Sejanus His Fall
In the winter of 1603, Ben Jonson's play Sejanus His Fall premiered at court. The King's Men performed it again in 1604 at the Globe Theatre. This second performance ended in disaster. Contemporary witnesses reported that the audience greeted the cast with heckles and hisses. Jonson himself noted that the production was "hissed off the stage". The failure was so complete that no record exists of another public staging until 1928. Park Honan observed that Shakespeare, who acted in this production, later avoided such a clotted style in his own Roman works. The play focused on Lucius Aelius Sejanus, the favorite of Emperor Tiberius. It explored themes of power and betrayal within ancient Rome.
During the winter of 1618, 19, Ben Jonson spoke to his friend William Drummond about political dangers he faced. He claimed the Earl of Northampton was his mortal enemy after Jonson beat one of the Earl's servants. Northampton had arranged for Jonson to appear before the Privy Council. The accusation involved charges of popery and treason based on the content of Sejanus His Fall. No action was taken against Jonson, yet the threat remained real. James Loxley notes that records show no official punishment followed these claims. Historians debate what specific lines or scenes triggered the alarm. One theory suggests the fall of Sejanus mirrored the execution of the Earl of Essex in 1601. Samuel Daniel faced similar scrutiny in 1604 over his play Philotas. Philip Ayres argues the play paralleled the 1603 trial of Walter Raleigh instead. Raleigh was found guilty of conspiring with Spanish Catholics to murder King James I. This connection might explain why a Roman story raised fears of popery during early years of James I's reign.
Jonson published a revised version of the play in 1605. In an epistle titled To the Readers, he admitted another writer contributed significantly to the original stage version. He stated that a second pen had good share in the public performance. Jonson replaced those contributions with his own words for the printed text. He called the unknown collaborator a happy genius but chose weaker verses himself rather than defraud him. Some scholars speculate William Shakespeare wrote the missing portions since he acted in the play. Andrew Gurr suggests this possibility given Shakespeare's involvement. George Chapman remains another candidate because he later praised the work in verse. Anne Barton notes Jonson collaborated closely with Chapman around this time on Eastward Ho. The original stage script has not survived, leaving only theories about its authorship. John-Mark Philo believes Shakespeare's experience acting in Sejanus influenced his writing of Othello. Both plays shared plot devices and phrasing unique to their era.
Edward Blount entered the play in the Stationers Register on the 2nd of November 1604. Thomas Thorpe received copyright transfer from Blount on the 6th of August 1605. George Eld printed the quarto edition that same year. This first publication included copious marginal notes citing historical sources. Jonson informed readers these sources were all in learned tongues except one English side. The folio edition appeared in 1616 featuring an epistle to Lord Aubigny. In it, Jonson reiterated that the Globe Theatre performance had been a flop. Commendatory verses by George Chapman, Hugh Holland, Th.R., John Marston, and others prefaced the text. Chris Laoutaris identified Cygnus as William Shakespeare in 2023. Everard B. remains unidentified despite earlier assumptions linking him to Edmund Bolton. These annotations transformed the play into a scholarly document rather than just entertainment.
No public performance of Sejanus His Fall occurred between 1604 and 1928. William Poel staged the play in 1928 after this long silence. Modern editor Philip Ayres noted Poel cut the script by roughly a quarter. He aimed to move away from the literary 1605 version toward the hidden stage play. The Royal Shakespeare Company produced the work again in 2005. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Red Bull Theatre presented a livestream on the 17th of May 2021. Nathan Winkelstein directed and adapted this production for YouTube. Tamara Tunie played Sabinus while Laila Robins portrayed Tiberius Caesar. Denis O'Hare took the role of Sejanus and Keith David appeared as Silius. Manoel Felciano, Matthew Rauch, Stephen Spinella, and Emily Swallow completed the cast. This modern revival brought attention back to Jonson's tragic vision after centuries of neglect.
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Common questions
When did Ben Jonson's play Sejanus His Fall premiere at court?
Ben Jonson's play Sejanus His Fall premiered at court in the winter of 1603. The King's Men performed it again in 1604 at the Globe Theatre.
What happened during the second performance of Sejanus His Fall at the Globe Theatre?
The second performance of Sejanus His Fall ended in disaster when the audience greeted the cast with heckles and hisses. Jonson himself noted that the production was hissed off the stage, leading to no record of another public staging until 1928.
Why did Ben Jonson face political dangers related to Sejanus His Fall in 1618?
Ben Jonson faced political dangers because accusations of popery and treason were based on the content of Sejanus His Fall following a dispute with the Earl of Northampton. One theory suggests the fall of Sejanus mirrored the execution of the Earl of Essex in 1601 or paralleled the 1603 trial of Walter Raleigh.
Who contributed to the original stage version of Sejanus His Fall before publication?
A second writer contributed significantly to the original stage version of Sejanus His Fall, though their identity remains unknown. Some scholars speculate William Shakespeare wrote the missing portions since he acted in the play, while George Chapman remains another candidate.
When was the first quarto edition of Sejanus His Fall printed by George Eld?
George Eld printed the quarto edition of Sejanus His Fall in 1605 after Thomas Thorpe received copyright transfer from Edward Blount on the 6th of August 1605. This first publication included copious marginal notes citing historical sources.
Which modern productions revived interest in Ben Jonson's play Sejanus His Fall?
William Poel staged the play in 1928 after a long silence between 1604 and 1928. The Royal Shakespeare Company produced the work again in 2005, and Red Bull Theatre presented a livestream on the 17th of May 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.