William Davenant
Who was William Davenant?
English poet and playwright
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on William Davenant (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Sir William Davenant, baptized on 3 March 1606 in Oxford and dying on 7 April 1668 in London, was an English poet and playwright with a career spanning two key periods in English theater history. Educated at Lincoln College, Oxford, he became an important figure in the shift from the early seventeenth-century Caroline theater to the Restoration stage following the English Civil War. His work and connections kept him at the heart of English literary and dramatic life for over forty years.
Davenant was said to be the godson of William Shakespeare, whose ties to the Davenant family came from staying at the Crown Inn in Oxford, owned by Davenant's father. Young William reportedly wrote a memorial ode for Shakespeare at just twelve years old. As he got older, rumors suggested he might have been Shakespeare’s illegitimate son, a claim Davenant sometimes supported, though it was never proven. Regardless of the truth, Shakespeare’s influence clearly fueled Davenant's literary dreams early on.
In 1638, Davenant became Poet Laureate, following Ben Jonson. By then, he was already known as a playwright and masque writer with works performed at King Charles I's court and supported by the queen. When the English Civil War started, Davenant sided with the Royalists, taking on a military role and facing serious consequences for his loyalty. He was captured by Parliamentarian forces and sentenced to death in 1650, but was supposedly saved by poet John Milton, a significant gesture that crossed political divides.
After Charles II’s Restoration in 1660, Davenant played a key role in reorganizing English theater. He received one of two royal patents to run a London theater company, which became the Duke's Company. He brought major changes to the stage, such as using moveable painted scenery and casting women in female roles, replacing boy actors. These changes had a lasting impact on English theater.
In his later years, Davenant also adapted Shakespeare’s plays, some of which were criticized for significant changes, though they matched the tastes and needs of the Restoration stage. He died in London on 7 April 1668 and was buried in Westminster Abbey. His career, from the early Stuarts' courts to the reopened theaters under Charles II, gives him a unique place in English drama history.
Before Fame
William Davenant was born into a well-to-do family in Oxford, where his father ran the Crown Inn, a popular spot that drew travelers, including William Shakespeare. Growing up surrounded by literary influences in Oxford shaped his upbringing. He studied at Lincoln College, Oxford, but left without a degree, which was fairly common for young men of his status and aspirations at that time.
Davenant headed to London, where he joined the literary and court circles needed for success in the early seventeenth century. He gained the support of aristocratic patrons and started writing plays and court masques during Charles I's reign. His connections with notable figures like Ben Jonson and his ties to Queen Henrietta Maria's court helped him build a name as a writer of both dramas and lyric poems before he was appointed to the top literary position in the country.
Key Achievements
- Appointed Poet Laureate in 1638, succeeding Ben Jonson in the role
- Granted one of only two royal patents to operate a theatre company after the Restoration of 1660, founding the Duke's Company
- Introduced women performers and moveable painted scenery to the Restoration stage
- Maintained an active career as playwright and poet spanning both the Caroline and Restoration eras
- Produced court masques for the court of Charles I and later adapted Shakespeare's works for Restoration audiences
Did You Know?
- 01.Davenant reportedly wrote a memorial ode for William Shakespeare when he was only twelve years old, honouring the playwright he claimed as his godfather.
- 02.He was sentenced to death by Parliamentarian forces in 1650, and according to tradition, his life was saved by the personal intervention of the poet John Milton.
- 03.Davenant is credited with introducing moveable painted scenery to the English stage during the Restoration period, fundamentally changing the visual experience of theatre.
- 04.He sometimes encouraged rumours that he was the illegitimate son of William Shakespeare rather than merely his godson, a claim that was never proven.
- 05.Davenant was one of only two individuals granted a royal patent by Charles II to operate a London theatre company after the Restoration, giving him a near-monopoly on licensed dramatic performance.