Peele, George
Peele, George (c.1558–96),English dramatist, regarded as one of the ‘university wits’ who made a major contribution to the development of English drama during the Elizabethan period. Aside from writing several of the lord mayor's pageants in London, Peele wrote five plays representative of different genres: The Arraignment of Paris (c.1584), a court pageant; Edward I (1592–3?), a chronicle play; The Battle of Alcazar (c.1589), a patriotic drama; The Love of King David and Fair Bethsabe (c.1589), a biblical piece written in verse; The Old Wives' Tale (1591–4?), a burlesque and parody of chivalric romance, which could be considered a fairy‐tale play. Three wandering knights, Antic, Frolic, and Fantastic, become lost in a forest and are rescued by Old Clunch, who takes them to his cottage. After Madge, his wife, serves them supper, she regales them with a marvellous...
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