''Merope'' is a 1731
tragedy
A tragedy is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful events that befall a tragic hero, main character or cast of characters. Traditionally, the intention of tragedy is to invoke an accompanying catharsi ...
by the British writer George Jeffreys. It takes place in
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece () was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity (), that comprised a loose collection of culturally and linguistically r ...
, based around the myth of
Merope.
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778), known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' Voltaire (, ; ), was a French Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment writer, philosopher (''philosophe''), satirist, and historian. Famous for his wit ...
wrote his own play ''
Mérope'' on the subject in 1743.
The original cast included
Anne Berriman as Merope,
James Quin as Glycon,
Thomas Chapman as Nicanor,
Thomas Walker as Adrastus,
Lacy Ryan as Egistus,
William Milward as Polydorus,
Charles Hulett
Charles Hulett (c.1700-1735) was a British stage actor. His name is sometimes written as Charles Hulet.
Hulett was the son of John Hulett, a Yeomen of the Guard and Steward (office), Steward to the George Compton, 4th Earl of Northampton, Earl of ...
as Argaleon and
John Ogden as Arbantes. The
prologue
A prologue or prolog (from Ancient Greek πρόλογος ''prólogos'', from πρό ''pró'', "before" and λόγος ''lógos'', "speech") is an opening to a story that establishes the context and gives background details, often some earlier st ...
was written by
Aaron Hill.
References
Bibliography
* Burling, William J. ''A Checklist of New Plays and Entertainments on the London Stage, 1700-1737''. Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press, 1992.
* Nicoll, Allardyce. ''History of English Drama, 1660-1900, Volume 2''. Cambridge University Press, 2009.
1731 plays
British plays
West End plays
Tragedy plays
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