The Shoemaker's Holiday

The Shoemaker's Holiday or the Gentle Craft is an Elizabethan play written by Thomas Dekker. The play was first performed in 1599 by the Admiral's Men, and it falls into the subgenre of city comedy. The story features three subplots: an inter-class romance between a citizen of London and an aristocrat, the ascension of shoemaker Simon Eyre to Lord Mayor of London, and a romance between a gentleman and a shoemaker's wife, whose husband appears to have died in the wars with France. The play is a "citizen" drama, or a depiction of the life of members of London's livery companies, and it follows in Dekker's style of depicting everyday life in London. The events of the play occur during the reign of King Henry VI, though also hinting at the reign of Henry V. Henry V succeeded his father, Henry IV, as leader of England following Henry IV's death in 1413 at the age of 26. He is best known for securing the French crown and for his depiction in Shakespeare's plays Henry IV, Part 1, Henry IV, Part 2, and Henry V. Dekker uses this correlation in The Shoemaker's Holiday, as an English king appears in scenes 19 and 21; however, he is only identified as "The King" in the speech prefix in the first printed edition of the play. Characters Rowland Lacy: Love interest of Rose Otley. Lacy avoids going to war by taking on the identity of Hans, a Dutch shoemaker. Rose Otley: The daughter of Roger Otley and the love interest of Rowland Lacy. Sir Roger Otley: The Lord Mayor of London and father of Rose. He attempts to marry Rose to Hammon. Sir Hugh Lacy: The Earl of Lincoln and Rowland's uncle. He attempts to have Rowland sent to war. Askew: Lacy's cousin. Simon Eyre: A master Shoemaker for whom Hans and Ralph work. Eyre is based on the historical figure Simon Eyre (1395–1458) a London merchant and artisan who was elected Lord Mayor in 1445. Margery Eyre: The wife of Simon Eyre. Roger: Simon Eyre's foreman, known as Hodge. Ralph: Simon Eyre's journeyman and husband to Jane. He is drafted into the war. A boy: Servant of Simon Eyre. Jane: Wife of Ralph.