1604 in literature
Overview of the events of 1604 in literature
This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1604.
Events
- January 1 – The King's Men perform Shakespeare's comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream at the English Court.
- c. April – The King's Men perform Ben Jonson's tragedy Sejanus His Fall (written 1603 and previously presented at Court) at the Globe Theatre, where it is not popular. The title role is probably played by Richard Burbage, and Shakespeare also appears.[1]
- July – Miguel de Cervantes sells the rights of the first part of his satirical novel on the theme of chivalry, Don Quixote (El ingenioso hidalgo don Quijote de la Mancha), to Madrid publisher-bookseller Francisco de Robles. In September license to publish is granted and in December the printing (by Juan de la Cuesta) is finished for publication the following month.
- November 1 ("Hallowmas" Day) – The King's Men perform Shakespeare's tragedy Othello at Whitehall Palace with Burbage in the title role, the first recorded performance.
- November 4 – The King's Men perform Shakespeare's comedy The Merry Wives of Windsor at Whitehall Palace.
- December 26 – The King's Men perform Shakespeare's comedy Measure for Measure at Court.
- December 28 – The King's Men perform Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors at Court.
- December – A report shows that the King's Men are performing a play on the politically sensitive Gowrie Conspiracy. It is suppressed and has not survived, but does not affect the company's general success.
- The first known performance of a Shakespeare play in translation, Romeo and Juliet, is performed at Nördlingen in Bavaria in an anonymous German version, Von Romeo undth Julitha.[2]
- Construction takes place of the Red Bull Theatre at Clerkenwell in London.
- The last performances in England of the Beverley miracle plays are given.
- Isaac Casaubon becomes sub-librarian of the royal library in Paris.
- The Table Alphabeticall, the first known English alphabetical dictionary, is published.
New books
Prose
Drama
Poetry
Births
Deaths
- February 25 – Manuel da Costa, Portuguese historian (born 1541)
- March 4 – Fausto Paolo Sozzini, Italian theologian (born 1539)
- March 13 – Arnaud d'Ossat, French diplomat, cardinal and writer (born 1537)
- April 1 – Thomas Churchyard, English poet (born c. 1520)
- June 10 – Isabella Andreini, Paduan-born actress and writer (born 1564)
- June 24 – Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford English poet, playwright and courtier (born 1550)
- August 3 – Bernardino de Mendoza, Spanish military commander and historian (born c. 1540)
- September 10 – William Morgan, Welsh Bible translator (born 1545)
- October 8 – Janus Dousa, Dutch historian and poet (born 1545)
- November – Thomas Storer, English poet (born c. 1571)
- December 22 – Juan Jose Marti, Spanish novelist (born c. 1570)
- unknown date – Thomas North, English translator (born 1535)
References
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