Donald Cameron
2020-12-09 14:14:48 UTC
Theobald's Introduction to "Double Falsehood," mentioned by John
Kennedy, in the thread on "Shakespeare's bastards," is said by someone
at JSTOR to be "a scholar's mare's nest," evidently because the
connection to Shakespeare as author is unclear and belabored.
Lots of entertaining commentary about Theobald's "Double Falsehood,"
which has been described at JSTOR as "a scholar's mare's nest."
"Its one variation on a set of phrases that were around centuries
ago. Another version was horses nest, which was at one time also a
dialect term for an idle tale or an oft-told story, one therefore
over-elaborated and unbelievable. Other variations that have been
recorded include salmons nest, and skates nest. For some reason,
mares nest conquered the opposition and became standard."
The "mare's nest" description seems apt, when you look at how the
evidence has been variously labeled. So if you're looking for an
academic pile-on of a "mare's nest," maybe the interests are there to
be at least amusing?
Britannica makes a Shakespeare authorship of the play sound
legitimate:
"https://www.britannica.com/topic/Double-Falsehood
Double Falsehood, tragicomedy in five acts presented by Lewis Theobald
at Drury Lane Theatre in 1727. According to Theobald, it was based on
a lost play by William Shakespeare (and, scholars now believe, John
Fletcher)called Cardenio. The play was probably first performed (as
Cardenio) in 1613,"
Others make news of the suggestion that the play is based on Don
Quixote:
"https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdfplus/10.1086/mp.9.2.3693738
by Shakespear, called Double Falsehood, was taken." The preface,
however, while it praises Cervantes as a writer of novels, says
nothing about his being the original author of this particular tale,
although Theobald, in his preface to the play Double Falsehood, had
stated that the plot was taken from Don Quixote."
Still others come down on the title "Double Falsehood" as a double
entendre because it's fake.
Then there are some that now are willing to re-examine the "Fake
Shakespeare play Double Falsehood" as genuine after all.
"Fake Shakespeare play Double Falsehood 'is genuine' after ...
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/...
Apr 10, 2015 · The play, which is appropriately titled Double
Falsehood, was published in 1728 by Lewis Theobald, who claimed to
have adapted the piece from three "
And evidently the play, "Double Falsehood," has been popular with
audiences, perhaps with editing. Because it possibly involves
Cervantes, Fletcher, and a "Cardinio" performed in 1613, there is
likely an on-going interest in using it as an approach to the
Shakespeare authorship question.
For me, the interest begins with the assumption that Shakespeare must
have read *Don Quixote*.
"
Kennedy, in the thread on "Shakespeare's bastards," is said by someone
at JSTOR to be "a scholar's mare's nest," evidently because the
connection to Shakespeare as author is unclear and belabored.
Lots of entertaining commentary about Theobald's "Double Falsehood,"
which has been described at JSTOR as "a scholar's mare's nest."
"Its one variation on a set of phrases that were around centuries
ago. Another version was horses nest, which was at one time also a
dialect term for an idle tale or an oft-told story, one therefore
over-elaborated and unbelievable. Other variations that have been
recorded include salmons nest, and skates nest. For some reason,
mares nest conquered the opposition and became standard."
The "mare's nest" description seems apt, when you look at how the
evidence has been variously labeled. So if you're looking for an
academic pile-on of a "mare's nest," maybe the interests are there to
be at least amusing?
Britannica makes a Shakespeare authorship of the play sound
legitimate:
"https://www.britannica.com/topic/Double-Falsehood
Double Falsehood, tragicomedy in five acts presented by Lewis Theobald
at Drury Lane Theatre in 1727. According to Theobald, it was based on
a lost play by William Shakespeare (and, scholars now believe, John
Fletcher)called Cardenio. The play was probably first performed (as
Cardenio) in 1613,"
Others make news of the suggestion that the play is based on Don
Quixote:
"https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdfplus/10.1086/mp.9.2.3693738
by Shakespear, called Double Falsehood, was taken." The preface,
however, while it praises Cervantes as a writer of novels, says
nothing about his being the original author of this particular tale,
although Theobald, in his preface to the play Double Falsehood, had
stated that the plot was taken from Don Quixote."
Still others come down on the title "Double Falsehood" as a double
entendre because it's fake.
Then there are some that now are willing to re-examine the "Fake
Shakespeare play Double Falsehood" as genuine after all.
"Fake Shakespeare play Double Falsehood 'is genuine' after ...
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/...
Apr 10, 2015 · The play, which is appropriately titled Double
Falsehood, was published in 1728 by Lewis Theobald, who claimed to
have adapted the piece from three "
And evidently the play, "Double Falsehood," has been popular with
audiences, perhaps with editing. Because it possibly involves
Cervantes, Fletcher, and a "Cardinio" performed in 1613, there is
likely an on-going interest in using it as an approach to the
Shakespeare authorship question.
For me, the interest begins with the assumption that Shakespeare must
have read *Don Quixote*.
"