Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Thomas Middleton and William Rowley's The Changeling. Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.
The Changeling: Introduction
The Changeling: Plot Summary
The Changeling: Detailed Summary & Analysis
The Changeling: Themes
The Changeling: Quotes
The Changeling: Characters
The Changeling: Terms
The Changeling: Symbols
The Changeling: Literary Devices
The Changeling: Theme Wheel
Brief Biography of Thomas Middleton and William Rowley
Historical Context of The Changeling
Other Books Related to The Changeling
- Full Title: The Changeling
- When Written: 1621–1622
- Where Written: London, England
- When Published: 1622 (first performed), 1653 (first published)
- Literary Period: Jacobean
- Genre: Drama, Tragedy
- Setting: A castle and a madhouse in Valencia, Spain
- Climax: Alsemero realizes that his new bride Beatrice has conspired with servant DeFlores to commit murder and adultery.
- Antagonist: Beatrice
Extra Credit for The Changeling
Two Authors, Two Plots. Though the title page of the very first edition of The Changeling credited both Thomas Middleton and William Rowley, it took until the 1800s for scholars to determine which playwright wrote which section. Now, the consensus is that Rowley was in charge of the first scene and the comic subplot at the madhouse, while Middleton focused his attention on the story’s tragic center. This distribution was common for Rowley and Middleton; Rowley often gravitated toward lighter material, whereas Middleton is known for his ability to build toward drama.
Jacobean Job Change. William Rowley and Thomas Middleton often collaborated as writers, but Rowley was also sometimes an actor in Middleton’s plays. In 1624, two years after The Changeling made its way to English stages, Rowley starred as “Fat Bishop,” the comic relief in Middleton’s political play A Game at Chess.