Princes, soldiers and rogues: The politic malcontent of English Renaissance drama

Discussions of the Elizabethan malcontent have created ever expanding categories, which ultimately widen to include a large segment of the male characters in the drama of the period. This study will focus on only one particular type of malcontent which emerged in this historical period--the active political malcontent. In examining both this dramatic character and the historical circumstances that helped to produce him, I hope not only to clarify central issues in the drama, but also to illumine the reciprocal relationship between drama and society.;The study will examine three specific subcategories of political malcontent: the prince, the soldier, and the villain. These types are determined by their reactions to adverse social conditions. The prince has invariably been displaced from his political position and is determined to win it back through craft and cunning. The soldier is denied sustenance and respect by an ungrateful government, and often he rises in rebellion either to overthrow the existing political structure in order to replace it with a more sympathetic government or to force a reformation of the old system which was found wanting. The villain is bitter toward the society which has denied him advancement and prosperity, and his actions constitute an effort to win a place in the political structure through treachery.;The study will also discuss the social conditions of the English renaissance, leading to the appearance of each type of political malcontent, and, moreover, founded on the notion that art also influences society, the dissertation will examine the role that the dramas played in influencing public opinion on contemporary political issues.