George Wilkins
Encyclopedia
George Wilkins was an English
dramatist and pamphlet
eer best known for his probable collaboration with Shakespeare on the play Pericles, Prince of Tyre
. By profession he was an inn-keeper, but he was also apparently involved in criminal activities.
Wilkins was associated with the King's Men
, and their chief playwright William Shakespeare
, during the latter's last working years as a dramatist. Shakespeare and Wilkins were both witnesses in the case of Bellott v. Mountjoy
in 1612; in his deposition he described himself as a "victualler."
on the Three Miseries of Barbary, which dates from 1606. He then collaborated in 1607 with William Rowley
and John Day
in The Travels of the Three English Brothers
, a dramatisation of the real-life adventures of the Sherley brothers.
In the same year Wilkins wrote The Miseries of Enforced Marriage. This play is based on the story of Walter Calverley
, whose identity is thinly disguised under the name of "Scarborough." This man had killed his two children and had attempted to murder his wife. The play originally had a tragic ending, but as played in 1607, ended in comedy and the story stopped short before the catastrophe, perhaps because of objections raised by Mrs. Calverley's family, the Cobhams. The crime itself is dealt with in a short play, A Yorkshire Tragedy
of uncertain authorship.
(which does not appear in Shakespeare's First Folio
, but was published only in a textually corrupt quarto
). This may have been collaboration, or perhaps Wilkins was the original author of Pericles and Shakespeare remodelled it, or vice versa. However it may be, Wilkins published in 1608 a novel entitled The Painful Adventures of Pericles, Prynce of Tyre, described as "the true history of Pericles as it was lately presented by ... John Gower
" (who serves as narrator in the play). This follows the play very closely. The editors of the 1986 Oxford Edition of Shakespeare make the assumption that Wilkins was the co-author of Pericles and draw heavily upon The Painful Adventures in their controversial reconstructed text of the play. Wilkins is thought to have contributed most of the first two acts of the play, while Shakespeare wrote the last three.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
dramatist and pamphlet
Pamphlet
A pamphlet is an unbound booklet . It may consist of a single sheet of paper that is printed on both sides and folded in half, in thirds, or in fourths , or it may consist of a few pages that are folded in half and saddle stapled at the crease to make a simple book...
eer best known for his probable collaboration with Shakespeare on the play Pericles, Prince of Tyre
Pericles, Prince of Tyre
Pericles, Prince of Tyre is a Jacobean play written at least in part by William Shakespeare and included in modern editions of his collected works despite questions over its authorship, as it was not included in the First Folio...
. By profession he was an inn-keeper, but he was also apparently involved in criminal activities.
Life
Wilkins was an inn-keeper in Cow-Cross, London, an area that was "notorious as a haunt of whores and thieves". Most biographical information about him derives from his regular appearance in criminal court records for thievery and acts of violence. Many of the charges against him involved violence against women, including kicking a pregnant woman in the belly, and knocking down and stomping another woman. The latter appears in other records as a known "bawd", or keeper of prostitutes. These facts have led to the suggestion that his inn functioned as a brothel and that Wilkins was a procurer, or pimp.Wilkins was associated with the King's Men
King's Men (playing company)
The King's Men was the company of actors to which William Shakespeare belonged through most of his career. Formerly known as The Lord Chamberlain's Men during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, it became The King's Men in 1603 when King James ascended the throne and became the company's patron.The...
, and their chief playwright William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
, during the latter's last working years as a dramatist. Shakespeare and Wilkins were both witnesses in the case of Bellott v. Mountjoy
Bellott v. Mountjoy
The case of Bellott v. Mountjoy was a lawsuit heard at the Court of Requests in Westminster on 11 May 1612 that involved William Shakespeare in a minor role....
in 1612; in his deposition he described himself as a "victualler."
Works
He is first heard of as the author of a pamphletPamphlet
A pamphlet is an unbound booklet . It may consist of a single sheet of paper that is printed on both sides and folded in half, in thirds, or in fourths , or it may consist of a few pages that are folded in half and saddle stapled at the crease to make a simple book...
on the Three Miseries of Barbary, which dates from 1606. He then collaborated in 1607 with William Rowley
William Rowley
William Rowley was an English Jacobean dramatist, best known for works written in collaboration with more successful writers. His date of birth is estimated to have been c. 1585; he was buried on 11 February 1626...
and John Day
John Day (dramatist)
John Day was an English dramatist of the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods.-Life:He was born at Cawston, Norfolk, and educated at Ely. He became a sizar of Caius College, Cambridge, in 1592, but was expelled in the next year for stealing a book...
in The Travels of the Three English Brothers
The Travels of the Three English Brothers
The Travels of the Three English Brothers is an early Jacobean era stage play, an adventure drama written in 1607 by John Day, William Rowley, and George Wilkins. The drama was based on the true-life experiences of the three Shirley brothers, Sir Anthony Shirley, Sir Thomas Shirley, and Robert...
, a dramatisation of the real-life adventures of the Sherley brothers.
In the same year Wilkins wrote The Miseries of Enforced Marriage. This play is based on the story of Walter Calverley
Walter Calverley
Walter Calverley was an English squire and murderer. His story became the basis of more than one literary work of the early 17th century.-Early life:...
, whose identity is thinly disguised under the name of "Scarborough." This man had killed his two children and had attempted to murder his wife. The play originally had a tragic ending, but as played in 1607, ended in comedy and the story stopped short before the catastrophe, perhaps because of objections raised by Mrs. Calverley's family, the Cobhams. The crime itself is dealt with in a short play, A Yorkshire Tragedy
A Yorkshire Tragedy
A Yorkshire Tragedy is an early Jacobean era stage play, a domestic tragedy printed in 1608. The play was originally assigned to William Shakespeare, though the modern critical consensus rejects this attribution, favouring Thomas Middleton....
of uncertain authorship.
Pericles
A number of studies have attributed to Wilkins a share in Shakespeare's Pericles, Prince of TyrePericles, Prince of Tyre
Pericles, Prince of Tyre is a Jacobean play written at least in part by William Shakespeare and included in modern editions of his collected works despite questions over its authorship, as it was not included in the First Folio...
(which does not appear in Shakespeare's First Folio
First Folio
Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. is the 1623 published collection of William Shakespeare's plays. Modern scholars commonly refer to it as the First Folio....
, but was published only in a textually corrupt quarto
Quarto
Quarto could refer to:* Quarto, a size or format of a book in which four leaves of a book are created from a standard size sheet of paper* For specific information about quarto texts of William Shakespeare's works, see:...
). This may have been collaboration, or perhaps Wilkins was the original author of Pericles and Shakespeare remodelled it, or vice versa. However it may be, Wilkins published in 1608 a novel entitled The Painful Adventures of Pericles, Prynce of Tyre, described as "the true history of Pericles as it was lately presented by ... John Gower
John Gower
John Gower was an English poet, a contemporary of William Langland and a personal friend of Geoffrey Chaucer. He is remembered primarily for three major works, the Mirroir de l'Omme, Vox Clamantis, and Confessio Amantis, three long poems written in French, Latin, and English respectively, which...
" (who serves as narrator in the play). This follows the play very closely. The editors of the 1986 Oxford Edition of Shakespeare make the assumption that Wilkins was the co-author of Pericles and draw heavily upon The Painful Adventures in their controversial reconstructed text of the play. Wilkins is thought to have contributed most of the first two acts of the play, while Shakespeare wrote the last three.