File:Shakespeare the player, and other papers illustrative of Shakespeare's individuality (1916) (14576568648).jpg

Identifier: shakespeareplaye00carg (find matches)
Title: Shakespeare the player, and other papers illustrative of Shakespeare's individuality
Year: 1916 (1910s)
Authors: Cargill, Alexander
Subjects: Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616
Publisher: London : Constable and company ltd.
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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iiis. iiijd. (MS. Ibid.). To Tho:Sheffielde, under-Keaper of her Majesties House at Grene-wich for thallowaunce of viij labourers there three severallnightes, at xijd. the man, by reason it was night-woorke,for making cleane the greate chamber, the Presence, thegalleries and clossettes, mense Decembr 1594 xxiiijs.(MS. Ibid.).9 In view of such an important piece of evidence as thisdocument supplies, it would seem, from the mere fact thatShakespeare was selected along with others, including suchexcellent exponents of the art as Kempe and Burbage,that he had, previous to this noteworthy engagement toplay before Queen Elizabeth at Greenwich Palace, distin-guished himself as an actor. It is quite possible that herMajesty might have desired to see for herself somethingof the qualities of one of her subjects who, she was probablywell aware, had already acquired considerable reputation,and who, she may have reflected, was destined by theexercise of his surpassing powers, of which he had given
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SHAKESPEARE THE PLAYER 13 substantial evidence, to add lustre to a reign already re-splendent. But it is most unlikely that so shrewd a man ofthe world as Shakespeare was. would have jeopardised hibcharacter by appearing in sock and buskin before the royalpresence, without being well assured and confident of his per-fect ability to do so creditably. Thus it may be reasonablysupposed that now, when he was to receive so signal amark of the Queens favour, he had passed satisfactorilythrough the period of his noviciate, had won his spurs as anactor, and, in fact, was considered to be in that capacityof little less consequence than Kempe or Burbage, whowere at the head of the large body of actors then playingin the Metropolis. From the foregoing record of his engage-ment as an actor, it is deeply interesting, therefore, to dis-cover Shakespeare, in the first genuine glimpse we get ofhis career, moving in these courtly environments. Unfor-tunately, there is nothing to show what part or part

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