Percy Bysshe Shelley: The Cenci
- Mark Sandy (University of Durham)
Before concluding his lyrical drama, Prometheus Unbound (see separate entry) Shelley turned his attention, between May and August 1819, to writing a tragic play entitled The Cenci. Unexpectedly, Shelley suspended composition of his drama when his son, William, was afflicted with a stomach infection that precipitated in the young boy's death on 7 June 1819. Shelley did not recommence authoring The Cenci until late June or early July but, certainly, by August his tragedy was being transcribed for the press and Glauco Masi, a Leghorn printer, had by 21 September 1819 produced 250 copies of the play in readiness for shipping to England.
Originally, Shelley harboured aspirations that his tragedy would be produc
First published 25 August 2004
Citation: Sandy, Mark. "The Cenci". The Literary Encyclopedia. 25 August 2004
[http://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=1290, accessed 30 July 2010.]
1290 The Cenci 3 Short Notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.