Thomas Otway, The History and Fall of Caius Marius

Lisanna Calvi (Università degli Studi di Verona)

Ed. by Jennifer Brady, Rhodes College
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.04: English Writing and Culture of the Seventeenth Century, 1625-1688.
Vol. editors: Jennifer Brady (Rhodes College), Daniel Cook (University of Dundee), Neil Forsyth (Université de Lausanne), Claire Preston (Queen Mary, University of London), J A Roe (University of York), Virginia Mason Vaughan (Clark University)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1679

Places

England (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Play

Resources

First Performance and Publication

The History and Fall of Caius Marius by Thomas Otway was first performed at the Duke’s Theatre, Dorset Garden in 1679, probably in the late summer or early fall. In February, 1678, Otway was appointed ensign in the Duke of Monmouth’s new regiment, and it is possible that he started writing the play while serving in Flanders. He returned to London in early 1679 and possibly completed his work then. The cast included the renowned Thomas Betterton in the title role of Caius Marius, and Elizabeth Barry as Lavinia, the daughter of Marius’ rival, Metellus. James Nokes, the leading comedian of the company, played Lavinia’s nurse, earning him the nickname of “Nurse Nokes”. The play’…

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2830 words

Citation: Calvi, Lisanna. "The History and Fall of Caius Marius". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 27 December 2012 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=611, accessed 21 November 2024.]

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