The Seven Deadly Sins was a two-part play written c. 1585, attributed toRichard Tarlton, and most likely premiered by his company,Queen Elizabeth's Men.^[1] The play drew upon themedieval tradition of themorality play; though it was very popular in its time, no copy of either part has survived.

The play is significant, however, because the "plot" ofPart 2 still exists; it was discovered in the cover of a 17th-century manuscript play,The Tell Tale, in a collection atDulwich College. Originally assumed to be part ofEdward Alleyn's papers, subsequent investigation suggests it was part of the collection bequeathed by player-bookseller William Cartwright the younger (c.1606–86), and was obtained byEdmond Malone when he traded the college some old religious tracts for plays from the Cartwright bequest.^[2] As the term was used inEnglish Renaissance theatre, the "plot" of a play was a chart that summarized its action; it was posted in the "tiring house" or backstage area of a theatre. The plot ofS.D.S. 2 has a square hole punched in its middle, where it was hung on a board for all to read. The cast members of an Elizabethan dramatic production had their own parts written out for them, with relevant entrances and cues — but they did not have their own individual copies of the play text as a whole. So the posted plot was an important resource in keeping the production organized. Surviving Elizabethan plots are extremely rare — only half a dozen exist.^[3]

The existing plot forS.D.S. 2 is not from the original production c. 1585, but from a later production c. 1597–98.^[4] It was acted by personnel fromChamberlain's Men atThe Theatre, the first of the large public theatres of theElizabethan era.^[5] The plot shows thatPart 2 consisted of episodes concerning three of theseven deadly sins, Envy, Sloth, and Lechery;S.D.S. 1 must therefore have dealt with Greed, Gluttony, Wrath, and Pride.

That cast names many of the players of theLord Chamberlain's Men, including two boys apprenticed toJohn Heminges in 1595 and 1597.^[6] The plot refers to the production's personnel sometimes under the actors' names, sometimes by nicknames, and sometimes only by their roles; but at least a partial reconstruction of the actors and their roles is possible:^[7]

"Ro. Go.," the actor (most likely aboy player) who filled a female role, might have beenRobert Gough, who was with the Chamberlain's/King's troupe down to 1621. "Kit" might have beenChristopher Beeston, who was with the Chamberlain's in the 1598–1602 period.^[8] The plot also mentionsRobert Pallant,John Duke, andJohn Holland, all Lord Chamberlain's Men, and Thomas Goodale, a hired player. Other players named on the lot include Vincent (Thomas Vincent?), T. Belt (Thomas Belt), Saunder (Alexander Cooke), Nick (Nicholas Tooley?), Ned (Edmund Shakespeare?), and Will (William Ostler?William Ecclestone?).^[9]

• Chambers, E. K.The Elizabethan Stage. 4 Volumes, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1923.
• Gurr, Andrew.The Shakespearean Stage 1574–1642. Third edition, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1992.
• Halliday, F. E.A Shakespeare Companion 1564–1964. Baltimore, Penguin, 1964.
• Kathman, David."Reconsidering the Seven Deadly Sins",Early Theatre Vol. 7 (2004), pp. 13–44.
• Kathman, David."The Seven Deadly Sins and Theatrical Apprenticeship",Early Theatre Vol. 14 (2011), pp. 121–39.
• McMillin, Scott. "Greg, Fleay, and the Plot of2 Seven Deadly Sins,"Medieval and Renaissance Drama in England, Vol. 4 (1989), pp. 3–62.
• Nunzeger, Edwin.A Dictionary of Actors and of Others Associated with the Representation of Plays in England Before 1642. New Haven, Yale University Press, 1929.

• The Seven Deadly Sins atLost Plays Database
• The Second Part of the Seven Deadly Sins atLost Plays Database

• English Renaissance plays
• 1580s plays
• Seven deadly sins in popular culture

• Use dmy dates from April 2022