About
Ben Jonson (1572-1637) was an English dramatist, poet, and literary critic, regarded as the second most important English playwright after Shakespeare during the reign of James I. He is known for his comedies of humours, including Volpone, The Alchemist, and Bartholomew Fair. In 1616, he received a lifetime royal pension, becoming England's first unofficial poet laureate, and published his collected Works, a first for plays. He also created court masques with architect Inigo Jones and invented the antimasque. His life was marked by duels, imprisonments, and a conversion to Catholicism. He is buried in Westminster Abbey.
Major works
- Every Man in His Humour (1598)comedy
- Volpone (1606)comedy
- Epicoene; or, The Silent Woman (1609)comedy
- The Alchemist (1610)comedy
- Bartholomew Fair (1614)comedy
Key milestones
- 1598Killed actor Gabriel Spencer in a duel but escaped execution by pleading benefit of clergy.
- 1616Received a lifetime royal pension, becoming England's first unofficial poet laureate, and published his collected Works.
- 1628Suffered a paralytic stroke; died in poverty in 1637 and was buried in Westminster Abbey.
Themes
Comedy of humoursSocial satireClassical craftsmanshipCourt masqueLiterary criticism
Sources: britannica.com · npg.org.uk · poetryfoundation.org