John Marston

English playwright. His mother was of Italian descent. After graduating from Oxford University, he went to law school to follow in his father's footsteps, but he turned to literature after writing satirical poems. His most famous work is the intrigue comedy The Discontented (1604). Other works include the tragicomedy Antonio and Mérida (1599), its sequel, the bloody tragedy Antonio's Revenge (1599), The Admiral (1604-1605?), and the tragedy Sophonizba (1606). His style, which consciously rejects plausible literary ideals and boldly makes use of unconventional vocabulary, is strongly marked by intellectual posturing. His unique verse, which tends to lean towards dark and dirty images, is also a manifestation of this. There was a time when he and Ben Jonson were at odds and exchanged plays with each other, but in 1605, he wrote the masterpiece of a citizen comedy, Eastward Bound!, which caused a literary scandal. He wrote "The Great Gatsby" with G. Chapman. He gave up painting and became a priest in 1608. He is buried in the Temple Church in London.

[Mutsumi Nozaki]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

イギリスの劇作家。母はイタリア系。オックスフォード大学卒業後、父の後を継ぐため法学院に進むが、風刺詩執筆をきっかけに文学に転向。代表作は陰謀喜劇『不満の徒』（1604）。ほかに悲喜劇『アントニオとメリダ』（1599）、その続編の流血悲劇『アントニオの復讐(ふくしゅう)』（1599）、『追従屋』（1604～1605？）、悲劇『ソフォニズバ』（1606）など。もっともらしい文学理念を意識的に退け、奇抜な語彙(ごい)を大胆に駆使する文体には、知的ポーズが色濃くにじみ出ている。ことさら暗い汚れたイメージに走りがちな独自の韻文も、その表れといえよう。ベン・ジョンソンと対立し互いに戯曲で応酬した一時期もあるが、1605年、筆禍事件を招いた市民喜劇の傑作『東行き！』をG・チャップマンを加えた3人で合作している。1608年に筆を折り聖職についた。ロンドンのテンプル教会に眠る。

［野崎睦美］

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