Explore articles that examine Florio's influence on Shakespeare, highlighting their connections through texts, shared patrons, friends, and adversaries.
John Florio was a contemporary of Shakespeare and is widely recognized by scholars of late sixteenth-century England as someone whom Shakespeare must have known well, particularly due to Florio’s notable contributions to literature. The connection between Florio and Shakespeare appears to be significant, especially regarding intertextual influences. This has led some critics to propose the audacious theory that Florio may have actually been the true author of Shakespeare’s plays (Gerevini 2008, Tassinari 2016). More conservative hypotheses suggest that Florio may have played a direct role in the editing of the First Folio (Frampton 2013) and underscore Shakespeare’s reliance on Florio’s English translation of Montaigne’s Essays (Conley 1986), a work that Shakespeare likely read extensively, drawing valuable insights and information from it (Greenblatt and Platt 2014).
The collaboration between Florio and Shakespeare is seen as a potential source for the works that eventually became solely attributed to Shakespeare, often overshadowing Florio’s contributions due to his foreign origins. Several explanations support this theory, the most prominent being Florio’s deep knowledge of Italian authors, culture, and language, which resonates throughout Shakespeare’s plays. Both men shared patrons and friends, and they faced criticism from mutual adversaries such as Thomas Nashe and Robert Greene. Notably, playwright Ben Jonson, who was a friend of Florio, referred to him as the “Ayde of his Muses.” Moreover, Florio was the first to translate Montaigne’s Essays into English, a significant source that has been frequently cited in discussions about Shakespeare’s works, both before and after Florio’s translation. Like Shakespeare, Florio also contributed to the English language, coining more than a thousand new words, many of which, along with various compounds and proverbs, are often mistakenly attributed to Shakespeare. Additionally, there are claims that Florio served as the primary editor of the First Folio, further cementing his influence on Shakespearean literature. On this page, you can delve into different articles that explore the influence of Florio’s works and life on Shakespeare, showcasing their connections through textual evidence, mutual patrons, friends, and shared enemies.
