Thomas Nashe Elizabethan Playwright and Satirist

Thomas Nashe (baptised 30 November 1567 – c. 1601) was a prominent English Elizabethan playwright, poet, and satirist. He is best known for his influential novel The Unfortunate Traveller and his sharp-witted pamphlets, including Pierce Penniless, as well as his staunch defenses of the Church of England.

Life and Education

Born in Lowestoft, Suffolk, Nashe was the son of a parson, William Nashe, and Janeth (née Witchingham). He attended St John's College, Cambridge, as a sizar, earning his bachelor's degree in 1586. However, his tenure at Cambridge was unexpectedly cut short; he left the college around the summer of 1588, leaving his reasons for departure unclear. Some accounts suggest he may have fled potential expulsion for his role in student theatricals, while others suggest his father's death may have have been the factor.

Literary Career in London

After moving to London, Nashe spent the decade of his life dominated by two primary concerns: securing employment and engaging in literary controversies. He entered the literary scene with The Anatomy of Absurdity, an exercise in euphuism. His first print appearance was a preface to Robert Greene's Menaphon, which provided a critical overview of contemporary literature.

The Marprelate Controversy and the Harvey Feud

Nashe was drawn into the Martin Marprelate controversy, supporting the bishops. He is widely recognized as the author of An Almond for a Parrot (1590), though he humorously claimed to have visited Venice in his trip, a claim which historians believe to be a travelogue of imagination rather than fact.

His friendship with Robert Greene led him to engage in a Moreover, a crude woodcut portrait of him was published in The Trimming of Thomas Nash (1597) by Richard Lichfield, which depicted him in fetters.

Works and Legacy

Nashe's works, including Summer's Last Will and Testament (written in 1stdio 1592), wrote an entertainment called Summer's Last Will and Testament, which is a "show" with some resemblance to a masque. The play's plot describes the death of Summer, and the passing of the crown to Autumn.