Londres, les années 1620

Abstract

The author looks at current events in early 17th century England, a period in which news appeared in the first newspapers, known as corantos, but was also the theme of plays about those who wrote and sold the news. Many of the news items were “false” or “forged” (though they were not what we would call fake news). The author examines London corantos of the 1620s and the satirical treatment they received from playwright Ben Jonson, who lampooned the growing appetite for such fanciful and fantastical reports. The author is particularly interested in news from abroad and the sources of such news, not least because the appearance of corantos in London coincided with the start of the Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648).

Keywords

• theater
• Ben Jonson
• corantos
• news
• London