Cardenio is one of Shakespeare’s “Lost plays”. Academics are uncertain of it’s provenance, but some believe it is indeed a play written by Shakespeare.
The 18th century playwright, Lewis Theobald, claimed that his play, Double Falsehood was based on a play by Shakespeare – lost now – called The History of Cardenio. Professor Gary Taylor of Florida State university spent twenty years working on the Double Falsehood text. Using computer programs and ancient documents to ‘distill’ the text he extracted Shakespeare’s words from those added by Theobold. He discovered, too, that The History of Cardenio was co-written by John Fletcher, one of Shakespeare’s regular collaborators. The Indiana University and Purdue University-Indianapolis (IUPUI) theatre department staged the first professional, full-scale production, in April 2012, of The History of Cardenio, as resurrected by Taylor.
Setting: Spain – a royal palace, various houses, a tomb in a cathedral. See the full settings of Cardenio on a map.
Date written: est. 1611/1612
Genre classification: Cardenio is a lost play, but can also be categorised as a revenge tragedy.
Main Characters in Cardenio: Govianus (the Cardenio of Cervantes’ novel Don Quixote), a deposed king who is in love with The Lady; The Lady, a woman who loves Govianus; The Tyrant, Govianus’ usurper; Helvetius, father of The Lady; Anselmus, brother of Govianus; The Wife, Anselmo’s wife; Votarius, lover of The Wife See a full list of characters in Cardenio.
Themes in Cardenio: As with many of Shakespeare’s plays, the themes are a combination of eternal love, revenge and death.
Gregory Doran as Cardenio
L.S. To explain how Francis Bacon (= DQ) , the real director of the Don Quixote, designs the whole text of this DQ, i’ll give you “the curious impertinent” as example, because that is the way he works with the other stories as well. Bacon indicates the broad line for Ben Jonson (= the writer of the Sancho Panza stories), for the poems of John Donne, as well for the stories to be written by “the two friends”, John Fletcher and Frank Beaumont.
This story ( 3- The Curious impertinent) ín the history (2- Cardenio) ín this novel of chivalry ( 1- the history of DQ) contains only 50 pages. Don Quixote I + Don Quixote II have 1137 pages. The Avellaneda 350 pages, so all together 1500 pg’s.
Where did Bacon get the framework from?
Herodotus: Historiën, 1,8-15 Candaules and Gyges, the ideal friendship that is tested, only a little tale of just 2 pages.
King Candaules was so proud of his own wife that he thought he had the most beautiful wife on earth. He arranged for his friend and bodyguard Gyges to view his wife as she undressed. “There are manners of courtesy which we should honour”, his friend answered. But at the end he submitted. Next morning the furious queen, understanding that her husband had arranged this, offered Gyges the choice of being executed or murdering her spouse. Gyges chose the latter, and went on to marry her and got the kingship.
This is the frame that Bacon gave to the gentlemen, John Fletcher and Francis Beaumont, but besides he wrote down keywords they had to use. Also these pointers he had copied somewhere else. These words are often in italics in the text meaning that he emphasizes it.
The two boys have to figure it out together, but Bacon gives the accents; he is keeping control very tightly. The tip is concerning … Love, chastity, fidelity, shame.
want to know more? just ask me.
jettie
The photograph shows Oliver Rix as Cardenio in a production directed by Gregory Doran