Ben Jonson 2004
Distributed by Films Media Group, PO Box 2053, Princeton, New Jersey 08543-2053; 800-257-5126
Produced by Tranquilo Productions
Directed by Chris Scherer
DVD, color, 22 min.
Jr. High - Adult
Biography, Drama, History, Literature, Poetry, Storytelling, Theater
Date Entered: 04/14/2005
Reviewed by Brad Eden, Ph.D., Head, Web and Digitization Services, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las VegasThis DVD is a biographical examination of the life of Ben Jonson (1572-1637), Renaissance poet and playwright, and contemporary of Shakespeare. Jonson was a rather brash character, and often was in trouble with the Elizabethan and Jacobian royal courts during his lifetime, both for his political statements and for his plays. Jonson was probably the most educated of the Renaissance playwrights, and his dramas were influential in the development of English drama. Considered by many to be the first poet laureate of England, Jonson published a book of his poetry in his later life. Excerpts from his plays, masques, and poetry are occasionally read in the DVD. He is considered to be the inventor of humorous comedy in the English theater, and with Shakespeare helped to move the theater from an entertainment of the wealthy to a showpiece for the masses.