... at this point their objections came to nothing. After this many tracts were produced warning about the evil and ungodly teachings of plays. In his Anatomie of Abuses of 1583 Philip Stubbes strongly condemns stage plays.1 He claims that they 'maintaine bawdrie, insinuate foolery, and renue the remembrance of heathen ydolatrie.' He gives us proof by looking at the people 'flocking and running to Theatres and curtens, daylie and hourely, night and daye, tyme and tyde to see Playes and Enterludes, where such wanton gestures, such bawdie speeches... such clipping and culling: such winckinge and glancinge of wanton eyes, and the lyke is used, as is wonderfull to behold.'2 Stubbes, like many other writers of these tracts, is mainly against playing on the Sabbath but in this attack we can see also the concern for the 'idolatry' commanded by the stage. He is also aware of the fact that many ...

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