The Fancies Chaste and Noble

John Ford (1586-1637) was an English playwright and poet whose interest in aberrant psychology helped him create very unique and very successful works. After collaboration with various playwrights, from about 1621 to 1625, Ford began working independently, writing plays for theatrical companies like the "Kings Men" at the Blackfriars. Following the literary reign of such figures as Jonson, Marlowe, and Shakespeare, Ford felt the need to shock and intrigue audiences with new and exciting material. "The Fancies Chaste and Noble" is a fascinating Caroline era stage play. Treated as a comedy, Ford's subject matter focused on the then-fashionable topic of platonic love. The approach he gave the subject, however, was bluntly condemned for its crudeness and prurience by the public and critics of the day. The strange obsession of English Renaissance drama is displayed in Ford's work as the play heavily relies on the spectra of high merit and morality tested by false accusations, uncertainties and tricks.