Those with a keen interest in the ups and downs of Imperial Rome, or the heedless comparison between this age and King James' England (even our own oily oligarchies) might find something of interest in this play. Others who have a fixation on line-for-line adaptation of classical historians like Tac

Apparently booed off the stage on its first performance (with one William Shakespeare playing the Emperor Tiberius), this is Jonson's go at Senecan poetic tragedy, and, while there are some great bits, it feels a bit lacking in something. Whereas one kind of gets behind Marlowe's antiheroes, and fin

read at college, a searingly brilliant read, about political machinations of course, and with no illusions. The play of language is just perfect. You come away battered. Is that good? Yes.

Very long indeed, even by Ben's standards, and with little redeeming lightness about it. Some very good speeches, but I'll stick to "I, Claudius" for my history of this period, thanks.

Sejanus was the first full play of Ben Jonson's that I have read and it is certainly an unorthodox choice. Jonson was best known for his comedies having written little tragedy.

The storyline itself follows a familiar Renaissance arc. We see an overreaching achiever humbled by a precipitous fall. As w

Some very good poetry that did not make up a very good play.

This play has an interesting plot, but it's so difficult to understand because Jonson's writing is so entrenched in the era and antiquated.

This is a moderately entertaining play to read. It moves quickly and features some nice poetry as well as a crescendo of action that leads to a surprise twist at the end. Overall, though, its purpose outweighs its art. Jonson’s theme is painted with a blunt brush. Sejanus is a stock villain. There’s