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Thomas NasheEnglish playwright and prose writer.
Country:
 Great Britain |
Content:
Biography of Thomas Nash
Thomas Nash was an English playwright and prose writer. He was born in November 1567 in Lowestoft, Suffolk. Nash attended St. John's College, Cambridge University, but did not complete his studies. In the summer of 1588, he moved to London and immediately immersed himself in the literary life of the capital, joining a group of "university wits" which included Christopher Marlowe, Robert Greene, and John Lyly.
Work and Style
Nash's works are primarily satirical in nature. His best-known play, "Pierce Penilesse, His Supplication to the Divell" (1592), begins with attacks on the greed of the wealthy before transitioning to a more general portrayal of contemporary vices. "The Anatomie of Absurditie" (1589) focuses on the foolishness of women. In the deeper play "Christes Tears Over Jerusalem" (1593), Nash draws a parallel between the sin-ridden London and Jerusalem, which has been punished for its sins. "Nashe's Lenten Stuffe" (1599) is a playful and witty panegyric in praise of a smoked herring.
Nash also wrote for the theater, including the comedy "Summers Last Will and Testament" (1600). He also contributed to Christopher Marlowe's work on "Dido, Queen of Carthage" and was one of the authors of the scandalous "The Isle of Dogs" (1597), the text of which has not survived.
Creative Biography
Nash's creative biography is typical of a college graduate who takes on any available job at the beginning of their literary career. "The Unfortunate Traveller, or the Life of Jack Wilton" (1594) is Nash's first English picaresque novel. The story is based on some semi-authentic events and follows the adventures of the protagonist, Jack Wilton, in Germany and Italy. The narrative combines pathos with horror, and harsh realism with lighthearted humor. However, satire predominates in Nash's depiction of foreign customs. His energetic style and knowledge of the psychology of the lower classes make the novel a vivid and engaging collection of individual episodes.
