The Puritan Attack (II): Philip Stubbes

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 wikia®. http://turtledove.wikia.com/wiki/Philip_Stubbes. November 12, 2010)

Written in 1583, The Anatomie of Abuses speaks aloud on behalf of Puritans and launches yet another wave of attack on the theatre. Philip Stubbes, its author, condemns the act of making God a laughing stock and concludes that it leads to eternal damnation. In a section entitled "Of Stage-Playes, and Enterluds, with their wickedness," he says, "at no hand it is not lawfull to mix scurrilitie with divinitie, nor divinitie with scurrilitie" (Furnivall 141).*

While humanists may argue that the theatre may provide the audience with good examples to learn from, Stubbes again in his work refutes such an argument by asserting that if people do learn from characters in plays the only reason would be they desire to acquire skills to cheat, to laugh, to deceive, and seeking pleasure in bawdiness, rebellion, and blasphemy (ibid).

The damage done by Stubbes and his Anatomie to laughter and comedy is that--"Humour then proves to be incompatible with Christianity, because it is too (end of 182) irreverent and offensive to fit into the serious commitment of any follower of God's words. (Figueroa-Dorrego & Larkin-Galiñanes 182-183)

*Furnivall, Frederick J. ed. Philip Stubbes's Anatomy of the Abuses in England in Shakespeare's Youth. London: New Shakespeare Society-Trübner and Co, 1877-82.