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The PoetasterBen Jonson

The Poetaster

by OpenStories

Original author: Ben Jonson

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"The Poetaster" by Ben Jonson is a satirical comedy written in 1601. Set in ancient Rome with the poet Ovid as its principal character, the play became a key salvo in the War of the Theatres—a public feud between Jonson and rival playwrights John Marston and Thomas Dekker. Through clever characterization and biting satire, Jonson explores the poet's moral duties in society while skewering bad poets and their pretentious vocabulary. The play popularized the term "poetaster" for inferior poets with artistic pretensions.

The Poetaster, by Ben Jonson. Republished by OpenStories from Project Gutenberg eBook #5166.

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8 Chapters

  1. 1.Introduction9,529 words
  2. 2.Act I3,258 words
  3. 3.Act II2,860 words
  4. 4.Act III: SCENE I.-The Via Sacra (or Holy Street)5,350 words
  1. 5.Act IV5,691 words
  2. 6.Act V: SCENE I.-An Apartment in the Palace (1)7,603 words
  3. 7.Act V: SCENE I.-An Apartment in the Palace (2)7,134 words
  4. 8.Act V: SCENE I.-An Apartment in the Palace (3)1,229 words