Life and works of Ben Jonson

Hello, In this video, we shall discuss in brief the life and works of Benjamin Johnson. Benjamin Johnson was born in London in 1572 and died in August 1637 at the age of 65. He was born two months after his father died and his mother married with a bricklayer. Johnson at first attended Westminster School but his formal education ended early. He followed his stepfather's trade for some time then fought with the English forces in the Netherlands. On his journey to England, he became an actor and a playwright. As an actor, he played a leading role of Jeronimo in Thomas Giddens' The Spanish Tragedy. By 1597, he started writing plays for Philip Hanzelot, who was a leading impresario for the public theatre. He was imprisoned for killing the actor Gabriel Sipinza in a duel but was released in 1598. Ben Johnson started his dramatic career with Every Man in His Humour. It was successfully presented by the Lord Chamberlain's Theatrical Company in 1598. In 1599, he produced his second play, Every Man Out of His Humour, but it proved less successful on the stage than the first play. Cynthia's Reveillance appeared in 1601. This play was designed as a compliment to Queen Elizabeth. In 1603, he produced another play, Sejanus. It was first performed at court in 1603 and then at the Globe Theatre in 1604. In 1606, he produced another play, Volpone, which marked a turning point in Johnson's personal and professional fortunes. Volpone was produced by the Kingsmen at Globe Theatre. In 1610, he produced The Alchemist, which was also produced by the Kingsmen. This play is considered Johnson's best comedy. In 1614, he produced another play under the title Bartholomew Fear. It was performed at Hope Theatre by the Lady Elizabethan's Company.