Thomas Middleton
A sharp, versatile playwright who captured the grimy vitality of Jacobean London in both brutal tragedies and cunning city comedies.
1580–1627 (age 47)·English playwright and poet·Birthday: April 18
Biography
Thomas Middleton was the sharp-eyed chronicler of a corrupt and glittering age. While Shakespeare worked the universal, Middleton drilled into the specific social mechanics of early 17th-century London—its greed, its sexual politics, its pervasive sense of moral decay. He moved effortlessly between genres. He co-wrote the relentless revenge tragedy 'The Changeling' and penned the unsettling 'Women Beware Women,' plays where desire and ambition curdle into violence. At the same time, he mastered the city comedy with works like 'A Chaste Maid in Cheapside,' a riotous satire of bourgeois London life. A pragmatic professional, he also wrote lavish mayoral pageants for the city. His work is distinguished by its psychological acuity, its unsentimental view of human nature, and a modern-feeling, often cynical wit that has made his plays resonate powerfully with contemporary audiences.
#1 When Thomas Was Born
The biggest hits of 1580
Thomas's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1580Born
1585Started school
1593Became a teenager
1596Could drive
1598Could vote
1601Turned 21
1610Turned 30
1620Turned 40
1627Died at 47
Key Achievements
- Authored the classic revenge tragedy 'The Changeling' (in collaboration with William Rowley), a staple of the Jacobean stage.
- Wrote the sophisticated city comedy 'A Trick to Catch the Old One,' a satire on London money-lenders and heirs.
- Penned the politically charged play 'A Game at Chess,' which was banned for its blatant allegorical attack on the Spanish court.
Did You Know?
He was appointed the official Chronologer of the City of London in 1620, a post that involved writing civic pageants.
Scholars believe he may have contributed to Shakespeare's 'Timon of Athens' and 'Macbeth.'
His play 'A Game at Chess' was so popular it ran for nine consecutive days—an unprecedented run—before being shut down.
“Black will take no other hue.”
