play tragedy written distinction work johnson considered greatest failure death critical consensus right think johnson play performed february production friend pupil play commercial success earned johnson money written point revived lifetime subsequent evidence scale productions making unsuccessful plays written major author background johnson began writing began work father befriended johnson discuss read early drafts point told johnson making suffer play left suffer later johnson joked reserve intend heroine ecclesiastical court fill measure human johnson wrote considerable teaching academy founded johnson spent evenings working play ignoring wife elizabeth known provoked student perform mocking incidents incidents portrayed likely play written johnson fond hoped success belief play inspired johnson finish push performed failed johnson travelled london brought unfinished manuscript johnson tried submit owner manager rejected grounds patron theatre catering types performances johnson tried play printed failed continued revise years manuscript contains draft material earlier june took manager play guaranteed production point johnson hard work dictionary found time work play johnson main source story use relation journey containing description turkish empire life work sultan constantinople captures greek christian named decides mistress pursuing romantically ignores duties monarch soon kingdom falling apart neglect subjects begin riot kills prove dedication people johnson story emphasise theme offers deal muslim preserve life power court urge ruin state court thee ruin smile wishes command globe security shall spread shield thee love thee wings vii johnson goes emphasise pursuit power tends corrupt accepted sultan offer abandoned religious faith falls friend let seek convent cell thoughts intervals pray descend range shall disastrous friendship shed tear lost dull obscurity soul boasted greatness ring state blaze like eagle flies shelter shades life viii result decision queen complex power struggle advisors officer suffering love convinced plotting captains kill dying words reveals true accomplice greek soldier lover safely escaped loved learning distraught maid wish triumph burn fame dominion success conquest sounds remorse seize breast shades dear heard cries dying shall hide world play written blank verse claims reads like heroic rhyme removed poet anxiety strict meter considerations style rhythm sacrificed evident lines johnson pronounced classical form syllables eye contemporary form eye stage history acceptance production prompted johnson finish play changed play title requested changes play acceptable sense theatrical style johnson initially opposed changes complained wants run mad opportunity hands kicking heels johnson friend resolved dispute johnson ultimately carried suggestions included death scene onstage instead originally written opened february unable attend performance illness johnson arrived theatre kind clothing considered distinction dress required playwright wore scarlet gold lace gold laced hat prologue audience play went till came conclusion conclusion question onstage upset audience provoked shouts murder actress quickly left stage successive performances restored johnson original ending play performed nights standards 18th century london respectable run johnson received performances published february johnson received additional ironically view later eclipse financially lucrative work johnson written period career dictionary earned money cast played role cast role notable actors play original cast professional complete cast list according edition follows emperor turks officer turkish captain turkish captain greek lady greek lady critical response admired johnson works found wanting analysed parts rich store noble sentiments fine imagery beautiful language delicate power touching human feelings principle end drama complained johnson faculty producing impressions tragedy sensibility perceive johnson friend recorded author later piece time reading tragedy company house country johnson left room somebody having asked reason replied sir thought better early 20th century consensus opinion summed early tragedy moral dialogues plan verse rank drama suggested explanation play neglect verse dramatic qualities correct isolation fault play day written rhyme easily good things easily remembered lose excellence structure thought vocabulary figures speech rhyme merely argued criticisms play johnson sense theatre worse present conceive themes dramatically obvious failure johnson best poetry poetry statement exposition reflection use language like suggested play better johnson determined write blank verse clearly determined verse shall changed periods shall said audience easily perceive lines end begin remarks blank verse course couldn written absence rhyme movement goes absence wit wit weight johnson biographer attempted defend arguing reason considered bad reader help aware masters english prose style powerful command kind poetic style supreme critics literature language claims contemporary readers able encounter play knowing written bad forget johnson achievements fields literature reading especially depressing experience heart begins sink
Irene (play)