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Charles Williams: Collected Plays
Collected Plays Charles Williams Introduction by John Heath-Stubbs
This volume contains the complete dramatic works of Charles Williams. Williams' plays can be enjoyed at more than one level. Though what they have in common is the author's gift for poetic expression, they also demonstrate his range. Complex theology, knockabout farce, and historical tragedy are all represented here. The plays are simple enough for amateur performances but subtle enough to give scope for many interpretations.
Thomas Cranmer of Canterbury (1936)
Judgement at Chelmsford (1939)
Seed of Adam (1937)
The Death of Good Fortune (1939)
The House by the Stable (1939)
Grab and Grace (1941)
House of the Octopus (1945)
Terror of Light (1940)
The Three Temptations (1942)
Charles Williams-novelist, poet, critic, dramatist and biographer-died in his native England in May, 1945. He had a lively and devoted following there and achieved a considerable reputation as a lecturer on the faculty of Oxford University. T. S. Eliot, Dorothy Sayers and C. S. Lewis were among his distinguished friends and literary sponsors. He was also a member of the Inklings, a group of Christian writers that included J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings.
This volume contains the complete dramatic works of Charles Williams. Williams' plays can be enjoyed at more than one level. Though what they have in common is the author's gift for poetic expression, they also demonstrate his range. Complex theology, knockabout farce, and historical tragedy are all represented here. The plays are simple enough for amateur performances but subtle enough to give scope for many interpretations.
Thomas Cranmer of Canterbury (1936)
Judgement at Chelmsford (1939)
Seed of Adam (1937)
The Death of Good Fortune (1939)
The House by the Stable (1939)
Grab and Grace (1941)
House of the Octopus (1945)
Terror of Light (1940)
The Three Temptations (1942)
Charles Williams-novelist, poet, critic, dramatist and biographer-died in his native England in May, 1945. He had a lively and devoted following there and achieved a considerable reputation as a lecturer on the faculty of Oxford University. T. S. Eliot, Dorothy Sayers and C. S. Lewis were among his distinguished friends and literary sponsors. He was also a member of the Inklings, a group of Christian writers that included J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings.
- GenresPlays
416 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1963
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About the author
Charles Williams
84 books393 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Please see: Charles Williams
Charles Walter Stansby Williams is probably best known, to those who have heard of him, as a leading member (albeit for a short time) of the Oxford literary group, the "Inklings", whose chief figures were C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. He was, however, a figure of enormous interest in his own right: a prolific author of plays, fantasy novels (strikingly different in kind from those of his friends), poetry, theology, biography and criticism. — the Charles Williams Society website
Please see: Charles Williams
Charles Walter Stansby Williams is probably best known, to those who have heard of him, as a leading member (albeit for a short time) of the Oxford literary group, the "Inklings", whose chief figures were C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. He was, however, a figure of enormous interest in his own right: a prolific author of plays, fantasy novels (strikingly different in kind from those of his friends), poetry, theology, biography and criticism. — the Charles Williams Society website
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 16, 2019
I assigned The Death of Good Fortune, The House by the Stable, and Grab and Grace in my Christmas course at Regent University (Fall 2019).
Ralph Wood assigned some of these plays in his Oxford Christians course at Baylor, which I unofficially audited, but I missed some of the classes because of sick kids.
"The Death of Good Fortune" (read on Nov. 11, 2019)
"The House by the Stable" (read on Nov. 13, 2019)
"Grab and Grace" (read on Nov. 14–15, 2019)
Ralph Wood assigned some of these plays in his Oxford Christians course at Baylor, which I unofficially audited, but I missed some of the classes because of sick kids.
"The Death of Good Fortune" (read on Nov. 11, 2019)
"The House by the Stable" (read on Nov. 13, 2019)
"Grab and Grace" (read on Nov. 14–15, 2019)
December 22, 2018
Thomas Cranmer of Canterbury *** – Unlike his more famous predecessor, Thomas Becket, Cranmer’s story is rather complicated. This is not a story of King vs. God. I read the play knowing little of Cranmer, but it appears he was more of a political beast, subservient in all ways to the crown, yet an honest counselor. Though a key figure in the split with the Roman Catholic Church, he seemed to lack the fire and certainty of a reformer. (No pun intended.)
Which brings us to Williams’ play. Not knowing much about this era, I was certainly handicapped. And Williams doesn’t provide a lot of help. So you quickly become immersed in rather stormy theological and political discussions where you are forced to thrash about to keep your head above water.
As I started reading, I struggled to understand the playwright’s attitude toward Cranmer. The ambiguity and weakness of Cranmer seem to be the point, and how those traits lead to his salvation (which is uncertain in my reading) at the end. Bottom line, though, I felt that Cranmer never really comes to life in the play.
The presentation is clever. (Though the stage directions stink. You never know who or what is on stage until it is suddenly mentioned. It starts out: “The Singers enter and take their places.” Okay, where are their “places”? Who else is on stage? Beats me.) For the most part (I believe), all the characters are on stage with just a couple exits and entrances. They speak monologues and dialogues, comment on each other’s statements, and recount Cranmer’s life from the time of Anne Boleyn’s marriage to Henry VIII to Cranmer’s death. The Skeleton (Death) appears throughout as a narrator/master of ceremonies.
The verse and language are lively, though I think Williams sometimes devolves into a word salad. He uses an unusual and unpredictable mix of internal and external rhymes, and a generally long line.
Overall, I can’t recommend the play to the average reader/theatre goer, but if you are interested in (and have knowledge of) English religious history or Henry VIII, you’ll probably find it entertaining.
Which brings us to Williams’ play. Not knowing much about this era, I was certainly handicapped. And Williams doesn’t provide a lot of help. So you quickly become immersed in rather stormy theological and political discussions where you are forced to thrash about to keep your head above water.
As I started reading, I struggled to understand the playwright’s attitude toward Cranmer. The ambiguity and weakness of Cranmer seem to be the point, and how those traits lead to his salvation (which is uncertain in my reading) at the end. Bottom line, though, I felt that Cranmer never really comes to life in the play.
The presentation is clever. (Though the stage directions stink. You never know who or what is on stage until it is suddenly mentioned. It starts out: “The Singers enter and take their places.” Okay, where are their “places”? Who else is on stage? Beats me.) For the most part (I believe), all the characters are on stage with just a couple exits and entrances. They speak monologues and dialogues, comment on each other’s statements, and recount Cranmer’s life from the time of Anne Boleyn’s marriage to Henry VIII to Cranmer’s death. The Skeleton (Death) appears throughout as a narrator/master of ceremonies.
The verse and language are lively, though I think Williams sometimes devolves into a word salad. He uses an unusual and unpredictable mix of internal and external rhymes, and a generally long line.
Overall, I can’t recommend the play to the average reader/theatre goer, but if you are interested in (and have knowledge of) English religious history or Henry VIII, you’ll probably find it entertaining.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews