The literary landscape of Elizabethan drama is undergoing a significant reassessment with the forthcoming publication of the second volume of The Collected Works of Thomas Kyd. Scholars are now attributing a substantially larger body of work to the 16th-century playwright, more than doubling the number of plays previously accepted as his own. This revised assessment challenges long-held assumptions about authorship, particularly regarding plays once attributed to William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe.
For centuries, Kyd was primarily known for The Spanish Tragedy, a groundbreaking revenge tragedy that captivated audiences in its time. Now, a team of nine scholars argues that Kyd was a “tragically neglected major playwright,” whose influence extends far beyond this single work. The new edition promises to reshape our understanding of a pivotal period in English literary history, broadening our appreciation for the breadth of dramatic output during the Elizabethan era.
Traditionally, Kyd’s accepted plays included The Spanish Tragedy, the love tragedy Soliman and Perseda, and the classical tragedy Cornelia. However, the new edition expands his canon to include works such as Arden of Faversham, a domestic tragedy, which is now solely attributed to Kyd, dismissing previous assumptions of Shakespeare’s involvement. This represents the first time the play has been presented in a critical edition as Kyd’s work, despite a long history of association with him.
Dr. Darren Freebury-Jones, associate editor of the publication and a former academic at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, explained the scope of the revision. “Kyd’s canon has now been expanded from three plays to eight,” he said. “In the cases of Arden of Faversham, Fair Em, The Miller’s Daughter of Manchester and parts of Henry VI Part 1 and Edward III, this is the first time they have been presented in a critical, collected play edition as Kyd’s, despite a long history of these plays being associated with him.”
The evidence presented in the new volume includes computational analysis of linguistic minutiae, as well as similarities in plotting and characterisation. The research also suggests a revised authorship for Henry VI Part 1, attributing it to Kyd, Thomas Nashe, and Shakespeare, but removing Marlowe from the equation – a significant departure from previous scholarly consensus. Similarly, Edward III is now presented as a work solely by Kyd.
Freebury-Jones, whose work includes a study of early modern authors who inspired Shakespeare, highlighted Kyd’s distinct stylistic choices. “Kyd is quite different from Shakespeare in several respects, particularly in terms of rhyme. He has this curious habit of breaking up his rhyme schemes. So, you’re reading his text, you’re thinking, ‘no, this is not rhyming’. And then a couple of lines later, you have a rhyming word.”
He continued, emphasizing the unique characteristics of Kyd’s writing. “It’s quite different to Shakespeare. Arden of Faversham sits firmly within Kyd’s vocabulary that is quite distinct from Shakespeare’s.” He pointed to specific textual elements, such as stage directions beginning with “Then they,” which he identified as unique to Kyd in commercial drama of the period. He also noted recurring internal repetitions, like the phrase “heart’s grief” and “fine device,” which appear in Kyd’s plays but not in the works of Shakespeare or other contemporary playwrights.
“One can broaden our appreciation, as well as understanding of Shakespeare, by comparing his plays to those that were being performed at the same time,” Freebury-Jones added.
Professor Sir Brian Vickers of the University of London, the general editor of the Kyd edition, contrasted Kyd’s relative obscurity with the enduring fame of Marlowe and Shakespeare. “Apart from Shakespeare, Marlowe has enjoyed the most publicity of all the Elizabethan dramatists, although the number of plays that he actually wrote is very small. This is partly the accident of being notorious, because he died in a terrible fight in a tavern in Deptford with a dagger thrust in his eye, which gives you a certain kudos.”
Vickers positioned Kyd as a more diligent and less sensational figure. “Whereas Kyd – who once shared a room with Marlowe – was a serious writer, who just went about his business as one of the hard-working, conscientious writers who never became notorious. He deserves to have his plays staged today.”
The publication of The Collected Works of Thomas Kyd, with its expanded canon and revised attributions, promises to ignite debate and re-evaluate the established narratives surrounding Elizabethan drama. It’s a reminder that literary history is rarely settled, and that even the most familiar works can yield new insights when viewed through a fresh lens. The second volume is expected to be released soon, offering scholars and theatre enthusiasts alike a new opportunity to engage with the work of a playwright long overshadowed by his more celebrated contemporaries. marks a pivotal moment in Kyd scholarship, potentially ushering in a new era of appreciation for his contributions to English theatre.
