Sir William Davenant (baptised 3 March 1606 – 7 April 1668), also spelled D'Avenant, was an English poet and playwright. Along with

Thomas Killigrew Thomas Killigrew (7 February 1612 – 19 March 1683) was an English dramatist and theatre manager. He was a witty, dissolute figure at the court of King Charles II of England. Life Killigrew was one of twelve children of Sir Robert Killigrew ...

, Davenant was one of the rare figures in

English Renaissance theatre English Renaissance theatre, also known as Renaissance English theatre and Elizabethan theatre, refers to the theatre of England between 1558 and 1642. This is the style of the plays of William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe and Ben Jonson ...

whose career spanned both the Caroline and

Restoration Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration * Restoration ecology ...

eras and who was active both before and after the

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...

and during the

Interregnum An interregnum (plural interregna or interregnums) is a period of discontinuity or "gap" in a government, organization, or social order. Archetypally, it was the period of time between the reign of one monarch and the next (coming from Latin '' ...

Biography

Early life

Davenant is believed to have been born in late February, 1606 in

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

, the son of Jane Shepherd Davenant and John Davenant, proprietor of the Crown Tavern (or Crown Inn) and Mayor of Oxford. He was baptised on 3 March, his godfather sometimes being said to have been

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

, who, according to

John Aubrey John Aubrey (12 March 1626 – 7 June 1697) was an English antiquary, natural philosopher and writer. He is perhaps best known as the author of the ''Brief Lives'', his collection of short biographical pieces. He was a pioneer archaeologist, ...

, had stayed frequently at the Crown during his travels between London and

Stratford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon (), commonly known as just Stratford, is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It is situated on the River Avon, north-we ...

.Edmond, M., ''Yeomen, Citizens, Gentlemen, and Players: The Burbages and Their Connections'', R. B. Parker (ed), ''Elizabethan Theater: Essays in Honor of S. Schoenbaum'', University of Delaware Press, Newark, DE: 1996, p.30. It was even rumoured that he was the Bard's biological son as well. This story was recorded by Aubrey from a comment attributed to Davenant by Samuel Butler: It has been suggested that Davenant simply meant that he saw himself as a literary son of Shakespeare, in the same way that followers of

Ben Jonson Benjamin "Ben" Jonson (c. 11 June 1572 – c. 16 August 1637) was an English playwright and poet. Jonson's artistry exerted a lasting influence upon English poetry and stage comedy. He popularised the comedy of humours; he is best known for t ...

called themselves the " Sons of Ben". However, according to

Samuel Schoenbaum Samuel Schoenbaum (6 March 1927 – 27 March 1996) was a leading 20th-century Shakespearean biographer and scholar. Biography Born in New York, Schoenbaum taught at Northwestern University from 1953 to 1975, serving for the last four years o ...

, since Aubrey's comment was unpublished, the existence of some other sources saying the same thing suggests that the story that "Sir William was more than Shakespeare's mere poetical offspring was common in Davenant's lifetime." In 1618, after Shakespeare's death, the 12-year-old Davenant wrote an ode " In Remembrance of Master Shakespeare".Alan Palmer, Veronica Palmer, ''Who's Who in Shakespeare's England'', Palgrave Macmillan, 1 May 1999, p.61. He attended

Lincoln College, Oxford Lincoln College (formally, The College of the Blessed Mary and All Saints, Lincoln) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford, situated on Turl Street in central Oxford. Lincoln was founded in 1427 by Richard Fleming, the ...

, for a while in about 1620, but left before gaining any degree, becoming a page to the Duchess of Richmond. In London in 1630, he contracted a

venereal disease Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), also referred to as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and the older term venereal diseases, are infections that are spread by sexual activity, especially vaginal intercourse, anal sex, and oral se ...

, and was given a

syphilis Syphilis () is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium ''Treponema pallidum'' subspecies ''pallidum''. The signs and symptoms of syphilis vary depending in which of the four stages it presents (primary, secondary, latent, an ...

treatment by

Thomas Cademan Sir Thomas Cademan (1590?–1651) was an English recusant physician. Life Cademan was born in Norfolk about 1590. He was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, and proceeded B.A. in 1606 and M.A. in 1609. He then took the degree of M.D. at the U ...

. As a convalescent, he left for the country in 1632 for a time. The syphilis severely disfigured his nose, resulting in damage that is discreetly depicted in John Greenhill's portrait. His ruined nose was the subject of much ribald comment by his enemies.Raymond A. Anselment, ''The Realms of Apollo: Literature and Healing in Seventeenth-century England'', University of Delaware Press, 1995, p.109.

Poet laureate and Civil War

Following the death of

in 1637, Davenant was named

Poet Laureate A poet laureate (plural: poets laureate) is a poet officially appointed by a government or conferring institution, typically expected to compose poems for special events and occasions. Albertino Mussato of Padua and Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) ...

in 1638. He was a supporter of King Charles I in the

. In 1641, before the war began, he was declared guilty of high treason by parliament along with John Suckling, after he participated in the

First Army Plot The 1641 Army Plots were two separate alleged attempts by supporters of Charles I of England to use the army to crush the Parliamentary opposition in the run-up to the First English Civil War. The plan was to move the army from York to London and ...

, a Royalist plan to use the army to occupy London. He fled to France.Alan Hager, ''The Age of Milton: An Encyclopedia of Major 17th-century British and American Authors'', Greenwood Publishing Group, 2004, p.104 Returning to join the king's army when the war started, he was knighted two years later by king Charles following the

siege of Gloucester The siege of Gloucester took place between 10 August and 5 September 1643 during the First English Civil War. It was part of a Royalist campaign led by King Charles I to take control of the Severn Valley from the Parliamentarians. Follow ...

. In 1645, after the Royalist defeat at the

Battle of Naseby The Battle of Naseby took place on 14 June 1645 during the First English Civil War, near the village of Naseby in Northamptonshire. The Parliamentarian New Model Army, commanded by Sir Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell, destroyed the main ...

, he retired to Paris, where he became a Roman Catholic and worked on his epic poem ''

Gondibert ''Gondibert'' is an epic poem by William Davenant. In it he attempts to combine the five-act structure of English Renaissance drama with the Homeric and Virgilian epic literary tradition. Davenant also sought to incorporate modern philosophical th ...

''. That same year he was appointed Emissary to France, and in 1649 was given the symbolic post of treasurer of the colony of

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

by the exiled Charles II. The following year, he was made

lieutenant governor of Maryland The lieutenant governor of Maryland is the second highest-ranking official in the executive branch of the Government of Maryland, state government of Maryland in the United States. The officeholder is elected on the same ticket as the governor of ...

, but was captured at sea, imprisoned, and sentenced to death. In July, 1650, he was put on trial for his life, along with others in front of the newly established High Court of Justice. He is said to have been saved by the intervention of

John Milton John Milton (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674) was an English poet and intellectual. His 1667 epic poem '' Paradise Lost'', written in blank verse and including over ten chapters, was written in a time of immense religious flux and political ...

. He spent all of 1651 in the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is separa ...

, where he continued writing ''Gondibert''. On his release in 1652, he immediately published ''Gondibert'', but he was only pardoned in 1654. In order to avoid the strict laws of censorship in force in all public places at the time, he turned a room of his home,

Rutland House Rutland House was the name of at least two London houses occupied by the Earls and Dukes of Rutland. That on Aldersgate Street was leased by playwright Sir William Davenant, who converted a room of it into a private theatre in the 1650s. That in ...

, into a private theatre where his works, and those of other writers considered seditious, could be performed. A performance of his ''

The Siege of Rhodes ''The Siege of Rhodes'' is an opera written to a text by the impresario William Davenant. The score is by five composers, the vocal music by Henry Lawes, Matthew Locke, and Captain Henry Cooke, and the instrumental music by Charles Coleman and G ...

'' at Rutland House in 1656 is considered to be the first performance of an English opera, and also included England's first known professional actress, Mrs Coleman.

Restoration

Davenant once again found himself in legal trouble in 1659, when he was imprisoned for his part in

Sir George Booth George Booth, 1st Baron Delamer (18 December 16228 August 1684), was an English landowner and politician from Cheshire, who served as an MP from 1646 to 1661, when he was elevated to the House of Lords as Baron Delamer. A member of the mode ...

's uprising in

Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county t ...

after the death of Cromwell. He was, however, released the same year, and left once more for France. When Charles II was restored to the throne, Davenant returned to England. The Restoration also led to the re-opening of theatres, which had been closed due to the influence of the puritans under Cromwell. In 1660, he is publicly recorded as being one of the two theatrical patentees, along with

, who obtained a monopoly of public theatre performances. He headed the Duke of York's Men and produced highly successful theatrical seasons at

Lincoln's Inn Fields Lincoln's Inn Fields is the largest public square in London. It was laid out in the 1630s under the initiative of the speculative builder and contractor William Newton, "the first in a long series of entrepreneurs who took a hand in develo ...

from 1660 until his death in 1668. Among his more successful productions were some Shakespeare plays, including: ''Hamlet'', ''Henry VIII'', and ''Macbeth'', as well as non-Shakespeare plays such as Sir Samuel Tuke's ''The Tragedy of Five Hours'' and John Dryden's comedy ''Sir Martin Marall''. He had returned to England sometime before the initial production of his adaptation of

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's '' The Tempest'', written with

John Dryden '' John Dryden (; – ) was an English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who in 1668 was appointed England's first Poet Laureate. He is seen as dominating the literary life of Restoration England to such a point that the per ...

, who would be named the next (and first officially by

letters patent Letters patent ( la, litterae patentes) ( always in the plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, president or other head of state, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, titl ...

) Poet Laureate. He died in London on 7 April 1668, shortly after his final play, ''The Man's the Master'', was first performed. He is buried in

Poets' Corner Poets' Corner is the name traditionally given to a section of the South Transept of Westminster Abbey in the City of Westminster, London because of the high number of poets, playwrights, and writers buried and commemorated there. The first poe ...

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

where the inscription on his tablet reads "O rare Sir William Davenant." It has been noted that the original inscription on Ben Jonson's tablet, which was already removed by the time Davenant died, was "O Rare Ben," which was the name Shakespeare supposedly had for Jonson. "O Rare" is a play on the Latin "orare", to pray. Nine of his works, though they were previously licensed or produced in London during his life as were all of his plays, were finally published in print posthumously. Several of these were included in '' The Works of Sr William D'avenant Kt.'', by

Henry Herringman Henry Herringman (1628–1704) was a prominent London bookseller and publisher in the second half of the 17th century. He is especially noted for his publications in English Renaissance drama and English Restoration drama; he was the first publis ...

in 1673, which was copied from Davenant's own originals.

Works

Epic poems and books of poetry

*1630: ''Ieffereidos'' *1638: ''Madagascar, with other Poems'' *1648: ''London, King Charles his Augusta, or, City Royal, of the founders, the names, and oldest honours of that City'' *1650: ''A Discourse upon Gondibert, an heroick poem'' (or simply ''Gondibert''), originally published unfinished, then published again in 1651 in its final form and included Davenant's "Preface to his most honour’d friend Mr. Hobs" and "The Answer of Mr. Hobbes to Sir William D’Avenant’s Preface before Gondibert" by

Thomas Hobbes Thomas Hobbes ( ; 5/15 April 1588 – 4/14 December 1679) was an English philosopher, considered to be one of the founders of modern political philosophy. Hobbes is best known for his 1651 book ''Leviathan'', in which he expounds an influent ...

, to whom the book was dedicated; the official second edition in 1653 also contained "Certain Verses, written by severall of the author’s friends" *1656: ''Wit and Drollery: Jovial Poems'' *1657: ''Poems on Several Occasions''

Panegyric A panegyric ( or ) is a formal public speech or written verse, delivered in high praise of a person or thing. The original panegyrics were speeches delivered at public events in ancient Athens. Etymology The word originated as a compound of grc, ...
s

*1660: "A Panegyric to his Excellency the Lord General Monck", to

George Monck George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle JP KG PC (6 December 1608 – 3 January 1670) was an English soldier, who fought on both sides during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. A prominent military figure under the Commonwealth, his support was cruc ...

*1660: "Poem, Upon His Sacred Majesties Most Happy Return to His Dominions", on the

of Charles II *1663: "Poem, to the King’s most sacred Majesty", to Charles II

Original plays,
masque The masque was a form of festive courtly entertainment that flourished in 16th- and early 17th-century Europe, though it was developed earlier in Italy, in forms including the intermedio (a public version of the masque was the pageant). A masque ...
s and operas

''Listed in chronological order.'' *'' Albovine, King of the Lombards,'' tragedy (ca. 1626–9; printed 1629) *''

The Cruel Brother "The Cruel Brother" ( Child 11, Roud 26) is a folk song. Synopsis A knight (or lord) courts a lady. She tells him he must win the consent of her kin. He neglects that of her brother John. John mortally stabs her on her wedding day. She live ...

,'' tragedy (licensed 12 January 1627; printed 1630) *'' The Just Italian,'' comedy (licensed 2 October 1629; printed 1630) *''

The Wits ''The Wits'' is a Caroline era stage play, a comedy by Sir William Davenant. It was licensed for performance by Sir Henry Herbert, the Master of the Revels, on 19 January 1634; it was staged by the King's Men at the Blackfriars Theatre. It wa ...

,'' comedy (licensed 19 January 1634; printed 1636) *'' Love and Honour'',

tragicomedy Tragicomedy is a literary genre that blends aspects of both tragedy, tragic and comedy, comic forms. Most often seen in drama, dramatic literature, the term can describe either a tragic play which contains enough comic elements to lighten the ov ...

, also previously performed as ''The Courage of Love''; and ''The Nonpareilles'', or ''The Matchless Maids'' (licensed 20 November 1634: printed 1649) *''

The Temple of Love ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

,'' masque (licensed 10 February 1635; printed 1635) *'' News from Plymouth,'' comedy (licensed 1 August 1635; printed 1673) *''

The Platonick Lovers ''The Platonick Lovers'' is a Caroline era stage play which blends the genres of tragicomedy, satire, and comedy of manners. It was written by Sir William Davenant and first printed in 1636. The play can be regarded as one of the more subtle and ...

,'' comedy (licensed 16 November 1635; printed 1636) *'' The Triumphs of the Prince D'Amour,'' masque (performed 23 or 24 February 1636; printed 1636) *''

Britannia Triumphans Britannia () is the national personification of Britain as a helmeted female warrior holding a trident and shield. An image first used in classical antiquity, the Latin ''Britannia'' was the name variously applied to the British Isles, Great ...

,'' masque, with

Inigo Jones Inigo Jones (; 15 July 1573 – 21 June 1652) was the first significant architect in England and Wales in the early modern period, and the first to employ Vitruvian rules of proportion and symmetry in his buildings. As the most notable archit ...

(licensed 8 January 1638; printed 1638) *''

Luminalia ''Luminalia or The Festival of Light'' was a late Caroline era masque or " operatic show", with an English libretto by Sir William Davenant, designs by Inigo Jones, and music by composer Nicholas Lanier. Performed by Queen Henrietta Maria and her ...

'' or ''The Festival of Light,'' masque, with Inigo Jones (licensed 6 February 1638; printed 1638) *'' The Unfortunate Lovers,'' tragedy (licensed 16 April 1638; printed 1643) *'' The Fair Favourite,'' tragicomedy (licensed 17 November 1638; printed 1673) *''

The Spanish Lovers ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

,'' or ''The Distresses,'' comedy (licensed 30 March 1639; printed 1673) *''

Salmacida Spolia {{italic title ''Salmacida Spolia'' was the last masque performed at the English Court before the outbreak of the English Civil War. Written by Sir William Davenant, with costumes, sets, and stage effects designed by Inigo Jones and with music by ...

,'' masque (performed 21 January 1640; printed 1640) *''

, Part I,'' tragicomedy (performed September 1656; printed 1656) *''

The Cruelty of the Spaniards in Peru ''The Cruelty of the Spaniards in Peru'' was an innovative 1658 theatrical presentation, a hybrid entertainment or masque or "operatic show", written and produced by Sir William Davenant. The music was composed by Matthew Locke. The work was sig ...

,'' opera (performed and printed 1658) *''

The History of Sir Francis Drake ''The History of Sir Francis Drake'' was a hybrid theatrical entertainment, a masque or "operatic tableau" with an English libretto written by Sir William Davenant and music by Matthew Locke. The masque was most likely first performed in 1659 and ...

,'' history (performed 1658–9; printed1659) *''

, Part II,'' tragicomedy (ca. 1657–9; printed 1663) *''

The Playhouse to Be Let ''The Playhouse to be Let'' is a Restoration stage play, a dramatic anthology of short pieces by Sir William Davenant that was acted in August 1663 at the theatre at Lincoln's Inn Fields, and first published in the 1673 collected edition of Daven ...

,'' comedy (performed ca. August 1663; printed 1673); includes ''Sir Frances Drake'' and ''The Cruelty of the Spaniards in Peru'' *'' The Man's the Master,'' comedy (performed 26 March 1668; printed 1669)

Revisions, adaptations and other productions for the stage

*'' The First Day's Entertainment at Rutland House,'' a "disputation" (performed 23 May 1656; printed 1657) *'' The Law Against Lovers'' (performed 10 February 1662, printed 1673), a version of ''

Measure for Measure ''Measure for Measure'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1603 or 1604 and first performed in 1604, according to available records. It was published in the ''First Folio'' of 1623. The play's plot features its ...

'' mixed with ''

Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' ( W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. 1387 The play ...

'' *''Macbeth'' (performed 5 November 1664; printed 1674), an operatic adaptation of

's ''

Macbeth ''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...

'' *''Greene's Tu Quoque'' (performed 12 September 1667; lost), based upon the 1614 edition of John Cooke's ''

Greene's Tu Quoque ''Greene's Tu Quoque,'' also known as ''The City Gallant,'' is a Jacobean era stage play, a comedy written by John Cooke. The play was a major popular success upon its premier and became something of a legend in the theatre lore of the seventee ...

Or, the Cittie Gallant'', which had been made famous by the actor Thomas Greene's 1611 performance *'' The Tempest, or The Enchanted Island'' (performed 7 November 1667, printed 1670), an adaptation with

's '' The Tempest'' *''

The Rivals ''The Rivals'' is a comedy of manners by Richard Brinsley Sheridan in five acts which was first performed at Covent Garden Theatre on 17 January 1775. The story has been updated frequently, including a 1935 musical and a 1958 List of Maverick ...

'' (c. 1664; printed 1668), a revision of ''

The Two Noble Kinsmen ''The Two Noble Kinsmen'' is a Jacobean tragicomedy, first published in 1634 and attributed jointly to John Fletcher and William Shakespeare. Its plot derives from "The Knight's Tale" in Geoffrey Chaucer's ''The Canterbury Tales'', which had ...

'' *''Hamlet'' *''Julius Caesar'' with John Dryden

Notes

References

External links

Biographical

*
Biography at TheatreDatabase.comDetailed biography at AllPoetry.com

Poems and texts

* *

* ttp://www.bartleby.com/101/index2c.html Three poems from ''The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900'' at Bartleby.combr>The complete text of Davenant and Dryden's adaptation of ''The Tempest''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Davenant, William 1606 births 1668 deaths 17th-century English dramatists and playwrights 17th-century English poets 17th-century English male writers Alumni of Lincoln College, Oxford British Poets Laureate Burials at Westminster Abbey English Catholic poets English male dramatists and playwrights English male poets English prisoners sentenced to death English Roman Catholics People convicted of treason against England People from Oxford Prisoners in the Tower of London Prisoners sentenced to death by England and Wales