Robert Greene

An Upstart Crow
Commentary from class

 Pamphlet
 The whole name: A Groat`s Worth of Wit bought with a Million of Repentance (Памет за
еден грош купена со многу покајување)
 In the pamphlet Greene addresses 3 people of which we are only certain about Marlow and
the 2 other probably are Lodge and Nash- they are his fellow playwrights and they belong to
the University Wits; Shakespeare is not a University Wit but he still gets to be mentioned
and well known by the people from this group
 Greene is broke, deserted and dying when he wrote this pamphlet
 The year when the pamphlet was written is 1592 and it is important for the following
reasons:
o First public reference to Shakespeare in writing
o We get to know that by 1592 he was already in London and was good enough to
provoke the jealousy of Greene
o We can see that in this way material is gathered through the centuries and we say
that An Upstart Crow is a MATERIAL EVIDENCE or DOCUMENTARY RECORD for the
existence of Shakespeare
 Crow- a bird that steals from others and Greene accuses Shakespeare of stealing
 Страчка- се ќити со туѓи перја
 Upstart- a new comer, somebody who has risen in the society and it is not certain if this
person deserves the success
 Greene accuses Shakespeare of STEALING THE SHOW (all the fame goes to the actors/
players and Shakespeare was a player)
 Players and playhouses
Through the pamphlet we get a great insight in the theatrical life of the Elizabethan playhouses.
In the pamphlet Robert Greene talks about his life experience as woeful and advises his friends to
look learn from his experience, if not they will be like base-minded men.
 He calls the actors burs (крлежи) because they metaphorically suck their blood
 Puppets- there is nothing original in actors/ on the other hand the playwrights are the
puppet masters (very rough description of the actors)
 SHAKESPEARE WAS ALSO A PLAYER NOT ONLY A PLAYWRIGHT
 Antics = absurd movements like clowns (compares the actors to clowns)
 Garnished in our color (they write for the actors)
 Original text from Henry IV is included ``a tiger`s heart wrapped in a woman`s hide`` and a
bit changed Robert Greene includes this quote in his pamphlet (internal evidence)
 With this line he wants to say that Shakespeare is covered in a coat of a player, he warns
them- watch out he maybe just pretending to be an actor
Blank verse
 Unrhymed iambic pentameter
 Invented by Henry Howard Earl of Surrey when he translated the Aeneid
 It was perfected by Marlow
 When Shakespeare began his career he looked up to Marlow and learned blank
 verse from him but Marlow used only end-stop lines and Shakespeare wrote his 1 st
plays in end-stop lines but as he matures he becomes master in blank verse and the
presence of end-stop lines declines and he introduces run-on-lines (more like a
conversation)
 Shake-scene word pun of Shakespeare
 The importance of the pamphlet is that it is like a TIME MACHINE it gives a very VIVID
PICTURE
 From the pamphlet we get to know that by 1592 Shakespeare was already known by his
mastership in blank verse, he was known in the theatrical life
 He advises his friends ``change your job, we get nothing in return, they get everything``
The second part of the pamphlet gives a list of sins Greene has committed
1. Don`t blasphemer (најголем богокудец бил Марло)
2. Don’t drink
3. Fly lechery
4. Holy ghost temple = human body
 Sooth you in terms of mastership- flattering (master this, master that)
 Tapers= candles
 Human life as a stage= metaphor of the Elizabethan age
 The taper wont lit long if we live a life of negligence
 I`ve been given a candle but it is at the end
 He again focuses back: Trust not them (players) they are deceitful (inconstant)
 Attire= theatrical costumes; they are deceitful in the same way as they change their clothes
for the stage; (tiring house=dressing room)
 He blames them for everything
 He is jealous, bitter and disappointed and blames others for that

WE CAN SEE THE JEALOUSY OF GREENE BUT AT THE SAME TIME THE GREATNESS OF SHAKESEARE
ALTHOUGH HE IS CRITICISED IN THIS PAMPHLET.