Henry Chettle (c. 1564 – c. 1606) was an English

dramatist A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...

and miscellaneous writer of the

Elizabethan era The Elizabethan era is the epoch in the Tudor period of the history of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603). Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history. The symbol of Britannia (a female personifi ...

, best known for his

pamphleteering Pamphleteer is a historical term for someone who creates or distributes pamphlets, unbound (and therefore inexpensive) booklets intended for wide circulation. Context Pamphlets were used to broadcast the writer's opinions: to articulate a polit ...

Early life

The son of Robert Chettle, a London dyer, he was apprenticed in 1577 and became a member of the

Stationer's Company The Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers (until 1937 the Worshipful Company of Stationers), usually known as the Stationers' Company, is one of the livery company, livery companies of the City of London. The Stationers' Compan ...

in 1584, traveling to

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

on their behalf in 1588. His career as a printer and author is shadowy. He may have set up some of the tracts printed in response to

Martin Marprelate Martin Marprelate (sometimes printed as Martin Mar-prelate and Marre–Martin) was the name used by the anonymous author or authors of the seven Marprelate tracts that circulated illegally in England in the years 1588 and 1589. Their principal f ...

. In 1591, he entered into partnership with William Hoskins and John Danter, two stationers. They published a good many ballads, and some plays, including a surreptitious and botched first

quarto Quarto (abbreviated Qto, 4to or 4º) is the format of a book or pamphlet produced from full sheets printed with eight pages of text, four to a side, then folded twice to produce four leaves. The leaves are then trimmed along the folds to produc ...

of ''

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...

'', to which it is suggested Chettle added lines and stage directions.

''The Groat's-Worth of Wit''

In 1592 ''

Greene's Groats-Worth of Wit ''Greenes, Groats-worth of Witte, bought with a million of Repentance'' (1592) is a tract published as the work of the Elizabethan author Robert Greene. It was published as a short book or pamphlet, a form that was popular and which contrib ...

'', supposedly the work of the recently deceased, and very popular, Robert Greene, was published, having been entered in the register of the Stationer's Company "at the peril of Henry Chettle". This contained a passage criticising various playwrights, which offended at least two contemporary writers, one probably the alleged "atheist"

Christopher Marlowe Christopher Marlowe, also known as Kit Marlowe (; baptised 26 February 156430 May 1593), was an English playwright, poet and translator of the Elizabethan era. Marlowe is among the most famous of the Elizabethan playwrights. Based upon the ...

and the other possibly

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 ...

. Chettle was accused of writing the work under Greene's name. He denied the charge in the preface to his ''Kind Heart's Dream'', published later that year:

About three months since died M. Robert Greene, leaving many papers in sundry booksellers' hands, among other his Groatsworth of Wit, in which a letter written to divers play-makers is offensively by one or two of them taken, and because on the dead they cannot be avenged, they willfully forge in their conceits a living author ..With neither of them that take offence was I acquainted, and with one of them I care not if I never be. The other, whom at that time I did not so much spare as since I wish I had, for that, as I have moderated the heat of living writers and might have used my own discretion (especially in such a case, the author being dead), that I did not I am as sorry as if the original fault had been my fault, because myself have seen his demeanor no less civil than he excellent in the quality he professes. Besides, divers of worship have reported his uprightness of dealing, which argues his honesty, and his facetious grace in writing that approves his art.

The theory that ''Greene's Groatsworth'' is a forgery by Chettle has been both supported and challenged by scholars. In 1935 Harold Jenkins attributed the work to Greene, not Chettle. However, a pioneering 1969 computer-aided stylometric analysis by Warren B. Austin firmly attributed it to Chettle. Austin's views were challenged in 2006 by Richard Westley.Richard Westley, "Computing Error: Reassessing Austin's Study of Groats-worth of Wit," Literary and Linguistic Computing 21 (2006): 363-78.

Links to Henslowe

He seems to have been generally in debt, judging from numerous entries in

Philip Henslowe Philip Henslowe (c. 1550 – 6 January 1616) was an Elizabethan theatrical entrepreneur and impresario. Henslowe's modern reputation rests on the survival of his diary, a primary source for information about the theatrical world of Renaissance ...

's diary of advances for various purposes, on one occasion (17 January 1599) to pay his expenses in the

Marshalsea The Marshalsea (1373–1842) was a notorious prison in Southwark, just south of the River Thames. Although it housed a variety of prisoners, including men accused of crimes at sea and political figures charged with sedition, it became known, in ...

prison, on another (7 March 1603) to get his play out of pawn. He made a greater number of small borrowings from Henslowe than any other person. These and Henslowe’s casual records of them suggest some friendship between them, though in 1602 Chettle seems to have been writing for both Worcester's Company and the Admiral's, despite signing a bond to write exclusively for the latter.

Works

As early as 1598

Francis Meres Francis Meres (1565/1566 – 29 January 1647) was an English churchman and author. His 1598 commonplace book includes the first critical account of poems and plays by Shakespeare. Career Francis Meres was born in 1565 at Kirton Meres in the par ...

includes Chettle in his ''Palladis Tamia'' as one of the "best for comedy", and Henslowe lists payments to him for thirty-six plays between 1598 and 1603, and he may have been involved in as many as fifty plays, although only a dozen seem to be his alone. Chettle had regular association with Henry Porter, Thomas Dekker, and after 1600 with John Day. Of the thirteen plays usually attributed to Chettle's sole authorship only one was printed. This was ''

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

: or a Revenge for a Father'' (played 1602; printed 1631). It has been suggested that this piece was put forward as a rival to Shakespeare's ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

''. Chettle's non-dramatic writings include (besides ''Kind Heart's Dream'') ''Piers Plainnes Seaven Yeres Prentiship'' (1595), the story of a fictitious apprenticeship in

Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...

and

Thrace Thrace (; el, Θράκη, Thráki; bg, Тракия, Trakiya; tr, Trakya) or Thrake is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe, now split among Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey, which is bounded by the Balkan Mountains to t ...

, and ''England's Mourning Garment'' (1603), in which are included some verses alluding to the chief poets of the time.

Death

He died before 1607, when Dekker in his ''Knight's Conjurer'' described him joining the poets in

Elysium Elysium (, ), otherwise known as the Elysian Fields ( grc, Ἠλύσιον πεδίον, ''Ēlýsion pedíon'') or Elysian Plains, is a conception of the afterlife that developed over time and was maintained by some Greek religious and philos ...

: "in comes Chettle sweating and blowing by reason of his fatness".

Bibliography

*Jenkins, H., ''The life and work of Henry Chettle'' (1934) *Carson, N., ''A companion to Henslowe's diary'' (1988) *Foakes, R. A., and Rickert, R. T., (eds). ''Henslowe's Diary'' (1961)

List of plays

#''The Valiant Welchman'', by

Michael Drayton Michael Drayton (1563 – 23 December 1631) was an English poet who came to prominence in the Elizabethan era. He died on 23 December 1631 in London. Early life Drayton was born at Hartshill, near Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England. Almost nothin ...

and Henry Chettle, February 1597-8. Printed in 1615. #''Earl Goodwin and his Three Sons, Part I'', by

, Henry Chettle, Thomas Dekker, and Robert Wilson, March 1598. Not printed. #''Earl Goodwin, Part II'', by the same authors, and under the same date in Henslowe's papers. Not printed. #''Piers of Exton'', by the same authors, same date. Not printed. #''Black Batman of the North, Part I'', by Henry Chettle, April 1598. Not printed. #''Black Batman of the North, Part II'', by Henry Chettle and Robert Wilson. Same date. Not printed. It is mentioned in

Henslowe Philip Henslowe (c. 1550 – 6 January 1616) was an Elizabethan era, Elizabethan theatrical entrepreneur and impresario. Henslowe's modern reputation rests on the survival of his diary, a primary source for information about the theatrical worl ...

's diary in April 1598. No extant copies of the play are known. #''The Play of a Woman'', by Henry Chettle, July 1598. Not printed. #''The Conquest of Brute with the first finding of the Bath'', by John Day, Henry Chettle, and John Singer. Same date. Not printed. #'' Hot Anger Soon Cold'', by Henry Porter, Henry Chettle, and

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 ...

, August 1598. Not printed. #''Catiline's Conspiracy'', by Robert Wilson and Henry Chettle. Same Date. Not printed. #Tis no Deceit to Deceive the Deceiver'', by Henry Chettle, September 1598. Not printed. #''Aeneas' Revenge, with the Tragedy of Polyphemus'', by Henry Chettle, February 1598-9. Not printed. #''

Agamemnon In Greek mythology, Agamemnon (; grc-gre, Ἀγαμέμνων ''Agamémnōn'') was a king of Mycenae who commanded the Greeks during the Trojan War. He was the son, or grandson, of King Atreus and Queen Aerope, the brother of Menelaus, the husb ...

'', by Henry Chettle and Thomas Dekker, June 1599. Not printed. Malone thought that this was the same play as "Troilus and Cressida" before mentioned. #''

The Stepmother's Tragedy ''The Stepmother's Tragedy'' is a play written by Henry Chettle Henry Chettle (c. 1564 – c. 1606) was an English dramatist and miscellaneous writer of the Elizabethan era, best known for his pamphleteering. Early life The son of Robert ...

'', by Henry Chettle, August 1599. Not printed. #''Patient Grissel'', by Thomas Dekker, Henry Chettle, and William Haughton, December 1599. Printed in 1603. #''The Arcadian Virgin'', by Henry Chettle and William Haughton. Same date. Not printed. Mentioned in

's diary in December 1599. #''Damon and Pithias'', by Henry Chettle, January 1599 – 1600. Not printed. #''The Seven Wise Masters'', by Henry Chettle, Thomas Dekker, William Haughton, and John Day, March 1599 – 1600. Not printed. #''The Golden Ass and Cupid and Psyche'', by Thomas Dekker, John Day, and Henry Chettle, April 1600. Not printed. #''The Wooing of Death'', by Henry Chettle. Same date. Not printed. #''The Blind Beggar of Bethnal Green'', by Henry Chettle and John Day. Same date. Printed in 1659. #''All is not Gold that Glisters'', by Samuel Rowley and Henry Chettle, March 1600. Not printed. #''Sebastian, King of Portugal'', by Henry Chettle and Thomas Dekker, April 1601. Not printed. #''Cardinal Wolsey, Part I'', by Henry Chettle, August 1601. Not printed. #''Cardinal Wolsey, Part II'', by Henry Chettle, May 1602. Not printed. #''The Orphan's Tragedy'', by Henry Chettle, September 1601. Not printed. #''Too Good to be True'', by Henry Chettle, Richard Hathwaye, and Wentworth Smith, November 1601. Not printed. #''Love Parts Friendship'', by Henry Chettle and Wentworth Smith, May 1602. Not printed. #''Tobyas'', by Henry Chettle. Same date. Not printed. #''Jeptha'', by Henry Chettle. Same date. Not printed. #''A Danish Tragedy'', by Henry Chettle. Same date. Not printed. #''Femelanco'', by Henry Chettle and ---- Robinson, September 1602. Not printed. #''Lady Jane, Part I'', by Henry Chettle, Thomas Dekker,

Thomas Heywood Thomas Heywood (early 1570s – 16 August 1641) was an English playwright, actor, and author. His main contributions were to late Elizabethan and early Jacobean theatre. He is best known for his masterpiece ''A Woman Killed with Kindness'', a ...

, Wentworth Smith, and John Webster, November 1602. Not printed. #''Lady Jane, Part II'', by the same authors, Smith excepted. Same date. Not printed. #''The London Florentine, Part I'', by

and Henry Chettle, December 1602. Not printed. #''The London Florentine, Part II'', by the same authors. Same date. Not printed. #''The Tragedy of Hoffman'', by Henry Chettle. Same date. Printed in 1631. #''

Jane Shore Elizabeth "Jane" Shore (née Lambert) (c. 1445 – c. 1527) was one of the many mistresses of King Edward IV of England. She became the best-known to history through being later accused of conspiracy by the future King Richard III, and compelle ...

,'' by Henry Chettle and John Day, March 1602-3. Not printed.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Chettle, Henry 1560s births 1600s deaths English Renaissance dramatists 16th-century English writers 16th-century male writers 17th-century English male writers 16th-century English dramatists and playwrights 17th-century English dramatists and playwrights English male dramatists and playwrights