Beggars' Bush

For the district of Dublin, see Beggars Bush, Dublin. For the former barracks, see Beggars Bush Barracks.

Beggars' Bush
CharactersWoolfort
Gerrard
Jaculin
Date premiered17th century
Place premieredEngland
Original languageEnglish
GenreTragicomedy
SettingEngland

Beggars' Bush[1][2] is a Jacobean era stage play, a comedy in the canon of John Fletcher and his collaborators that is a focus of dispute among scholars and critics.

  1. ^ The play's title is proverbial and aphoristic; to "go by beggar's bush" was to decline in fortune. Several locations in the British Isles have been associated with the phrase, including Beggar's Bush Yard in Gravel Lane in London, a place and pub at New Oscott, and a neighbourhood and military barracks in Dublin. A Beggar's Bush Fair was held biannually on Enfield Chase for many years; and there have been various other associations.
  2. ^ The original 17th-century editions left the title unpunctuated: The Beggars Bush. Beginning in the 18th century, editors added an apostrophe: Beggar's Bush. Modern editors and scholars prefer a more accurate plural form: Beggars' Bush. For a similar case, see The Lovers' Progress.