Abstract: 'Freevill the Pimp and Beatrice's Ring: Circulation and Commodification in and out of The Dutch Courtesan' (Andrews)

Dublin Core

Title

Abstract: 'Freevill the Pimp and Beatrice's Ring: Circulation and Commodification in and out of The Dutch Courtesan' (Andrews)

Subject

The Dutch Courtesan, "Marston, John", Dutch Courtesan 2019, Toronto Dutch Courtesan, conference abstract, early modern drama, non-Shakespearean drama, Merchant of Venice, Much Ado About Nothing, xenophobia, female sexuality

Description

Abstract for Meghan C Andrews' paper, Freevill the Pimp and Beatrice's Ring: Circulation and Commodification in and out of The Dutch Courtesan'. Includes biography for Andrews.

Creator

"Andrews, Meghan C"

Date

2019-03-23, 17th century

Contributor

Dutch Courtesan 2019 project team

Relation

The Dutch Courtesan, Much Ado About Nothing, The Merchant of Venice

Format

.pdf (100KB)

Language

en-CA

Type

Text Object

Identifier

DC2019-0003

Coverage

Toronto (CA), London (UK), 2019-03-23, 1605, 17th century

Date Available

2019-06-30

Date Created

2019-03

References

The Dutch Courtesan, Much Ado About Nothing, The Merchant of Venice

Medium

Digital PDF

Bibliographic Citation

Andrews, Meghan C. 'Freevill the Pimp and Beatrice's Ring: Circulation and Commodification in and out of The Dutch Courtesan'. Abstract. 'Strangers and Aliens in London and Toronto: Sex, Religion, and Xenophobia in John Marston's The Dutch Courtesan'. DC2019-0003. Dutch Courtesan 2019. Toronto, March 2019. https://dutchcourtesan2019.library.utoronto.ca/items/show/13

Spatial Coverage

Toronto (CA), London (UK)

Temporal Coverage

2019-03-23, 1605, 17th century

Accrual Method

Materials solicited by the Dutch Courtesan project team.

Accrual Periodicity

Infrequently updated after 2019.

Audience

researchers, researchers of early modern drama, university instructors, undergraduate students, graduate students

Audience Education Level

Post-Secondary, Graduate, Post-Graduate

Instructional Method

large-group instruction, small-group instruction, independent research

Text Item Type Metadata

Text

‘Freevill the Pimp and Beatrice’s Ring: Circulation and Commodification in and out of The Dutch Courtesan’ (Panel 3: Sexual Worlds of Marston’s Theatre – 11:15AM-1:00PM, 23 March 2019)

Meghan C Andrews (Lycoming College)
Abstract: This paper re-situates The Dutch Courtesan in the theatrical landscape of 1604-5. I argue that examining its debts to Shakespeare’s suburban comedies, particularly The Merchant of Venice and Much Ado About Nothing, helps us better understand not just the play but also Marston’s navigation of the post-Poets’ War theatrical landscape and his move to the Queen’s Revels. Merchant’s influence is difficult to trace on the phrasal level, but I suggest that the symbolism of the circulation of rings, Freevill’s orchestration of Malheureux’s near-execution, and the partial
scapegoating of Franceschina were inspired by Shakespeare, who also views critically xenophobia and the commodification of individuals. Further, Freevill’s control over bodies and sexualities and mercenary attitude towards marriage characterize him as a combination of Portia and Bassanio’s
worst qualities, making explicit and uniting in one (male) figure the uneasy relationships Merchant often leaves implicit. Similarly, Marston’s repurposing of “Kill Claudio” for Franceschina and Malheureux (instead of Beatrice and Benedick’s descendants Crispinella and Tysefew) highlights male anxiety over female sexuality as empowering, and relative to Much Ado makes clear that London’s societal problem is not (male anxiety over) female chastity, but predatory male sexuality. Ultimately, I suggest that Shakespeare influenced Marston’s city comedy more than critics have recognized. But by extending Shakespeare’s critique of male attitudes, Marston created for himself a more moderate, mature position as a critic of sexual vice than he had previously inhabited, and helped his drama better fit the Queen’s Revels and that company’s relationship to the King’s Men’s repertory.

Meghan C. Andrews is Assistant Professor of English at Lycoming College. Her current book project, Shakespeare’s Networks, argues that Shakespeare’s social networks and institutional affiliations provide important but neglected local contexts key to understanding his works; her next project will focus on how the theatrical marketplace, print marketplace, and other early
modern institutions triangulated to shape early modern drama. Her work can be found in Shakespeare Quarterly; Renaissance Drama; Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900; and Marlowe Studies.

Original Format

PDF

Files

DC2019-0003-Abstract-Andrews-2019-03-23.pdf

Citation

"Andrews, Meghan C", “Abstract: 'Freevill the Pimp and Beatrice's Ring: Circulation and Commodification in and out of The Dutch Courtesan' (Andrews),” Dutch Courtesan 2019, accessed April 3, 2025, https://dutchcourtesan2019.library.utoronto.ca/items/show/13.

Document Viewer

Embed

Copy the code below into your web page