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11 Prodigality and the Earl of Essex

Abstract

In the aftermath of his abortive Irish campaign of 1599, the Earl of Essex brooded bitterly on the damage that the whole sorry episode was doing to his reputation. Literary critics including Grace Ioppolo, have cautioned against viewing every drama of the early 1600s through the distorting prism of Essex's spectacular implosion. Far from regarding Liberality and Prodigality as outmoded, contemporaries may well have been struck by its topical relevance. Prodigality's experience of hubris and nemesis is comparable to that of Essex. The confrontation between Prodigality and Fortune recalls several unfortunate episodes in Essex's career. The identification of Essex as a prodigal allowed a substantial proportion of the blame for his rebellion to be sloughed off onto the shoulders of his cronies. As Baldwin Smith observed, the government chose to explain Essex's treason through reference to low-born friends and evil counsellors.

Abstract

In the aftermath of his abortive Irish campaign of 1599, the Earl of Essex brooded bitterly on the damage that the whole sorry episode was doing to his reputation. Literary critics including Grace Ioppolo, have cautioned against viewing every drama of the early 1600s through the distorting prism of Essex's spectacular implosion. Far from regarding Liberality and Prodigality as outmoded, contemporaries may well have been struck by its topical relevance. Prodigality's experience of hubris and nemesis is comparable to that of Essex. The confrontation between Prodigality and Fortune recalls several unfortunate episodes in Essex's career. The identification of Essex as a prodigal allowed a substantial proportion of the blame for his rebellion to be sloughed off onto the shoulders of his cronies. As Baldwin Smith observed, the government chose to explain Essex's treason through reference to low-born friends and evil counsellors.

Chapters in this book

  1. Front matter i
  2. Contents v
  3. List of illustrations vii
  4. Acknowledgements viii
  5. Notes on contributors ix
  6. Introduction 1
  7. Part I Essex: patron and patronage
  8. 1 ‘Cleverly playing the stoic’ 25
  9. 2 Essexianism and the work of Gervase Markham 47
  10. 3 Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, and the practice of theatre 63
  11. 4 Essex’s international agenda in 1595 and his device of the Indian Prince 81
  12. Part II Self-fashioning
  13. 5 ‘Achilles alter’ 101
  14. 6 ‘Bringing rebellion broached on his sword’ 133
  15. 7 Essex’s last campaign 153
  16. Illustrations 169
  17. 8 ‘Idle papers’ 179
  18. 9 ‘Toucht with bolt of Treason’ 201
  19. 10 The Earl of Essex and ‘politic history’ 237
  20. Part III Afterlives
  21. 11 Prodigality and the Earl of Essex 263
  22. 12 The Earl of Essex and the Duke of Windsor 279
  23. Select bibliography 295
  24. Index 321
Essex
This chapter is in the book Essex
https://doi.org/10.7765/9781526110992.00021

Chapters in this book

  1. Front matter i
  2. Contents v
  3. List of illustrations vii
  4. Acknowledgements viii
  5. Notes on contributors ix
  6. Introduction 1
  7. Part I Essex: patron and patronage
  8. 1 ‘Cleverly playing the stoic’ 25
  9. 2 Essexianism and the work of Gervase Markham 47
  10. 3 Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, and the practice of theatre 63
  11. 4 Essex’s international agenda in 1595 and his device of the Indian Prince 81
  12. Part II Self-fashioning
  13. 5 ‘Achilles alter’ 101
  14. 6 ‘Bringing rebellion broached on his sword’ 133
  15. 7 Essex’s last campaign 153
  16. Illustrations 169
  17. 8 ‘Idle papers’ 179
  18. 9 ‘Toucht with bolt of Treason’ 201
  19. 10 The Earl of Essex and ‘politic history’ 237
  20. Part III Afterlives
  21. 11 Prodigality and the Earl of Essex 263
  22. 12 The Earl of Essex and the Duke of Windsor 279
  23. Select bibliography 295
  24. Index 321
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