The Tragedy of Sir John van Olden Barnavelt is a Jacobean play written by John Fletcher and Philip Massinger in 1619, and produced in the same year by the King's Men at the Globe Theatre. Based on controversial contemporaneous political events, the play was itself controversial and had to survive an attempt at suppression by religious authorities.
Historical facts
The historical Johan van Oldenbarnevelt (spellings vary), "Lord of Berkel, Rodenrys, etc.," was a prominent Dutch politician and statesman who was executed in The Hague on 13 May 1619. He was beheaded at the age of 71, after a conviction on a charge of high treason for allegedly conspiring with the Spanish enemies of the Netherlands – though he maintained his innocence to the end of his life. Since Holland was an English ally and English troops had long been involved in their conflict with Spain, the case of Oldenbarnevelt was of immense interest in England.
Ideology Fletcher and Massinger composed a drama on the subject that was ready for the stage in a scant three months, by August 1619. The play they wrote has been described as "an ideologically charged work with distinct republican and anti-authoritarian connotations."Kamps, p. 142. It was actable on the Jacobean stage only because it conformed to the official line on Oldenbarnevelt's life and death. King James I was an opponent of the Dutch statesman, and especially of his Arminianism. The Prince of Orange, Oldenbarnevelt's rival and the main engine of his downfall, was a close ally of James. In the play, Barnavelt is plainly guilty of treason and attempts to seduce English soldiers to join with him – unsuccessfully, of course.
The play even touches on contemporary anti-feminism. It includes an Englishwoman who disputes with Dutch Arminian women about the proper role of women in society. The Englishwoman is traditional in outlook, while her Dutch counterparts think that women should rule. Some readers, like Algernon Charles Swinburne, stated that this was anti-feminist satire.
Censorship The play was censored by George Buck, the Master of the Revels, for its political content. Buc was not interested in suppressing a play that endorsed the official line on the subject; rather, he worked to ensure that the play did its job in a way that served the government's interests. The surviving manuscript shows that most of Buc's edits consisted of small changes, "altering the tone or tweaking a phrase."Auchter, p. 335. In one place where such tweaking was inadequate, Barnavelt's speech of self-defense in his trial scene in Act IV, Buc cut out the entire speech. (Coincidentally, Buc had been James' diplomatic representative in the Netherlands and was personally acquainted with both Prince Maurice and Oldenbarnevelt.)Kastan, p. 426.
(Buc trimmed lines that could be considered anti-monarchical; he also cut a 14-line section in the opening scene, which described the prostitutes who cluster around London theatres.)
Even after meeting Buc's political vetting, the play had to confront religious censorship. In 1619 as for a long period previously, the Bishop of London had the authority to approve or disapprove plays for their religious conformity, as the government did for political content; and Barnavelt touched on the sensitive subject of Arminian-Calvinist rivalry. The Bishop acted to stop the play on 14 August 1619, just before its premiere. Yet the play was in the interest of the state, and the actors managed to get clearance to perform it; Barnavelt was on the boards by 16 August.
Manuscript Though it was a popular success, Barnavelt was not published in the seventeenth century. It remained in manuscript until 1883, when Bullen included it in his Old English Plays, Vol. 2. The manuscript is now in the collection of the British Museum, identified as Add. MS. 18653. It is a fair copy of the play text prepared by the professional scribe Ralph Crane, who worked repeatedly for the King's Men in the early seventeenth century and would prepare copy for some of Shakespeare's plays for the First Folio (1623). Crane's manuscript is of high quality, with full Act-and-scene divisions; it is marked by two other hands. The prompter of the King's Men added details about stage props, sound effects (horns offstage), and other matters needed for performance, indicating that the manuscript was going to be used, and in all likelihood was used, as the prompt-book for the production;For a somewhat-dissenting view of the MS. as an "almost-promptbook," See Howard-Hill, "Crane's 1619 'Promptbook'...." and it also bears Buc's censorship marks.
Authorship One notable aspect of Crane's manuscript is that it faithfully reproduces the textual and linguistic preferences of the two authors. Scholars have long recognized that Fletcher had a highly distinctive profile of linguistic usages that allows his share in collaborative works to be distinguished from others – like Francis Beaumont, or as in this case, Philip Massinger. Scholars can therefore agree on a breakdown of the two authors' contributions with near unanimity:Logan and Smith, p. 72.
Massinger – Act I, scenes 1 and 2; Act II, 1; Act III, 2, 5, and 6; Act IV, 4–5; Act V, 1 (except middle portion); Fletcher – Act I, scene 3; Act II, 2–6; Act III, 1, 3, and 4; Act IV, 1–3; Act V, 1 (middle portion, from exit of Ambassadors to exit of Provost), 2, and 3.
The authors appear to have been influenced by the similar contemporary histories of George Chapman, especially his two-part play The Conspiracy and Tragedy of Charles, Duke of Byron (1608).
Actors The manuscript also contains mentions of some of the King's Men in the cast, under their own names. (The manuscript for Believe as You List shows the same type of identifications.) Some of these are cryptic: "Michael," no last name given, was a captain; an otherwise-unknown "R. T." played several small roles. The part of Barnavelt's daughter was filled by G. Lowen, an otherwise-unknown boy player. "Nick" played Barnavelt's wife; some scholars have assumed that this was Nicholas Tooley – but Tooley was nearing 40 years old in 1619. "Nick" was possibly Nick Underwood or another boy active in the company at the time.Regarding the vexed question of boys vs. men in women's roles in English Renaissance drama, see: boy player.
These data in the MS. allow a partial reconstruction of the cast in the 1619 production: George Birch played a servant, and likely doubled other parts; Robert Gough played Leidenberck; Thomas Holcombe played the Provost's Wife, and likely doubled other female roles; Thomas Pollard played Barnavelt's supporter Holderus; John Rice played a Dutch Captain; Richard Robinson played a captain, and the French Ambassador.
T. H. Howard-Hill made an attempt to reconstruct the casting of the play's other roles, based on what is known about the personnel of the King's Men in 1619 and the types of roles they took.Howard-Hill, "Crane's 1619 'Promptbook'...," pp. 159–62. His least uncertain guesses are that John Lowin most likely played Barnavelt, and Joseph Taylor the Prince of Orange.
Characters -Sir John van Olden Barnavelt. The aging advocate of Holland and West Friesland. Filled with growing pride, he resents the power and the excellent reputation of the Prince of Orange, and he conspires to arouse sedition to regain the control he thinks he has lost. Brought before the senate, he defends himself against charges of treachery by reiterating his real contributions to his nation, and he pathetically tries to console himself for his fall by recalling the esteem in which he was held by many monarchs in his younger days. He swears, even as he stands on the scaffold awaiting execution, that he has not committed treason, and he dies praying for his prince and casting "honour and the world" behind him.
-Leidenberch. Barnavelt's fellow conspirator, secretary of the States of Utrecht. He is notoriously a smooth-tongued flatterer and a man who will promise anything; one soldier complains that no suitor ever left him dissatisfied, yet none ever received what he wanted. Lacking the strength to remain silent after the defeat of his forces, he confesses his part in Barnavelt's plot before he is imprisoned. Convinced by Barnavelt that suicide is the only way to preserve some semblance of honor, he resolves to die, then delays a few moments to speak of the pain of leaving his beloved young son, who sleeps nearby.
-Modesbargen. Another of Barnavelt's followers. He is at first wary of the old statesman's plans and counsels him bluntly not to risk destroying the effects of his forty years of service to the state by giving vent to his ambition. He eventually joins Barnavelt's campaign and is forced to flee to Germany to escape imprisonment. There he grows to love country living and calls himself a fool for participating in political schemes.
-Grotius. Another of Barnavelt's followers. He, with Hogerbeets, vows to defend the old man against the prince of Orange, but the discovery of their plot makes their efforts futile.
-Hogerbeets. A leader of the Arminians, the sect Barnavelt makes pawns in his attempt to gain power.
-Maurice, the Prince of Orange. A just and wise ruler who shares his responsibilities with his council. He restrains his followers, who are eager to vent their justifiable anger against Barnavelt, yet he is strong-willed enough to exert military force when it is necessary to put down rebellion in Utrecht. Although his natural inclination is to be merciful, he finally orders Barnavelt's death to show that law and order are stronger than the corrupt policies of even the wisest of men.
-Bredero and Vandort. Lords of the State. They listen sympathetically to Barnavelt's initial plans, but they soon recognize his ambition for what it is and remain loyal supporters of order and the prince.
-William and Henry. Loyal supporters of Prince Maurice.
-Rockgiles. Barnavelt's chief ally among the burghers.
-English Captain. Foreigner who makes an impassioned defense of soldiers, whose only honor lies in their obedience and loyalty to their ruler.
-Holderus. A scholar, held firmly under control by a group of domineering Dutch women. He supports Barnavelt and flees the advancing army of the prince in terror.
-William. Barnavelt's son, who acts as his aide. He brings his father word of Leidenberch's suicide.
-Leidenberch's son. A precocious, sensitive boy who looks after his father in prison. He is rather like Christopher Marlowe's Prince Edward and several of William Shakespeare's bright young children.
-Boisise and Morier. French ambassadors who go to the prince to protest the death of Barnavelt, whom they have known only as a wise statesman.
-The executioners from Harlem, Leyden, and Utrecht. Grotesque humorists who throw dice to see who is to have the privilege of executing Sir John.
Synopsis This synopsis corresponds to the act and scene divisions in Fredson Bowers, ed. The dramatic works in the Beaumont and Fletcher Canon, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1966), 485–632.
Act 1, Scene 1: The Hague: Barnavelt in conference with his co-conspirators