Endymion: John Lyly

by Stephen Bevington (Editor)

Full and comprehensive commentary. Solid and scholarly introduction. A welcome edition to this renouned series .

Genres: Plays, Classics, Drama, Renaissance, Poetry

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

Reviews

[Florence Ridley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why does every character fall in love with every other character with no motivation?? Why do their opinions change arbitrarily? Why are they SO MEAN to Dipsas? Anyway this play is bonkers but I love a Victorian scholar who's just doing his best so this edition gets points for the introduction simply because I know this poor chap lost years of his life to it.

[Anna Mowery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lyly really loves his mythology and magic. And I really love his plays (or at least I love this one the one other that I’ve read).

[Finn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t end up enjoying this one as much as I thought I was going to by the end of the first act. I found it a bit disappointing and kind of messy - all the loose ends get tied up in a rather unsatisfying way, and I just feel really bad for most of the female characters in this one.

[Lizardley]

It was fine. I liked the references to Greco-Roman witchcraft.

[Rebekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have so much love for this play

[sam hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

i'm writing a research paper on this. stay tuned.

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Endymion, the allegorical prose play by Lyly, is written in a variety of prose known as euphuistic. ‘Endymion’ is of worth as Lyly stages in it one of the most elegiac of primeval myths. The allegory is, however, more convoluted than those of earlier plays and trickier to expound. Lyly instates the romantic comedy in which love (heartfelt and transcendent) is the premise.

It is synthetic, amusing, elegant and cultured. For example, the tête-à-tête between Endymion and Eumenides in the commencement of the play is a fine diagram of Euphuism. In the play (which in point of fact is a eulogy of Elizabeth who is recognized with Cynthia whom Endymion adores reverentially), Endymion discards Tellus (the earth) on account of a fruitless ardour for Cynthia (the moon).

Tellus connives with the witch Dipsas in opposition to Endymion who is sent to slumber for forty long years. His friend Eumenides disembarks in Thessaly, the land of fascination seeking the magic which will arouse his friend. He reaches the bank of the visionary spring, of which the bed is discernible only to true lovers.

Eumenides, who is the true and inopportune lover of Semele, a lady of Cynthia's Court, vacillates long. Shall he ask for the love of Semele or for the deliverance of Endymion? In conclusion, camaraderie and obligation triumph over love, and he learns that a kiss from Cynthia will give back the life of Endymion. Cynthia ruptures the spell and discharges Endymion with a kiss. After a sleep of forty years Endymion, by virtue of the kiss, convalesces and salvages his youth. He also regains the right to prolong his deferential courtship. Tellus is chastised for her perfidy and reviled to incarceration in a forlorn castle under the charge of Corsites.

The dramatic element in the play is insignificant. The allegory perchance recounts to the contention between Elizabeth (Cynthia) and Mary Queen of Scots (Tellus) and the support of Elizabeth for Leicester (Endymion). This is supplemented by subsidiary allegories in the squabble of the witch Dipsas and her husband Gergon (The Earl of Shrewsbury) and the relation of Eumenides (perhaps Sir Sidney) with Semele (perhaps Lady Rich).

The central ‘love premise’ is contrasted with the physical passion of Tellus and Corsites. This variety is the typical of romantic comedy. The bluster and laboriousness of Sir Tophas produce hilarity. The romantic theme of friendship is also stressed. To conclude, Endymion is ‘high comedy’ because laughter here is solemn and cerebral.

[Elisa]

First presented to the court of Queen Elizabeth I in 1588, this play contains many underlying references to religion, politics, and most importantly to the grand phenomenon known as the “cult of Elizabeth”. What has remained unclear is how Lyly himself viewed “the cult”. One of the most probable speculations is that Lyly’s position is that of the mediator between Elizabeth and the rest of Europe. He employs a plot that encourages society to embrace a higher truth (Elizabeth) and put aside their worldly concerns, but at the same time employs careful tactics which will not alienate his viewers into thinking that that Elizabeth is intolerant to those who do not share her views.
During the period in which “Endymion” was performed, religious tensions were mounting rapidly between those who prescribed to the Church of England and those who embraced Catholicism. Emotions were particularly raw due to the recent execution of Mary Queen of Scots, a move which had been approved by Elizabeth. Lyly recognized the fact that England was dangerously close to being divided in two by its belief systems and that to remain politically strong, all English must have something bigger to unite them, and that this person must be their queen. Thus, in his play about a Faerie Queen named Cynthia, Lyly takes great pains to create parallels between her character and Elizabeth, resulting in a being which inspires wonder and awe while at the same time radiating warmth and understanding. Lyly is also careful to portray Cynthia’s character in a way that will be sure to attract the support of a male audience, an essential component which will measure Elizabeth’s ultimate political success.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately I do not think early comedy is for me unless it’s Shakespeare 😔

[Olivia Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

May change my rating once I figure out what f was going on

[sabisteb aka callisto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kein so wirklich bekanntes Stück, dennoch kommt dem Animefan der Inhalt bekannt vor.
Endymion aka Tuxedo Mask liebt Cynthia (den Mond aka Sailor Moon). Tellus, eine Hofdame Cynthias liebt aber Endymion und da er sie nicht haben will, lässt sie diesen von einer Zauberin in tiefen Schlaf verzaubern, währnd dessen er nicht bewegt und nicht geweckt werden kann und gleichzeitig sehr schnell altert (um 40 Jahre in wenigen Tagen/Stunden). Sein bester Freund macht sich auf die Suche nach einem Heilmittel und das ist, wie man es aus Dornröschen kennt, nur hier ist halt Edymion das schlafende Dornröschen.
Zur Erheiterung dann noch ein Handlungssstrang über einen aufgeblasenen Fressack, der auf alte Vetteln steht.
Vom Humor her voller intelligentem Wortwitz, der einiges an Latein und Mythologiekenntnissen voraussetzt und an Loves Labours Lost erinnert. Man labert klug, weil man sich gerne reden hört.
Kann man immer noch gut lesen, wäre aber kein Stück, dass ich mir im Theater ansehen müsste.

[James F · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lyly's most complicated play, this tells the story from Greek mythology of Endymion, although Lyly changes it considerably. Endymion falls in love with the Moon (Cynthia, also described as a queen and undoubtedly in part a symbol for Queen Elizabeth); his former lover, Tellus, becomes jealous and hires the witch, Dipsas, to enchant him, which causes him to fall into a coma. His loyal servant, Eumenides, eventually finds a way to wake him; Tellus, confined to a prison, suborns her jailor, Corsites, to attempt to hide Endymion's body. There are many other characters who play minor roles. In the end, there is a happy ending for everyone, including the witch who is reunited with her husband. The fairy-tale chronology is somewhat confusing but this is one of the most entertaining of Lyly's plays. A re-read for me, it was in the Brooke and Paradise anthology.

[James F · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lyly's most complicated play, this tells the story from Greek mythology of Endymion, although Lyly changes it considerably. Endymion falls in love with the Moon (Cynthia, also described as a queen and undoubtedly in part a symbol for Queen Elizabeth); his former lover, Tellus, becomes jealous and hires the witch, Dipsas, to enchant him, which causes him to fall into a coma. His loyal servant, Eumenides, eventually finds a way to wake him; Tellus, confined to a prison, suborns her jailor, Corsites, to attempt to hide Endymion's body. There are many other characters who play minor roles. In the end, there is a happy ending for everyone, including the witch who is reunited with her husband. The fairy-tale chronology is somewhat confusing but this is one of the most entertaining of Lyly's plays. A re-read for me, it was in the Brooke and Paradise anthology.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This was a thoroughly enjoyable read, from the fairly straightforward mythic/fairy tale plot to the hilarious interludes featuring a pompous, love-lorn soldier as a contrast to Endymion. Lyly peppers this subplot with innuendo and wordplay with double and triple meanings. This isn’t a “classic” on par with Kyd, Marlowe, Shakespeare, Jonson, etc., but it sure is a hidden gem that makes for a pleasant morning read.

[Gill]

Written by Lyly for a child cast, the original 1580s Blackfriars troupe. Surprisingly entertaining, with some remarkably funny scenes and what seems to be a parody of Tamburlaine. Very good to read in congenial company.

[Darby · Rating 2 out of 5]

{2.5}

[Jiang Yuqi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Could be 4. But it’s too misogynistic even for a 16th century play. Unbearable.

[jules · Rating 3 out of 5]

what an absolutely baffling little play. i feel like it would be unbelievably boring to see staged but it's very fun to analyze.

[Hannah Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this weird little play. The world of Elizabethan drama is wild. Fall in love with moon? Fall asleep?? Fall more in love? Sign me up.

[amomentsilence · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review can be found on my blog:
Reckless Indulgence | of the Written Word

I read this play for the Play On Reading Challenge.

[Shaun · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable piece, although a bit difficult to navigate at times. the beauty lies in the language and laments, and the intelligence lies in the allegory of it all. A piece quite simply fit for the Queen.

[Jemma Forster · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed this much more the second time round (and he's gained a star lol). Not incredible by any means, but a real nice interweaving of classical sources here. Some subtle references to Ovid's Callisto episode too which is fun.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This text has always been one of my favorites. It gets better with each pass.