| This thesis will argue that children are absent from Renaissance Dramas almost completely because they do not fit within the generic conventions of any of the three major types of dramas. To argue this, I will provide a thorough background that explains the oddity of children’s absence from Renaissance drama. Then, I will explore each major genre through a play that goes against convention and displays children on stage in order to examine how they interact with a genre’s main themes. I will look specifically at A Chaste Maid in Cheapside (c. 1613) by Thomas Middleton for Comedy, The Duchess of Malfi (c.1612) by John Webster for Tragedy, and King John (c.1596) by William Shakespeare for History. I will argue that each of these unique plays’ meta-generic themes allow for, and in fact encourage, the use of children to enhance the generic themes of materiality, sexuality and patriarchy.
Key Words: children, genre, Early Modern Drama, Renaissance, sexuality, patriarchy, comedy, tragedy, history |