(baptised in London, 18 April 1580 – buried at Newington Butts, 4 July 1627). An English playwright active during the reign of James I.
Middleton was the son of a master mason from London. He studied at Oxford but did not graduate. Even before leaving Oxford, he had published a number of poems. In any case, he was already working on plays by 1602, as evidenced by the entries in the ‘Diary’ of theatre manager Philip Henslowe.
Thomas Middleton. engraving – britannica.com
I shine in tears like the sun in April.
Photo: Julien di Majo. Meaning ✨:This metaphor, “I shine in tears like the sun in April,” is rich in imagery: Contrast: It combines two opposite emotions or states: sadness (tears) and joy/hope (rays, the sun). April weather: April is known for its changeable weather – one minute it’s raining, the next minute the sun is shining. This reflects the fickleness of human emotions. Resilience: The statement suggests that even in times of sadness, an inner strength or hope can still shine. It can also indicate a bittersweet beauty in sadness, or someone trying to be brave in the face of pain. Context in the play: Without knowing the specific context in ‘The Revenger’s Tragedy’, the statement could also be intended to be more cynical, fitting the genre of the ‘revenge tragedy’. It could be about feigned sadness or the bitter irony of a situation. 🎭 Origin and Author:A Matter of Attribution: The history of the attribution of this quote is an interesting example of literary-historical research. 🏛️ The Play: ‘The Revenger’s Tragedy’. The statement unmistakably comes from the play “The Revenger’s Tragedy”, which was first published in 1607.✒️ The Author: The Shift from Tourneur to Middleton. The question of ‘who’wrote the play is complex:1.Anonymous Publication: The play was originally published ‘anonymously’ in 1607.2.Attribution to Cyril Tourneur (historical): The attribution to the playwright Cyril Tourneur dates from much later, namely 1656, in a catalog of plays by the bookseller Edward Archer. For a long time this attribution was accepted as fact. 3.Attribution to Thomas Middleton (modern): Over the course of the 20th century, literary scholars began to doubt the attribution to Tourneur on the basis of stylistic analyzes (such as word use, sentence structure and theme). Today, the consensus among most scholars is that the play was most likely written by Thomas Middleton. 💡 Conclusion about the Author: Although older sources and quotation websites often attribute the quote to Cyril Tourneur, it is historically and scientifically more accurate to consider Thomas Middleton as the likely author of ‘The Revenger’s Tragedy’ (and therefore of this statement).
Door Pieter
Mensenmens, zoon, echtgenoot, vader, opa.
Spiritueel, echter niet religieus.
Ik hou van golf, wandelen, lezen en de natuur in veel opzichten.
Onderzoeker, nieuwsgierig, geen fan van de mainstream media (MSM).
