Debating Drama in the Early Modern University: John Case, Aristotle's Politics, and a Previously Unknown Oxford Disputation

Abstract

The question of the morality of theatrical per for mance reverberated throughout early modern Eu rope. It was addressed by humanists and theologians, pamphleteers and players, echoing across a wide variety of polemical contexts. Yet despite the range of these discussions, the participants held in common their reliance upon, and reference to, the authors of the classical world, where theatrical per for mance had likewise been a controversial issue. The purpose and propriety of drama had been discussed at length by Plato and Aristotle, both of whom were invoked in the early modern debates; the rediscovery of Aristotle rendered him a particularly frequent referent. His position within these debates was variable, however. Although he has often been viewed by modern critics as one of the period's protheatrical authorities, in sharp contrast to the antitheatricalism of Plato, the documentary rec ord suggests that this was not always the case. The manner in which early modern thinkers engaged with Aristotle regarding the theatrical question merits further attention. This article will examine that For their insightful comments, I am grateful to Anthony Grafton, Kirsten Macfarlane, and especially Richard Serjeantson, who first called my attention to the manuscript under discussion. I would also like to thank the anonymous readers as well as the JHI editors for their invaluable suggestions.