(About Greene: one of the University wits - studied at Cambridge and got a courtesy degree from Oxford- known as the founder of romantic comedy - criticised as Ape of Euphues and Patriarch of shifters by Harvey in his "Four Letters" - Greene as a writer of Lylyan sequel "Euphues his Censure to Philautus" -known as a writer of 25 works in prose in different genres -advised by Chaucer, John Gower and Solomon in his "Greene's Vision (1592) - known for his criticism of Shakespeare as "upstart crow, beautified with our feathers" in his "Greene's Groat's Worth of Wit" - His "Pandosta: The Triumph of Wit " as a major source for Shakespeare's A Winter's Tale - His swaggering nature criticised by Virginia Woolf in her "Orlando" through the character Nick Greene - all of Greene's plays were published posthumously)
1. Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay(1594):
A comic play with multiple plots - based on the prose romance The Famous History of Friar Bacon (1555) - Story: the first plot deals with the attempts of Prince Edward, son of Henry III to seduce fair Margaret in the village Fressingfield and his failure in sending his friend Earl Lucy who falls in love with Margaret.. Finally Prince Edward marries
Elinor of Castile, the bride chosen by his father. The Second plot deals with the love between Lucy and Margaret and his test of his love and reconciliation with Margaret. The Third plot focuses on the attempts of Friar Bacon in collaboration with Friar Bungay to make a magical speaking brass head and his failure due to his uncontrollable sleep and his servant Miles' lack of wit to wake him up at the right moment when the brass head speaks. The fourth plot talks about how Friar Bacon repents and renounces black Magic after the death of two young men and how unrepentant Miles is carried away on devile's back to hell. All plots are interwoven and the play is recognized as one of the best plays of Robert Greene.
2. Orlando Furioso (1594):
A play based on Ariosto's Italian epic poem with the same title - Story: the Christian warrior Orlando loves Angelica, the daughter of pagan king of Africa and wages a war. After victory, believing the lies of Court servant Sacrapant suspects Angelica to betray him with Medoro and grows mad only to be cured later by the woodland priestess Melissa and the play ends with his begging for forgiveness from Angelica.
3. A Looking Glass for London and England (1594):
Written by Greene in collaboration with Thomas Lodge - based on biblical story of Nineveh and Jonah - thought to carry moral lessons for Londoners and England -Story: The main plot deals with King Rasini of Nineveh's victory over King Jeroboam of Jerusalem and Rasini's pride "Rasini is God on Earth." Rasini's preparation of incentuous marriage with his sister Remilia ends with her death struck by lightning. Rasini finds new love Alvida who poisons her husband king of Paphlagona. The sub plot centres on the injustice done to virtuous Alcon against an usurer. Alcon seeks the help of his son Radagon, the flatterer of Rasini in vain and Alcon's wife curses Radagon who is swallowed by fire. Jonah chosen by God to warn Nineveh of its sinful ways first tries to escape, then swallowed by whale and saved, warns people of Nineveh. Jonah's soeech is so powerful that even Rasini and Alvida repents at the end of the play.
4. James the Fourth(1598):
A romantic comedy with comments of Oberon, king of fairies - Story : the Play deals with love of James, king of Scotland for Ida, daughter of the countess of Arran, after his marriage with English princess Dorothea. The wife of James follows him with true love in the disguise of a male and is reconciled to him when Ida marries English lord Eustace. The Play is also known for the Machiavellian counsellor Ateukin and the dwarf Nano.
(The Comical History of Alphonsus and Selimus are other less known plays of Robert Greene)
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