The Family of Love and The Phoenix: Early Developments of a Theme.

Middleton, Thomas, 1580-1627; English drama (Comedy); Family of Love, The (Theatrical production); Phoenix, The (Theatrical production); Story plots; English dramatists

An essay on Thomas Middleton's English comedies and how he develops a theme is presented. Middleton's early attempts to express his perception of the dangerous inclination of mankind to accept surface appearances as internal realities are exhibited in the plays "The Family of Love" and "The Phoenix." Each play illustrates a different form of the confusion between outer show and inner truth. In these early works Middleton still believes a man, exposed to himself and the world, can amend his ways.