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Thomas Heywood
(c. 1574—1641) playwright and poet
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(1533–1641),
was writing for Henslowe's Admiral's Men in 1596, and later became a leading dramatist of Queen Anne's and Lady Elizabeth's Men. He claimed to have written over 200 plays, many of which are lost; his chief strength lay in domestic drama. His best plays are A Woman Killed with Kindness (acted 1603, printed 1607), The Fair Maid of the West (printed 1631), and The English Traveller (printed 1633). His An Apology for Actors (1612) is the best Jacobean summary of traditional arguments in defence of the stage. He also published poems (including The Hierarchy of the Blessed Angels, 1635), translations, and pageants for seven Lord Mayor's shows.
