Stephen Gosson facts for kids

Stephen Gosson (born April 1554 – died February 1624) was an English writer. He was known for writing books that criticized plays and actors during his time. He believed that plays could be harmful to society.

About Stephen Gosson

Stephen Gosson was born in Canterbury, England. He was baptized in April 1554. When he was older, he went to Corpus Christi College, Oxford, a famous university. After finishing his studies in 1576, he moved to London.

Some people thought Gosson was a good writer of "pastorals." These were poems or plays about country life. However, none of his pastoral works still exist today. It is also believed that he might have been an actor for a short time.

After writing his most famous book, Schoole of Abuse, Gosson left London. He became a tutor, teaching the sons of a rich gentleman. Later, he became a priest. In 1585, he became a lecturer at a church in Stepney. Queen Elizabeth I also gave him a job as a rector in Great Wigborough, Essex. In 1600, he moved to another church in London, St Botolph's, Bishopsgate.

What Stephen Gosson Wrote

Stephen Gosson was known for writing against plays. He was an "anti-theatrical" writer. This means he wrote to criticize the theater and acting. He even wrote plays himself, calling one Catiline's Conspiracies. But he said his own plays were different from the ones he criticized.

His most famous work is Schoole of Abuse, containing a pleasant invective against Poets, Pipers, Plaiers, Jesters and such like Caterpillars of the Commonwealth. He published this book in 1579. In it, he strongly criticized poets, musicians, actors, and comedians. He called them "caterpillars" because he thought they were harming society.

Why He Wrote Schoole of Abuse

Gosson wrote Schoole of Abuse because he was worried. He thought that the popular plays of his time were causing problems in London. He believed they were making people behave badly. He used a fancy writing style called euphuism in his book. This style was popular back then.

Gosson dedicated his book to a famous writer, Sir Philip Sidney. However, Sidney did not like being connected to the book. Another writer, Edmund Spenser, said that Gosson "was for hys labor scorned." Even so, Gosson dedicated a second book, The Ephemerides of Phialo, to Sidney later that year.

The Impact of His Writings

Gosson's attack on poets and plays had a big effect. It encouraged Sir Philip Sidney to write his own famous work, Apologie for Poetrie. This book defended poetry and plays. Many other writers also responded to Gosson. One important response was Thomas Lodge's Defence of Playes.

Actors even started performing Gosson's own old plays again. This was probably their way of getting back at him. Gosson replied to his critics in 1582 with another book called Playes Confuted in Five Actions. He dedicated this book to Sir Francis Walsingham, an important government official.