The Dutch courtesan
By: John Marston ; edited by David Crane
Contributors: Crane, David, 1942-
Series: New mermaids; New mermaids
Publisher: A. & C. Black
Published: 1997
Place of publication: London
Language: eng
Format: [electronic resource] /
Number of pages: 109
Description: 'The Dutch Courtesan' is an early Jacobean stage play written by the dramatist and satirist John Marston circa 1604. It tells the story of two friends, the relaxed, pleasure-loving Freevill and the repressed Puritan Malheureux, and the turbulent relationship that both have with the passionate Dutch courtesan Franceschina. It explores the nature of human desire and the problems involved with trying to lead a 'good', moral life when sexuality is so fundamentally a part of man's nature. Critics have judged the play both anti-Puritan and anti-Stoic, and have also seen it as a satire on Thomas Dekker's contemporary play 'The Honest Whore'.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references.