English drama at the beginning of the sixteenth century was allegorical, didactic and moralistic; but by the end of the century theater was censured as emotional and even immoral. How could such a change occur? Kent Cartwright suggests that some theories of early Renaissance theater need to be reconsidered. He proposes that humanist drama of the sixteenth century is theatrically exciting and socially significant, and he attempts to integrate popular and humanist values rather than setting them against each other. "...Cartwright insightfully explores how Tudor playwrights developed over the century the rhythms of affective response in their viewers." Choice "Kent Cartwright's book on English drama in the sixteenth century is a beautifully crafted and thoroughly documented work. As the first comprehensive study of the subject in several decades, it addresses the pre-Shakespearean drama that, once upon a time, was a 'must' for undergraduate and graduate students alike who specialized in English literature...it is essential reading...I am convinced that Cartwright's thesis holds weight." Shakespeare Bulletin An account of one hundred years of English drama 1490–1590.