Summer's Last Will and Testament

by Thomas Nashe

This early work by Thomas Nashe was originally published in 1600 and we are now republishing it with a brand new introductory biography. 'Summer's Last Will and Testament' is an Elizabethan era stage play that broke new ground in the development of English Renaissance drama. Thomas Nashe was born in November 1567. He was an English Elizabethan Pamphleteer, playwright, poet and satirist, but little is known with certainty about his life. Much of the information we have has been inferred from his writings. Nashe's first appearance in print was his preface to Robert Greene's Menaphon (1589), in which he offers a brief definition of art and an overview of contemporary literature. His early exercise in euphuism The Anatomy of Absurdity was published in the same year. From then on Nashe became involved in numerous political and religious causes, including the Martin Marprelate controversy where he sided with the bishops. Nashe offers an important insight into the workings of 16th century English life and his writings will continue to be studied for both their literary content and historical relevance.

94 pages, Paperback

First published May 7, 2008

About the author

Thomas Nashe (November 1567 – c. 1601) was an English Elizabethan pamphleteer, playwright, poet and satirist.

Reviews

[James F · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a unique and original play, which looks back to the moralities and interludes in its use of the debate format, and forward to the later masques. It was performed, probably in October of 1592, at the country residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury. There is really very little plot; Summer, dying, summons various allegorical figures, who debate various subjects, and then leaves everything to his heir, Autumn. It ends in the usual panegyric to Queen Elizabeth. The entertainment is derived from the paradoxical nature of the arguments. There are passages which are obscure and are probably "inside jokes" about the actors and spectators which cannot now be recovered. Another play I had not previously read; it was in the Fraser and Rabkin anthology.