Edmund Tilney
Edmund Tilney was a significant figure in the landscape of Elizabethan drama, serving as the master of the revels during the late reign of Queen Elizabeth I and into the early years of King James I. Born in London around 1536, Tilney came from a family connected to the royal court, which likely influenced his educational opportunities and career trajectory. As master of the revels from 1579, he wielded considerable power over theatrical productions, controlling which plays could be performed at court and censoring those he deemed inappropriate. His influence extended to renowned playwrights like Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare, shaping the final forms of their works, as evidenced by his extensive notes on the unperformed play "Sir Thomas More."
Tilney's role also involved shifting court entertainment from masques to plays, reflecting changing tastes in performance. In addition to his theatrical contributions, he authored "A Briefe and Pleasant Discourse of Duties in Mariage," a novel that explored marital responsibilities and presented women in a more empowered light, a progressive stance for his time. His ability to navigate the demands of court entertainment while managing public objections highlights his political acumen. Overall, Tilney's legacy is marked by his dual influence in both the arts and societal norms during a transformative period in English history.
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Edmund Tilney
Licensor
- Born: c. 1536
- Birthplace: London, England
- Died: 1610
- Place of death: Surrey, England
Biography
Edmund Tilney’s importance to literary history lies in the influence he had on the course of Elizabethan drama. During the latter part of Queen Elizabeth I’s reign and the early years of King James I’s reign, Tilney held the position of master of the revels. As such, he was responsible for choosing which plays could be produced at the royal court and for the general public. As well, he could choose to censor any play which he deemed unworthy. Because of his influence, it is widely believed that his decisions determined the final shape of plays written by Christopher Marlowe, William Shakespeare, and other Elizabethan playwrights. The extent of his power can be measured by his extensive notes on a play, Sir Thomas More, written by Shakespeare and other playwrights. The play was never performed, presumably because of Tilney’s massive rewrites.
Tilney was born in London sometime around 1536. His father, Philip Tilney, was the usher to the privy chamber of King Henry VIII, and his mother was a chamber woman to Queen Catherine Howard. Tilney’s father died around 1541, leaving him in the sole care of his mother just as she was implicated in a scandal surrounding the queen. His mother was sentenced to life imprisonment and the loss of her worldly goods for her role in the scandal. After the queen’s execution, Tilney’s mother was released and she and her son went to live with a dowager duchess who was related to the family. It is likely that young Tilney received a private education and that he traveled with the financial backing of his powerful relatives.
Tilney was appointed as master of the revels in 1579. He began to shift the kind of entertainment presented at court from the masque, which was dominant during Queen Elizabeth’s reign, to the play. He was responsible for the formation of the Queen’s Men, a professional group of actors who performed at court. Tilney successfully managed to juggle the demands of the court for sophisticated entertainment with the strenuous objections of the London City Corporation to the kinds of dramas being produced. He continued to exert political influence throughout the remainder of his life, long after he left his position as master of revels.
Tilney’s major work was A Briefe and Pleasant Discourse of Duties in Mariage, Called the Flower of Friendshippe. The novel is about the responsibilities that spouses have to one another and to the institution of marriage. Tilney made great use of the works of other authors, such as Giovanni Boccaccio and Baldassare Castiglione, from whom he borrowed the custom of courtly conversation. The style of the novel draws heavily on the literary style prevalent throughout much of Europe at the time. As was customary, the writer introduces himself into the novel as a kind of narrator. The story ends with a proper marriage, and many Elizabethan writers seem to have adopted Tilney’s course, ending their stories with a marriage. Tilney’s work was a studiously conventional text that carefully adhered to the cultural values of the queen. It was also one of the first texts that depicted women as strong and intelligent rather than as merely subservient to their husbands.