The Noble Spanish Soldier

Excerpt

Thomas Dekker is believed to have been born in London around 1572, but nothing is known for certain about his youth.  He embarked on a career as a theatre writer early in his adult life, the first extant text of his work being ‘Old Fortunatus’ written around 1596, although there are plays connected with his name which were performed as early as 1594.  The period from 1596 to 1602 was the most prolific of his career, with 20 plays being attributed to him and an involvement in up to 28 other plays being suggested.  It was during this period that he produced his most famous work, ’The Shoemaker’s Holiday, or the Gentle Craft’, categorised by modern critics as citizen comedy, it reflects his concerns with the daily lives of ordinary Londoners.  This play exemplifies his vivid use of language and the intermingling of everyday subjects with the fantastical, embodied in this case by the rise of a craftsman to Mayor and the involvement of an unnamed but idealised king in the concluding banquet.