Thomas Middleton, The Changeling

Anja Mueller-Wood (Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz)
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The Changeling

, one of the most accomplished dramatic collaborations between Thomas Middleton and William Rowley, was first performed in 1622. The play is set in the Spanish city of Alicante, an appropriately exotic backdrop for a tragedy whose characters and their actions are ruled by selfishness, lust and deception. The title figure is taken from Rowley’s bizarre subplot, where Antonio, identified in the

dramatis personae

as the titular character, together with his fellow Franciscus, feigns madness to enter the madhouse run by the foolish doctor Alibius and seduce his pretty but chaste wife Isabella. The play is better known for its main plot, however, which depicts the fatal alliance between the beautiful Beatrice-Joanna and De Flores, the malformed servant of her father Vermandero.…

2481 words

Citation: Mueller-Wood, Anja. "The Changeling". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 09 March 2007 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=1299, accessed 19 March 2024.]

1299 The Changeling 3 Historical context 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.

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