Robert Wilson (dramatist) facts for kids

Robert Wilson was an English writer and actor who lived a long time ago, between 1572 and 1600. He was a dramatist, which means he wrote plays, mostly in the 1580s and 1590s. People also think he was an actor who was really good at playing funny "clown" characters.

He worked with a theatre owner named Philip Henslowe at the Rose Theatre. Wilson was involved in writing sixteen plays for Henslowe, often working with other writers.

Who Was Robert Wilson?

It's a bit tricky to know for sure if all the records about "Robert Wilson" are about the same person. This is because "Robert Wilson" was a common name back then. However, many experts believe that the actor and the playwright were the same person.

An Actor and Writer

If they were the same person, Wilson was an actor with a group called Leicester's Men in the 1570s. He was known for his cleverness, just like another famous actor named Richard Tarlton.

Wilson is generally believed to have written these plays:

• The Three Ladies of London (published in 1584)
• The Three Lords and Three Ladies of London (published in 1590)
• The Cobbler's Prophecy (published in 1594)

Some people also think he might have written a play called Fair Em around 1590. In 1598, a writer named Francis Meres mentioned Wilson and connected him to Swan Theatre, which was built around 1595.

Working with Philip Henslowe

From 1598 to 1600, Robert Wilson worked very closely with other writers for Philip Henslowe. They wrote sixteen different plays together, including some that were in two parts. However, some of these plays were never finished.

Plays Wilson Co-wrote

Here are some of the plays Robert Wilson worked on with other writers:

• Earl Goodwin and his Three Sons, Parts 1 and 2, with Michael Drayton, Henry Chettle, and Thomas Dekker; March 1598.
• Piers of Exton, with Drayton, Chettle, and Dekker; March 1598.
• Black Bateman of the North, Parts 1 and 2, with Chettle; Part I also with Dekker and Drayton; May–June 1598.
• The Funeral of Richard Cordelion, with Chettle, Drayton, and Anthony Munday; June 1598.
• The Madman's Morris, with Dekker and Drayton, July 1598.
• Hannibal and Hermes, with Dekker and Drayton, July 1598.
• Pierce of Winchester, with Dekker and Drayton, July–August 1598.
• Catiline's Conspiracy, with Chettle; August 1598. This play was likely never finished.
• Chance Medley, with Munday, Drayton, and Dekker or Chettle; August 1598.
• Sir John Oldcastle, Parts 1 and 2, with Drayton, Munday, and Richard Hathwaye; October–December 1599.
• Henry Richmond, Part 2, with others; this play was never finished.
• Owen Tudor, with Drayton, Hathwaye, and Munday; January 1600. This play was also likely never finished.
• Fair Constance of Rome, Part 1, with Dekker, Drayton, Hathwaye, and Munday; June 1600.

The Play Sir John Oldcastle

Out of all the plays Wilson wrote with others for Henslowe, only the first part of Sir John Oldcastle was published. It came out in 1600 and again in 1619. Sadly, none of the other plays have survived to today.

Sir John Oldcastle was written to show a different side of a character named John Oldcastle. In William Shakespeare's plays Henry IV, Part 1 and Henry IV, Part 2, Oldcastle was shown in a negative way. People who were related to the real historical John Oldcastle, who was a important religious figure, didn't like this. So, the play Oldcastle was written to correct the story. Because of these complaints, Shakespeare later changed the character of Oldcastle to Sir John Falstaff in his plays.

Why Writers Worked Together

You might wonder why writers like Wilson worked together on plays. Writers who worked alone, like Shakespeare, usually wrote one or two plays a year. If one of their plays didn't sell well or wasn't popular, they would lose a lot of money. Working with other writers helped share the risk. It also gave writers a more steady income, which was important for them to make a living.

Other Possible Works

Robert Wilson might have also written several other plays that were published without an author's name. These include:

• Fair Em
• The Pedlar's Prophecy
• A Larum for London
• Look About You
• Sir Clyomon and Sir Clamydes
• A Knack to Know a Knave

One expert, Darren Freebury-Jones, has looked closely at A Knack to Know a Knave. He thinks there's strong evidence that Robert Wilson wrote it.

Robert Wilson's Death

A person named "Robert Wilson, yeoman (player)" was buried at St. Giles in Cripplegate on November 20, 1600. This fits with the idea that the actor from Leicester's Men and the writer for Henslowe were the same person. It also explains why Wilson stopped writing plays in 1600.