Richard Brome

Richard Brome , c.1590-1652, English dramatist. He was the friend, servant, and disciple of Ben Jonson. Primarily a writer of realistic satiric comedy, picturing the life and manners of Caroline bourgeois London, he also produced several tragicomedies, but with much less success. The main features of his plays are the humor characters (see humor ), complicated comic intrigue, and an abundance of action. The majority of his comedies were performed between 1629 and 1642, the most noteworthy being The Northern Lass, The City Wit, and The Jovial Crew.

Bibliography: See study by R. J. Kaufmann (1961).

Brome, Richard (c.1590–1652/3) was servant or perhaps secretary to Jonson, whose friendship he afterwards enjoyed and whose influence is clear in his works, as is that of Dekker. Among the best of his 15 surviving plays are his comedy The Northern Lass (printed 1632), his earliest extant play; The Sparagus Garden (acted 1635), a comedy of manners; The City Witt (a comedy, printed 1653) which tells of the comic revenge taken by easy-going young Crasy, who disguises himself and punishes his virago mother-in-law and his wife's suitors, and others who have taken advantage of his past generosity; and his masterpiece The Joviall Crew (acted 1641), a romantic comedy.