Memoirs of the Life of Charles Macklin, Esq.

Download or read book Memoirs of the Life of Charles Macklin, Esq. written by James Thomas Kirkman and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2013 with total page 471 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Drawing on his own papers and first published in 1799, this two-volume account traces the colourful life of the actor and playwright Charles Macklin (c.1699-1797). His long career serves as the focal point in a history of the eighteenth-century theatre and its most celebrated performers. Hailed for his enduring interpretation of Shakespeare's Shylock, a role he played for some fifty years, Macklin has been credited with the theatre's move towards realism. His life was just as dramatic offstage, marked as it was by a series of controversies and fierce rivalries. In 1735 he was convicted of the manslaughter of a fellow actor in a quarrel over a wig, and in 1775 he successfully pressed charges of conspiracy against theatregoers who had rioted during his performances. Volume 2 covers the latter part of Macklin's career up to his death. Also included is a selection of letters written to his son.