21.3k views
5 votes
Who was the most famous critic of Shakespeare's time who complained about drama saying, 'They mingle clowns kings with neither decency nor discretion?'

1 Answer

6 votes

Final answer:

Sir Philip Sidney was a notable critic during Shakespeare's time who complained about the mixing of clowns and kings in plays, criticizing the lack of dramatic decorum in such representations.

Step-by-step explanation:

The most famous critic of Shakespeare's time who complained about the intertwining of comedic and royal characters was Sir Philip Sidney. Sidney criticized the drama of his era for lacking decorum, with plays often combining high and low characters without regard to tradition and propriety. This was a time of dynamic theatrical innovation, yet Sidney, a prominent figure in literature, opposed these mixtures as improper in dramatic representation.

During the Elizabethan era, playwrights like William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe contributed significantly to the Golden Age of Theatre, with Shakespeare mastering the use of language in drama. However, their contemporaries also contributed to the rich tapestry of the period's theatrical expression, pushing boundaries and exploring new dramatic techniques, sometimes drawing the ire of more conservative critics like Sidney.

User Gulliver Smith
by
8.3k points