''Merope'' is a 1731
tragedy
Tragedy (from the grc-gre, τραγῳδία, ''tragōidia'', ''tragōidia'') is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful events that befall a main character. Traditionally, the intention of tragedy ...
by the British writer George Jeffreys. It takes place in
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece ( el, Ἑλλάς, Hellás) was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity ( AD 600), that comprised a loose collection of cult ...
, based around the myth of
Merope.
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778) was a French Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' M. de Voltaire (; also ; ), he was famous for his wit, and his ...
wrote his own play ''
Mérope
''Mérope'' (original French title: ''La Mérope Française'') is a tragedy in five acts by Voltaire. The text is a reworking by Voltaire of the Italian tragedy ''Merope'' (1713) by Scipione Maffei, dating from 1736/1737. The play premiered in 17 ...
'' on the subject in 1743.
The original cast included
Anne Berriman as Merope,
James Quin as Glycon,
Thomas Chapman as Nicanor,
Thomas Walker as Adrastus,
Lacy Ryan
Lacy Ryan (c. 1694–1760), English actor, appeared at the Haymarket Theatre about 1709.
Life
By 1718 he had joined the company at Lincoln's Inn Fields, where he shared the lead with his friend James Quin. He took leading roles in ''Richard ...
as Egistus,
William Milward
William Milward (1702-1742) was a British stage actor.
He began his career with John Rich's company at the Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre and also appeared at the Haymarket. From 1734 he became part of the company at Drury Lane where he remained f ...
as Polydorus,
Charles Hulett as Argaleon and
John Ogden as Arbantes. The
prologue
A prologue or prolog (from Greek πρόλογος ''prólogos'', from πρό ''pró'', "before" and λόγος ''lógos'', "word") is an opening to a story that establishes the context and gives background details, often some earlier story that ...
was written by
Aaron Hill.
References
Bibliography
* Burling, William J. ''A Checklist of New Plays and Entertainments on the London Stage, 1700-1737''. Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press, 1992.
* Nicoll, Allardyce. ''History of English Drama, 1660-1900, Volume 2''. Cambridge University Press, 2009.
1731 plays
British plays
West End plays
Tragedy plays
{{play-stub