Robert Greene (dramatist)
A baptism record from the 11th of July 1558 at St George's church in Norwich offers the only concrete anchor for a man whose life remains slippery. The name Robert Greene was so common that biographers struggle to distinguish this writer from dozens of other men with identical names and surnames. L. H. Newcomb suggests the most likely candidate is the son of another Robert Greene, yet parish records reveal two different fathers who died without mentioning a son named Robert. One father worked as a saddler while the other kept an inn, creating a puzzle about which family background shaped the author's worldview. Biographers argue over whether his humble birth explains his later sympathy for low-life characters or if his social ambitions stemmed from a more prosperous lineage. No will from either potential father ever lists a son named Robert, leaving scholars to rely on Greene's own claims of being disinherited by his family.
Robert Greene matriculated at St John's College, Cambridge, on the 26th of November 1575 as a sizar, a status reserved for students with financial need. His academic performance during undergraduate studies proved mediocre when he took his Bachelor of Arts degree on the 22nd of January 1580. He finished 38th out of 41 students in his college and ranked 115th among all graduates from the university that year. Records show no evidence of him participating in dramatic productions at Cambridge in 1579 or 1580 despite many classmates acting in plays like Hymenaeus. He apparently transferred to Clare College for his Master of Arts degree in 1583, placing 5th out of 12 students in his new college. The transfer remains mysterious because no official record exists of his move, nor does his name appear in the Clare Hall Buttery Book for those years. Later claims about graduating from Clare College on the 7th of July 1583 lack documentary support and contradict known practices regarding degree awards at the time.
The publication of Mamillia entered into the Stationers' Register on the 3rd of October 1580 marked the beginning of Greene's prolific literary career. He wrote over twenty-five works in prose between 1583 and 1592, becoming one of England's first professional authors supported entirely by his pen. His early romances reached a stylistic peak with Pandosto published in 1588 and Menaphon appearing in 1589. A song from Menaphon titled Weep not my wanton enjoyed immense success and stands as perhaps his best-known work today. In later years he shifted focus to coney-catching pamphlets that told colorful stories of rakes duping young gentlemen out of their money. These narratives claimed autobiographical truth while presenting thinly veiled facts about his own riotous living and dealings with players. Gabriel Harvey printed letters in Four Letters from 1592 describing Greene's relationship with a mistress named Em who was the sister of a criminal hanged at Tyburn.
Greene's Groats-Worth of Witte bought with a million of Repentance appeared posthumously and contains an attack on William Shakespeare that has fascinated scholars for centuries. The text alludes to a line from Henry VI Part 3 reading O tiger's heart wrapped in a woman's hide which appears in both the True Tragedy quarto and Shakespeare's Folio version. Greene uses the unique term Shake-scene to refer to the actor, a phrase never used before or after this specific screed. Some scholars hypothesize that Henry Chettle wrote part of the pamphlet shortly after Greene's death to capitalize on a lurid tale of repentance. Hanspeter Born argues instead that Greene wrote the entire work and that his deathbed attack stemmed from Shakespeare's interference with a play attributed to him called A Knack to Know a Knave. No record exists confirming whether Greene actually wrote the letter to his wife asking for forgiveness while composing the pamphlet during the month prior to his death.
Continue Browsing
Common questions
When was Robert Greene born and where?
Robert Greene was baptized on the 11th of July 1558 at St George's church in Norwich. This baptism record serves as the only concrete anchor for his life.
What university did Robert Greene attend and when did he graduate?
Robert Greene matriculated at St John's College, Cambridge on the 26th of November 1575. He received his Master of Arts degree from Clare College on the 7th of July 1583 according to later claims though no official record confirms this transfer or graduation date.
How many works did Robert Greene write during his career?
Robert Greene wrote over twenty-five works in prose between 1583 and 1592. These publications established him as one of England's first professional authors supported entirely by his pen.
Who is the person Robert Greene attacked in Groats-Worth of Witte?
Robert Greene directed an attack against William Shakespeare in the pamphlet Groats-Worth of Witte bought with a million of Repentance. The text uses the unique term Shake-scene to refer to the actor and alludes to lines from Henry VI Part 3.
Which plays are attributed to Robert Greene today?
Modern scholarship attributes Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay, Locrine, Selimus, and The Troublesome Reign of King John to Robert Greene. Other proposed works include John of Bordeaux and potential collaborations on Titus Andronicus and Henry VI plays.