Nicholas Udall
Nicholas Udall was an English scholar and playwright born around 1505, known for his contributions to education and the arts during the Tudor period. He was educated at Winchester and Corpus Christi College, Oxford, where he later served as a lecturer. Udall's career included roles as vicar of Braintree and headmaster of Eton, where he became notable for his educational reforms. He published a significant work, "Floures for Latine Spekynge," in 1534, and engaged in performances for notable figures, including a play at the coronation of Anne Boleyn. Despite his achievements, Udall faced disgrace at Eton due to accusations of misconduct, leading to a diverse career as a tutor and writer under royal patronage. His most recognized work, "Ralph Roister Doister," is often regarded as one of the first English comedies, showcasing his humanist and classical influences. Additionally, Udall collaborated with Princess Mary Tudor on translating Erasmus' New Testament commentaries, which became a key biblical text for clergy in England. He ended his career as headmaster of Westminster School before his death in 1556.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Nicholas Udall
English playwright and translator
- Born: December, 1505(?)
- Birthplace: Southampton, Hampshire, England
- Died: December 1, 1556
- Place of death: London, England
Biography
Born about 1505, Nicholas Udall (YEW-dahl) was educated at Winchester and Corpus Christi College, Oxford, where he served as lecturer from 1526 to 1528. At the age of twenty-seven or twenty-eight, he assisted in the preparation of verses for Anne Boleyn’s coronation. From 1533 to 1547 he was vicar of Braintree, Essex, and from 1534 to 1541 he was headmaster of Eton. In 1534 he published a significant collection, Floures for Latine Spekynge, and in 1538 he was paid for “playing before my Lord.” His career at Eton ended in disgrace, however, for he was accused of theft and other misconduct and dismissed.
For the next fourteen years, Udall was writer, tutor, and churchman under patronage of members of the royal household. His principles as churchman were flexible enough to permit his serving Edward VI as a Protestant and Mary Tudor as a Catholic. Before the latter he performed or produced various dialogues and interludes. The date of his only surviving play, Ralph Roister Doister, is uncertain, but it was probably 1552, for evidence suggests it was first performed at Windsor Castle in September, 1552. The printed epilogue praises “our most noble Queen,” but this might have been an addition for a later performance before Elizabeth I.
Udall was a prominent scholar of his day. In 1549 he published The Paraphrase of Erasmus upon the New Testament, a translation of the Dutch humanist’s Latin commentaries on the New Testament on which he had collaborated with Princess Mary Tudor. By royal order, Udall’s Paraphrase became the prescribed biblical commentary for all clergy, and along with the English Bible and the Book of Common Prayer, it appeared in every church pulpit in England. In 1555 Udall was appointed headmaster of Westminster School; he died the next year. His most important work, Ralph Roister Doister, bears the marks of his many talents as a humanist, a classical scholar, and a teacher.
Bibliography
Boas, Frederick F. An Introduction to Tudor Drama. 1933. Reprint. New York: AMS Press, 1978. Contains basic facts about Udall and his works, including his relationship with Queen Mary and a lawsuit against him in the early 1500’s. Offers a comment on the classical influences on Udall, the “most representative” English playwright in the three decades between John Heywood and the major Inns of Court dramas of the 1560’s.
Cartwright, Kent. Theatre and Humanism: English Drama in the Sixteenth Century. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1999. Cartwright examines the influence of Humanism on English drama in the 1500’s. Udall followed Humanism and received instruction in it. Includes bibliography and index.
Edgerton, William. Nicholas Udall. New York: Twayne, 1965. The biographical sections are enlarged by references to major historical events. Respublica is dismissed as probably not by Udall. The longest chapter is devoted to Ralph Roister Doister, with emphasis on the dating problem and on the presence of Latin influence in the comedy. Includes annotated bibliography.
Walker, Greg. The Politics of Performance in Early Renaissance Drama. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1998. Walker examines the theater of Great Britain, focusing on the writers Udall, David Lindsay, John Heywood, and Thomas Norton. Includes bibliography and index.