who was active both before and after the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
and during the Interregnum
English Interregnum
The English Interregnum was the period of parliamentary and military rule by the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell under the Commonwealth of England after the English Civil War...
.
Biography
Davenant is believed to have been born in late February, 1606 in OxfordOxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, the son of Jane Shepherd Davenant and John Davenant, proprietor of the Crown Tavern (or Crown Inn) and mayor of Oxford. He was baptised on 3 March, his godfather
Godparent
A godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's baptism. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother...
sometimes being said to have been William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
, who had stayed frequently at the Crown during his travels between London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon is a market town and civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. It lies on the River Avon, south east of Birmingham and south west of Warwick. It is the largest and most populous town of the District of Stratford-on-Avon, which uses the term "on" to indicate that it covers...
. It was even rumored that he was the Bard's biological son as well. However, it seems that this rumor stemmed from a comment attributed to Davenant by Samuel Butler: "It seemed to him [Davenant] that he writ with the very same spirit that Shakespeare [did], and seemed content enough to be called his son."
He attended Lincoln College, Oxford
Lincoln College, Oxford
Lincoln College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is situated on Turl Street in central Oxford, backing onto Brasenose College and adjacent to Exeter College...
, for a while in about 1620, but left before gaining any degree.
Following the death of Ben Jonson
Ben Jonson
Benjamin Jonson was an English Renaissance dramatist, poet and actor. A contemporary of William Shakespeare, he is best known for his satirical plays, particularly Volpone, The Alchemist, and Bartholomew Fair, which are considered his best, and his lyric poems...
in 1637, Davenant was named Poet Laureate
Poet Laureate
A poet laureate is a poet officially appointed by a government and is often expected to compose poems for state occasions and other government events...
in 1638. He was a supporter of King Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
in the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
. In 1641, he was declared guilty of high treason but was, ironically, knighted two years later by the king following the siege of Gloucester
Siege of Gloucester
The Siege of Gloucester was an engagement in the First English Civil War. It took place between August 3 and September 5, 1643, between the defending Parliamentarian garrison of Gloucester and the besieging army of King Charles I. The siege ended with the arrival of a relieving Parliamentarian army...
. In 1645, after the Battle of Naseby
Battle of Naseby
The Battle of Naseby was the key battle of the first English Civil War. On 14 June 1645, the main army of King Charles I was destroyed by the Parliamentarian New Model Army commanded by Sir Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell.-The Campaign:...
, he retired to Paris, where he became a Roman Catholic and worked on his epic poem Gondibert. That same year he was appointed Emissary to France, and in 1649 treasurer of the colony of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
by Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
. The following year, he was made lieutenant governor of Maryland
Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
The Lieutenant Governor of Maryland is the second highest ranking official in the executive branch of the state government of Maryland in the United States. He or she is elected on the same ticket as the Governor of Maryland and must meet the same qualifications.The current Lieutenant Governor is...
, but was captured at sea, imprisoned, and sentenced to death. He spent all of 1651 in the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
, where he continued writing Gondibert. On his release in 1652, he immediately published Gondibert, but he was only pardoned in 1654. In order to avoid the strict laws of censorship in force in all public places at the time, he turned a room of his home, Rutland House
Rutland House
Rutland House was the name of at least two London houses occupied by the Earls and Dukes of Rutland.-Rutland House, Aldersgate Street:Rutland House on Aldersgate Street, near Charterhouse Square in the City of London, close to Smithfield Market was leased by the playwright and impressario Sir...
, into a private theatre where his works, and those of other writers considered seditious, could be performed. A performance of his The Siege of Rhodes
The Siege of Rhodes
The Siege of Rhodes is an opera written to a text by the impresario William Davenant. The score is by five composers, the vocal music by Henry Lawes, Matthew Locke, and Captain Henry Cooke, and instrumental music by Charles Coleman and George Hudson...
at Rutland House in 1656 is considered to be the first performance of an English opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
, and also included England's first known professional actress, Mrs. Coleman. http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/4/1/2/4126/4126.txt
Davenant once again found himself in legal trouble in 1659, when he was imprisoned for his part in Sir George Booth's uprising at Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
. He was released the same year though and fled to France. He had returned to London by 1660 as he is publicly recorded as being one of the two theatrical patentees. He headed the Duke of York's Men and produced highly successful theatrical seasons at Lincoln's Inn Fields from 1660 until his death in 1668. Among his more successful productions were some Shakespeare plays including: Hamlet, Henry VIII, Macbeth as well as non-Shakespeare plays such as Sir Samuel Tuke's The Tragedy of Five Hours and John Dryden's comedy Sir Martin Marall. He had returned to England sometime before the initial production of his adaptation
The Tempest (Dryden)
The Tempest, or The Enchanted Island is a comedy adapted by John Dryden and William D'Avenant from Shakespeare's comedy The Tempest. The musical setting, previously attributed to Henry Purcell, and probably for the London revival of 1712, was very probably by John Weldon.The Dryden/Davenant...
of Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's The Tempest, written with John Dryden
John Dryden
John Dryden was an influential English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who dominated the literary life of Restoration England to such a point that the period came to be known in literary circles as the Age of Dryden.Walter Scott called him "Glorious John." He was made Poet...
, who would be named the next Laureate in 1670.
He died in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 7 April 1668, shortly after his final play, The Man's the Master, was first performed. He is buried in Poets' Corner
Poets' Corner
Poets' Corner is the name traditionally given to a section of the South Transept of Westminster Abbey because of the number of poets, playwrights, and writers buried and commemorated there. The most recent additions were a memorial floor stone unveiled in 2009 for the founders of the Royal Ballet...
at Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
where the inscription on his tablet reads "O rare Sir William Davenant." It has been noted that the original inscription on Ben Jonson's tablet, which was already removed by the time Davenant died, was "Rare Ben," which was the name Shakespeare supposedly had for Jonson.
Nine of his works, though they were previously licensed or produced in London during his life like all of his plays, were finally published in print posthumously. Several of these were included in The Works of Sr William D'avenant Kt., by Henry Herringman
Henry Herringman
Henry Herringman was a prominent London bookseller and publisher in the second half of the 17th century. He is especially noted for his publications in English Renaissance drama and English Restoration drama; he was the first publisher of the works of John Dryden...
in 1673, which was copied from Davenant's own originals.
Epic poems and books of poetry
Each year links to its corresponding "[year] in poetry" article:- 16301630 in poetryNationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature .-Great Britain:* William Davenant, Ieffereidos...
: Ieffereidos - 16381638 in poetryNationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature .-Great Britain:* Henry Adamson, Muses Threnodie: of Mirthful Mournings on the death of Mr Gall, Edinburgh, noted for giving a general description of Perth in the 17th century; published with the encouragement...
: Madagascar, with other Poems - 16481648 in poetryTo the Virgins, to Make Much of Time— First lines from Robert Herrick's To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time, first published this year...
: London, King Charles his Augusta, or, City Royal, of the founders, the names, and oldest honours of that City - 16501650 in poetryNationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature .-Works published:* Robert Baron, Pocula Castalia...
: A Discourse upon Gondibert, an heroick poem (or simply Gondibert), originally published unfinished, then published again in 16511651 in poetryNationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature .-Great Britain:* Anonymous, A Hermeticall Banquet, published this year, although the book states "1652"; some attribute the book to James Howell, others to Thomas Vaughan* William Bosworth, The shaft and Lost...
in its final form and included Davenant's "Preface to his most honour’d friend Mr. Hobs" and "The Answer of Mr. Hobbes to Sir William D’Avenant’s Preface before Gondibert" by Thomas HobbesThomas HobbesThomas Hobbes of Malmesbury , in some older texts Thomas Hobbs of Malmsbury, was an English philosopher, best known today for his work on political philosophy...
, to whom the book was dedicated; the official second edition in 16531653 in poetryNationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature .-Works published:* Margaret Cavendish, Lady Newcastle, Poems, and Fancies, prose and poetry* An Collins, Divine Songs and Meditacions...
also contained "Certain Verses, written by severall of the author’s friends" - 16561656 in poetryNationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature .-Events:* This year in England, John Phillips, a nephew of John Milton, was summoned before the privy council for his share in a book of licentious poems, Sportive Wit, which was suppressed by the authorities...
: Wit and Drollery: Jovial Poems - 16571657 in poetryNationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature .-Works published:* Nicholas Billingsley, Brachy-Martyrologia* Henry Bold, Wit a Sporting in a Pleasant Grove of New Fancies...
: Poems on Several Occasions
PanegyricPanegyricA panegyric is a formal public speech, or written verse, delivered in high praise of a person or thing, a generally highly studied and discriminating eulogy, not expected to be critical. It is derived from the Greek πανηγυρικός meaning "a speech fit for a general assembly"...
s
Each year links to its corresponding "[year] in poetry" article:
- 16601660 in poetryNationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature .-Events:* The return to power of Charles II of England, with a triumphant entrance into London on May 29, results in the publication of numerous panegyrics and similar verse by English poets praising the...
: "A Panegyric to his Excellency the Lord General Monck", to George Monck - 16601660 in poetryNationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature .-Events:* The return to power of Charles II of England, with a triumphant entrance into London on May 29, results in the publication of numerous panegyrics and similar verse by English poets praising the...
: "Poem, Upon His Sacred Majesties Most Happy Return to His Dominions", on the Restoration of Charles IICharles II of EnglandCharles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War... - 16631663 in poetryNationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature .-Events:* Robert Herrick begins publishing his Poor Robin's Almanack-Works published:...
: "Poem, to the King’s most sacred Majesty", to Charles II
Original plays, masqueMasqueThe masque was a form of festive courtly entertainment which flourished in 16th and early 17th century Europe, though it was developed earlier in Italy, in forms including the intermedio...
s and operaOperaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
s
Listed in chronological order.
- Albovine, King of the Lombards, tragedy (ca. 1626-9; printed 1629)
- The Cruel Brother, tragedy (licensed 12 January 1627; printed 1630)
- The Just Italian, comedy (licensed 2 October 1629; printed 1630)
- The WitsThe WitsThe Wits is a Caroline era stage play, a comedy by Sir William Davenant. It was licensed for performance by Sir Henry Herbert, the Master of the Revels, on January 19, 1634; it was staged by the King's Men at the Blackfriars Theatre. It was first published in quarto by Richard Meighen in 1636...
, comedy (licensed 19 January 1634; printed 1636) - Love and Honour, tragicomedyTragicomedyTragicomedy is fictional work that blends aspects of the genres of tragedy and comedy. In English literature, from Shakespeare's time to the nineteenth century, tragicomedy referred to a serious play with either a happy ending or enough jokes throughout the play to lighten the mood.-Classical...
, also previously performed as The Courage of Love; and The Nonpareilles, or The Matchless Maids (licensed 20 November 1634: printed 1649) - The Temple of Love, masque (licensed 10 February 1635; printed 1635)
- News from Plymouth, comedy (licensed 1 August 1635; printed 1673)
- The Platonick LoversThe Platonick LoversThe Platonick Lovers is a Caroline era stage play which blends the genres of tragicomedy, satire, and comedy of manners. It was written by Sir William Davenant and first printed in 1636...
, comedy (licensed 16 November 1635; printed 1636) - The Triumphs of the Prince D'Amour, masque (performed 23 or 24 February 1636; printed 1636)
- Britannia Triumphans, masque, with Inigo JonesInigo JonesInigo Jones is the first significant British architect of the modern period, and the first to bring Italianate Renaissance architecture to England...
(licensed 8 January 1638; printed 1638) - LuminaliaLuminaliaLuminalia or The Festival of Light was a late Caroline era masque or "operatic show", with an English libretto by Sir William Davenant, designs by Inigo Jones, and music by composer Nicholas Lanier...
or The Festival of Light, masque, with Inigo Jones (licensed 6 February 1638; printed 1638) - The Unfortunate Lovers, tragedy (licensed 16 April 1638; printed 1643)
- The Fair Favourite, tragicomedy (licensed 17 November 1638; printed 1673)
- The Spanish Lovers, or The Distresses, comedy (licensed 30 March 1639; printed 1673)
- Salmacida SpoliaSalmacida SpoliaSalmacida Spolia was the last masque performed at the English Court before the outbreak of the English Civil War. Written by Sir William Davenant, with costumes, sets, and stage effects designed by Inigo Jones and with music by Lewis Richard, it was performed at Whitehall Palace on January 21,...
, masque (performed 21 January 1640; printed 1640) - The Siege of Rhodes, Part IThe Siege of RhodesThe Siege of Rhodes is an opera written to a text by the impresario William Davenant. The score is by five composers, the vocal music by Henry Lawes, Matthew Locke, and Captain Henry Cooke, and instrumental music by Charles Coleman and George Hudson...
, tragicomedy (performed September 1656; printed 1656) - The Cruelty of the Spaniards in PeruThe Cruelty of the Spaniards in PeruThe Cruelty of the Spaniards in Peru was an innovative 1658 theatrical presentation, a hybrid entertainment or masque or "operatic show", written and produced by Sir William Davenant...
, opera (performed and printed 1658) - The History of Sir Francis DrakeThe History of Sir Francis DrakeThe History of Sir Francis Drake was a hybrid theatrical entertainment, a masque or "operatic tableau" with an English libretto written by Sir William Davenant and music by Matthew Locke. The masque was most likely first performed in 1659 and produced by Davenant...
, history (performed 1658-9; printed1659) - The Siege of Rhodes, Part IIThe Siege of RhodesThe Siege of Rhodes is an opera written to a text by the impresario William Davenant. The score is by five composers, the vocal music by Henry Lawes, Matthew Locke, and Captain Henry Cooke, and instrumental music by Charles Coleman and George Hudson...
, tragicomedy (ca. 1657-9; printed 1663) - The Playhouse to Be LetThe Playhouse to Be LetThe Playhouse to be Let is a Restoration stage play, a dramatic anthology of short pieces by Sir William Davenant that was acted in August 1663 at the theatre at Lincoln's Inn Fields, and first published in the 1673 collected edition of Davenant's works...
, comedy (performed ca. August 1663; printed 1673); includes Sir Frances Drake and The Cruelty of the Spaniards in Peru - The Man's the Master, comedy (performed 26 March 1668; printed 1669)
Revisions, adaptations and other productions for the stage
- The First Day's Entertainment at Rutland House, a "disputation" (performed 23 May 1656; printed 1657)
- The Law Against LoversThe Law Against LoversThe Law Against Lovers was a dramatic adaptation of Shakespeare, arranged by Sir William Davenant and staged by the Duke's Company in 1662. It was the first of the many Shakespearean adaptations staged during the Restoration era....
(performed 10 February 1662, printed 1673), a version of Measure for MeasureMeasure for MeasureMeasure for Measure is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1603 or 1604. It was classified as comedy, but its mood defies those expectations. As a result and for a variety of reasons, some critics have labelled it as one of Shakespeare's problem plays...
mixed with Much Ado About NothingMuch Ado About NothingMuch Ado About Nothing is a comedy written by William Shakespeare about two pairs of lovers, Benedick and Beatrice, and Claudio and Hero.... - Macbeth (performed 5 November 1664; printed 1674), an operatic adaptation of ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's MacbethMacbethThe Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607... - Greene's Tu Quoque (performed 12 September 1667; lost), based upon the 1614 edition of John Cooke's Greene's Tu Quoque Or, the Cittie GallantGreene's Tu QuoqueGreene's Tu Quoque, also known as The City Gallant, is a Jacobean era stage play, a comedy written by John Cooke. The play was a major popular success upon its premier, and became something of a legend in the theatre lore of the seventeenth century.-Performance:Cooke's play was performed by Queen...
, which had been made famous by the actor Thomas Greene's 1611 performance - The Tempest, or The Enchanted IslandThe Tempest (Dryden)The Tempest, or The Enchanted Island is a comedy adapted by John Dryden and William D'Avenant from Shakespeare's comedy The Tempest. The musical setting, previously attributed to Henry Purcell, and probably for the London revival of 1712, was very probably by John Weldon.The Dryden/Davenant...
(performed 7 November 1667, printed 1670), an adaptation with John DrydenJohn DrydenJohn Dryden was an influential English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who dominated the literary life of Restoration England to such a point that the period came to be known in literary circles as the Age of Dryden.Walter Scott called him "Glorious John." He was made Poet...
of ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's The Tempest - The Rivals (c. 1664; printed 1668), a revision of The Two Noble KinsmenThe Two Noble KinsmenThe Two Noble Kinsmen is a Jacobean tragicomedy, first published in 1634 and attributed to John Fletcher and William Shakespeare. Its plot derives from "The Knight's Tale" in Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales....
- Hamlet
- Julius Caesar with John Dryden
External links
Biographical
- Biography at TheatreDatabase.com
- "Shakespeare and Mrs. Davenant"
- Detailed biography at Oldpoetry.com