Call number: LD2668 .T4 1938 R41

The purpose of this study is to point to significant historical elements of James IV that appear to be characteristic of the plays of the late sixteenth century. One major characteristic of the plays of this period is the interest shown in historical events, current and. past. Other characteristics such as the use of allegory and didacticism appear in the plays of the period and are commented upon in this study. Standards of composition of this period that are relevant to James IV receive consideration also.

Robert Greene began collaborating with Thomas Nashe as English prose was turning away from the style and subject matter of Lyly's Euphues (1578) and Sidney's Arcadia (1590). When Greene and Nashe came together in London, the two writers appear to have set the tone for the pamphleteers who would establish the realistic tradition that contributed to the development of the novel. Greene's Menaphon (1589) may be a satire representing his abandonment of courtly fiction. The influence of the Marprelate controversy is reflected in Greene's appeals to the pragmatic character of the emerging literate middle class. Greene's Vision (1592) appears to be Greene's affirmation of his critical philosophy at a point of stress in the authors' relationship.