The Ingratitude of a Common-Wealth; Or, the fall of Laius Martius Coriolanus as it is acted at the Theatre-Royal
np: Cornmarket, nd. Facsimile. Hardcover : pp. [viii] 64 : red cloth lettered in gilt to spine. Tail of spine pushed; sprinkle of pin prick fox marks to top edge. Item #15818
Tate's adaptation of Shakespeare's Coriolanus was not only the first adaptation of the text, but its debut in 1682 was the first presentation of Shakespeare's Roman play in any form:
"The very first mention of any performance of [Coriolanus] is in adapted form, in 1682, adapted by Nahum Tate and performed at the Theatre Royal. Tate’s adaptation was called “The Ingratitude of a Commonwealth; or, The Fall of Caius Martius Coriolanus.” Critics called Tate’s adaptation “on the whole a very bad one.” Tate, it was said, “omits a good deal of the original to make room for an entirely new fifth act. His own additions are insipid, and he makes numberless unnecessary changes in the dialogue; but the first four acts of his play do not differ very materially from Shakespeare.” The focus of Tate’s adaptation was, as the new subtitle suggests, the failure of the common people to truly appreciate Coriolanus as a ruler. Their ingratitude about being starved and ruled over with an iron fist….silly poor people." Scott Palmer, AD, Bag and Baggage Productions.
Price: $60.00