First published in English in 1965, this book discusses the roots and development of the dumb show as a device in Elizabethan drama. The work provides not only a useful manual for those who wish to check the occurrence of dumb shows and the uses to which they are put; it also makes a real contribution to a better understanding of the progress of Elizabethan drama, and sheds new light on some of the lesser known plays of the period.

Mehl, Dieter

1. Origins and Beginnings 2. Forms of the Dumb Show 3. The Classical Tragedies 4. Thomas Kyd 5. The 'University Wits' 6. Popular Plays of Legendary Heroes and Adventure 7. William Shakespeare 8. John Marston 9. Thomas Middleton 10. Romantic Tragicomedy