The Shoemaker's Holiday
by Thomas Dekker
On This Page
Description
'I know the trade: I learned it when I was in Wittenberg'Thus speaks Lacy, the gentleman who disguises himself as a simple shoemaker in order to win his true love, the grocer's daughter Rose. The Shoemaker's Holiday is one of the most engaging citizen comedies of the 17th century. Written and first performed at much the same time as Hamlet, it has an unexpected affinity with Shakespeare's tragedy: both feature a leading character who has spent time in Wittenberg, where he has learned show more something that has changed him. But whereas Hamlet's Wittenberg philosophy steers him into the realm of the individuated self, Lacy's Wittenberg trade directs him and his fellows into the world of the collectively crafted commodity. In the process, the play offers fascinating insight into the evolution of fashion and the growth of consumer culture in newly capitalist London.This new student edition contains a lengthy new Introduction with background on the author, date and sources, the play's major preoccupations, and stage history.The editor, Jonathan Gil Harris, is Professor of English at George Washington University. he is the author of Foreign Bodies and the Body Politic, Sick Economies, and Untimely Matter in the Time of Shakespeare. show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
I had to read this for school. I was thinking, "I wonder where I can sell this back?" but as I continued to read it, and continued to understand it I thought to myself, "I want to add this to my bookshelf as proof that I can read, understand, and enjoy something from the 15th Century! This is great!" I am enjoying it. I'm shocked by some of the language ... It's not what we're told about the people in the Elizabethan era ... it's quite shocking! I'm really glad I've been given the opportunity to read this.
Adrianne
Adrianne
Is a tragedy of not knowing where you belong and not being accepted by your family. Great short play that is funny and serious in all the right places. Even if you don't like books from this time period still give it a chance because the characters in this play you will remember forever.
Ratings
Members
- Recently Added By
Lists
Best Early Modern Plays Not By Shakespeare
78 works; 8 members
Early Modern (Shakesperean)
64 works; 2 members
My Play Collection
769 works; 3 members
Author Information
81+ Works 1,225 Members
Dekker was a popular, prolific writer who had a hand in at least 40 plays, which he wrote for Philip Henslowe, the theatrical entrepreneur. In the plays that seem to be completely by Dekker, he shows himself as a realist of London life, but even his most realistic plays have a strong undertone of romantic themes and aspirations. The Shoemaker's show more Holiday (1600), for example, glorifies the gentle craft of the shoemaker, and the character Simon Eyre speaks in an extravagant, hyperbolic style that is far from realistic. Dekker also wrote such prose pamphlets as the Bellman of London (1608) and The Gull's Hornbook (1609), the latter an entertaining account of the behavior of a country yokel and dupe in London. He died in debt. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Some Editions
Series
Belongs to Publisher Series
Work Relationships
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Shoemaker's Holiday
- Original title
- The Shoemakers' Holiday, or the Gentle Craft
- Original publication date
- 1599 (performed) (performed); 1600 (published) (published)
- People/Characters
- Simon Eyre
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 208
- Popularity
- 156,386
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (3.02)
- Languages
- English, Polish
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 26
- ASINs
- 4
