Thanks for this interesting essay. In some of his Spanish publications, Richard Field referred to himself as Ricardo del Campo. So why is he called the French version, Richard du Champ? I think we overlook the woman in the room. The publishing house was owned/run by Jacqueline Vautrollier, before she married Richard. She was a French Huguenot. She may well have called her husband, Richard du Champ. She was buried at St Anne's church in Blackfriars on the 9th March, 1611. Soon after, Simon Forman recorded a performance of Cymbeline (between April and Sept 1611). I suspect 'Shakespeare' may have added, at the last minute, this subtle memorial to Field's wife in the person of Innogen.
Recently read Cymbeline for the first time, part of my personal Shakespearean renaissance inspired by my new interest in the authorship question. It is a wonderful play of a mature Shakespeare at the height of his creativity. The Richard Du Champ reference, of course, meant nothing to me, so your explanation of the Richard Field, Stratford, Du Champ, Clot, Cloten connections is fascinating.
Yet another play where death is a great disguiser, and btw, where specifically the disguise involves things being done to the head (removing it, shaving it) as part of the misidentification. I was wondering if you or anyone else has looked for other plays of the era by other authors where misidentification of a corpse is a plot feature. Shakespeare certainly seemed to like to use it.
That would be an interesting survey, if someone had the time to read all the plays of the period. It is definitely unusually interesting to Shakespeare, it seems.
Cymbeline is one of my favourite plays in the canon. Definitely top three. A hidden gem, rarely performed, which is a great shame. And certainly portraying some of the author’s deepest obsessions: slander, faked death, mistaken identity, exile.
On the other hand, Richard Field may simply have earned the Burbage family's long-standing dislike because he signed the petition against James Burbage's plan to build a public playhouse in Blackfriars. You'll know the story, but for those who don't, here it is in brief.
In 1596 the joiner turned actor/developer James Burbage (c.1531-1597) acquired part of the former monastery of Blackfriars (now a Crown property) to construct a playhouse for his company of adult actors. This company’s patron was George Carey, Lord Hunsdon, so they were known as Lord Hunsdon’s Men. In 1597 when Hunsdon was appointed Lord Chamberlain, they became the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. They needed a new playhouse. The lease of the land in Shoreditch (north of the city wall) where their current playhouse The Theater stood, was about to expire.
The prospect of a “common playhouse” in Blackfriars caused an outbreak of understandable nimbyism among the residents. They petitioned the Privy Council asking that the project be stopped. Which it was, but not before James Burbage had spent around £1000 on the premises.
A leading petitioner was Elizabeth, Lady Russell. She was the aunt of Sir Robert Cecil, who’d replaced his father William Cecil, Lord Burghley, as the most powerful man in England.
Other notable signatories were Lord Hunsdon himself, and the printer Richard Field. In which case, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men (post 1603 the King’s Men) and James' sons Cuthbert and Richard might well have held a grudge.
Thanks for this interesting essay. In some of his Spanish publications, Richard Field referred to himself as Ricardo del Campo. So why is he called the French version, Richard du Champ? I think we overlook the woman in the room. The publishing house was owned/run by Jacqueline Vautrollier, before she married Richard. She was a French Huguenot. She may well have called her husband, Richard du Champ. She was buried at St Anne's church in Blackfriars on the 9th March, 1611. Soon after, Simon Forman recorded a performance of Cymbeline (between April and Sept 1611). I suspect 'Shakespeare' may have added, at the last minute, this subtle memorial to Field's wife in the person of Innogen.
Recently read Cymbeline for the first time, part of my personal Shakespearean renaissance inspired by my new interest in the authorship question. It is a wonderful play of a mature Shakespeare at the height of his creativity. The Richard Du Champ reference, of course, meant nothing to me, so your explanation of the Richard Field, Stratford, Du Champ, Clot, Cloten connections is fascinating.
Yet another play where death is a great disguiser, and btw, where specifically the disguise involves things being done to the head (removing it, shaving it) as part of the misidentification. I was wondering if you or anyone else has looked for other plays of the era by other authors where misidentification of a corpse is a plot feature. Shakespeare certainly seemed to like to use it.
That would be an interesting survey, if someone had the time to read all the plays of the period. It is definitely unusually interesting to Shakespeare, it seems.
Cymbeline is one of my favourite plays in the canon. Definitely top three. A hidden gem, rarely performed, which is a great shame. And certainly portraying some of the author’s deepest obsessions: slander, faked death, mistaken identity, exile.
On the other hand, Richard Field may simply have earned the Burbage family's long-standing dislike because he signed the petition against James Burbage's plan to build a public playhouse in Blackfriars. You'll know the story, but for those who don't, here it is in brief.
In 1596 the joiner turned actor/developer James Burbage (c.1531-1597) acquired part of the former monastery of Blackfriars (now a Crown property) to construct a playhouse for his company of adult actors. This company’s patron was George Carey, Lord Hunsdon, so they were known as Lord Hunsdon’s Men. In 1597 when Hunsdon was appointed Lord Chamberlain, they became the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. They needed a new playhouse. The lease of the land in Shoreditch (north of the city wall) where their current playhouse The Theater stood, was about to expire.
The prospect of a “common playhouse” in Blackfriars caused an outbreak of understandable nimbyism among the residents. They petitioned the Privy Council asking that the project be stopped. Which it was, but not before James Burbage had spent around £1000 on the premises.
A leading petitioner was Elizabeth, Lady Russell. She was the aunt of Sir Robert Cecil, who’d replaced his father William Cecil, Lord Burghley, as the most powerful man in England.
Other notable signatories were Lord Hunsdon himself, and the printer Richard Field. In which case, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men (post 1603 the King’s Men) and James' sons Cuthbert and Richard might well have held a grudge.
"This genital appellation is akin to calling Richard Field a prick."
Looks to me like you are confusing Balls with Strikes.
I’m perfectly aware of the difference. The paragraph is self-explanatory.