Thomas Kyd facts for kids
Thomas Kyd (born in 1558, died in 1594) was an important English playwright. He wrote plays during the time of Queen Elizabeth I, a period known as Elizabethan drama. Kyd is best known for his famous play, The Spanish Tragedy.
Even though he was well-known when he was alive, people later forgot about Kyd for many years. In 1773, a writer named Thomas Hawkins found out that Kyd was the author of The Spanish Tragedy. Later, experts also found clues that Kyd might have written an early version of a Hamlet play, even before Shakespeare wrote his famous one. This earlier play is called the Ur-Hamlet.
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Early Life of Thomas Kyd
Thomas Kyd was the son of Francis and Anna Kyd. We don't know his exact birthday. However, he was baptised on November 6, 1558, in London. His father, Francis Kydd, worked as a scrivener. This means he was a professional writer who copied documents. In 1580, Francis Kydd became a leader in the Scriveners' Company, a group for scribes.
In 1565, young Thomas Kyd started school at the new Merchant Taylors' School. The headmaster, Richard Mulcaster, had modern ideas about education. Kyd learned many subjects, including Latin, Greek, music, drama, and sports. Other famous students there included Edmund Spenser and Thomas Lodge. There is no record that Kyd went to a university. He might have followed his father's path and become a scrivener himself.
Thomas Kyd's Plays and Career
During the 1580s, Thomas Kyd became a very important playwright. However, we don't know much about his daily life then. Other famous writers of his time, like Francis Meres and Thomas Heywood, praised Kyd's plays. Ben Jonson even mentioned him alongside great writers like Christopher Marlowe and John Lyly. Kyd and Marlowe even shared a room in London for a while.
The Spanish Tragedy was likely written in the mid to late 1580s. The oldest copy we have was printed in 1592. The play was often called "Hieronimo" after its main character, the protagonist. Many people believe it was the most popular play during Shakespeare's time. It helped set new standards for how plays were written, with exciting plots and interesting characters.
Kyd also translated other works. He translated Padre di Famiglia by Torquato Tasso, which was published as The Householder's Philosophy (1588). He also translated Cornélie by Robert Garnier (1594). Some other plays are thought to be written by Kyd, either fully or in part. These include Soliman and Perseda, King Leir, Fair Em, and Arden of Faversham. He might have also helped write parts of Henry VI Part One and Edward III.
Kyd's plays were popular not just in England but also in other parts of Europe. Versions of The Spanish Tragedy were well-liked in Germany and the Netherlands for many years. This wide influence on European plays is why German experts became very interested in Kyd's work much later.
Later Years and Challenges
From 1587 to 1593, Kyd worked for a noble person whose name we don't know. He might have been a secretary or continued writing plays. Around 1591, Christopher Marlowe also started working for the same noble. For a time, Kyd and Marlowe lived together.
In May 1593, Kyd was arrested. He believed someone had falsely reported him. When his home was searched, authorities found some papers with unusual religious ideas. Kyd told them these papers belonged to Christopher Marlowe, his former roommate. Kyd was later released, but his noble patron did not take him back into service.
Kyd tried to clear his name. He wrote to Sir John Puckering, a high-ranking official, saying he was innocent. However, his efforts did not seem to work. The last we hear from Kyd is the publication of his translation Cornelia in early 1594. In the dedication, he mentioned the "bitter times" he had gone through.
Thomas Kyd died later that year when he was about 35 years old. He was buried on August 15, 1594, in London. A few months later, his mother gave up control of his belongings, probably because he had many debts. The church where Kyd was buried was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666, so his grave was lost.
Works by Thomas Kyd
The dates below are approximate.
- Don Horatio (partially existing in The First Part of Hieronimo, around 1586)
- The Spanish Tragedy (around 1587)
- The Householder's Philosophy (translation, 1588)
- The Murder of John Brewen (pamphlet, 1592)
- Fair Em (thought to be by Kyd, around 1590)
- Arden of Faversham (thought to be by Kyd, 1592)
- Solyman and Perseda (thought to be by Kyd, around 1593)
- Cornelia (translation of Robert Garnier, 1594)
- King Leir (thought to be by Kyd, 1594)
See also
In Spanish: Thomas Kyd para niños
