Philip Massinger Summary

The English playwright Philip Massinger (1583-1640) was a productive dramatist, although much of his energy was devoted to collaboration and revision. His most distinctive work reflects a religious an... Read more

In the following essay, Eliot argues that Massinger is an inferior playwright whose dreary plays lack moral vigor and hence are typical of Jacobean decadence. Massinger has been more fortunately an... Read more

In the following essay, Barton reviews Philip Edwards and Colin Gibson's 1959 edition of Massinger works and, unlike most critics from Eliot on, sees the mark of a distinctive artistic personal... Read more

In the following essay, Howard sees The Roman Actor and Believe as You List as evidence of Massinger's increased political involvement in the Caroline period and of his shift towards more appro... Read more

In this following essay, which was first published in The Sacred Wood as an addendum to a reprint of his Times Literary Supplement article, Eliot observes that although Massinger was not an artist of ... Read more

In the following essay, Hoy discusses the repeated verbal patterns in Massinger's own plays and his collaborative efforts. Massinger's habit of repeating himself is well known. Schola... Read more

In the following essay, Davidson examines the structure of The Roman Actor and the connection it makes between kingship and the stage, noting that the play shows “metaphorically by means of the... Read more

In the following essay, Bennett argues that Massinger was at his best when dealing with moral and political questions and was less successful at dramatizing romantic situations. It is remarkable th... Read more