The Fatal Dowry

Massinger, Philip, 1583-1640Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.8

Word count: 339K words
Chapters: 34

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Fatal Dowry by Nathaniel Field and Philip MassingerAuthor: Massinger, Philip, 1583-1640,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Oct 23, 2013

Editor's review

The Fatal Dowry is a tragedy by the seventeenth-century English playwrights Philip Massinger and Nathaniel Field, belonging to the tragedy tradition of early modern English drama. The work revolves around marriage, honor, dowry, and revenge, with a plot carrying the typical tensions of the era's city tragedy and domestic tragedy, written in a mix of English verse and prose. For readers studying late Renaissance to early seventeenth-century English drama, it is a useful primary text for understanding Massinger's dramatic style and the theatrical tastes of the time, and can be set alongside other tragedies of the period to observe how notions of honor and gender order were dramatized. This public-domain electronic edition provides a basic English text with no modern scholarly editing or introduction apparent, requiring some preparation in early modern English. It is better suited to course reference, specialized research, and dramatic textual analysis than to general readers seeking light story reading.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Scholars and students of seventeenth-century English drama and Massinger's works
Readers in early modern English literature courses who need to read original plays
Theater enthusiasts interested in late Renaissance tragedy and themes of honor
Readers looking to expand their reading of public-domain English dramatic texts

Not a good fit for

General readers unfamiliar with early modern English who want light reading
Beginners expecting modern annotated editions or detailed plot introductions
Readers who prefer contemporary fiction and popular narrative

Reading tips

First understand the basic stage traditions and notions of honor in seventeenth-century English tragedy.
Read alongside other domestic tragedies of the same period to compare thematic and character treatment.
Note where verse alternates with prose, observing the relationship between language style and character status.
When encountering early modern English difficulties, proceed with scholarly annotations or course lectures.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What kind of work is The Fatal Dowry?

It is a seventeenth-century English tragedy written by Philip Massinger in collaboration with Nathaniel Field. It deals with marriage, honor, dowry, and revenge, belonging to the tragedy tradition of early modern English drama, and is suitable for reading from the perspectives of theater history and thematic analysis.

Does this electronic edition include modern annotations?

According to the information, this is a public-domain English electronic text released by Project Gutenberg, providing mainly the work's main text, with no indication of modern scholarly annotations or an introduction. For course or research use, it is advisable to consult an authoritative annotated edition or relevant research materials.

What if early modern English is difficult to read?

Start with a plot summary and historical background, then proceed scene by scene; for difficult passages, use scholarly annotations, a drama dictionary, or course lectures. Reading alongside contemporary works can also help you gradually grow accustomed to the spelling, syntax, and stage language.

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About the author

Massinger, Philip, 1583-1640 Author

Philip Massinger (1583–1640) was an important playwright of the English Renaissance and the Jacobean era. Public information about his early education and personal life is limited, so his biography is usually inferred from his plays and from contemporary documents. Four of his works are held in this collection: The Plays of Philip Massinger, Vol. I, The Fatal Dowry, The Elder Brother, and The Custom of the Country, the last associated with the Beaumont and Fletcher canon. These plays are chiefly tragicomedies and comedies of manners, with plots centering on marriage, property, family honor, and moral conflict. Their language is polished, their structure orderly, and their dialogue often satirical. Massinger's plays hold a place in the seventeenth-century English dramatic tradition and offer useful insight into the stage tastes and ethical concerns of the period.