Edmund Kean (March 17, 1787 – May 15, 1833) was an English actor, regarded in his time as the greatest ever. March 17 is the 76th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (77th in Leap years). ... 1787 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... May 15 is the 135th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (136th in leap years). ... 1833 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2005 est. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Kean was born in London, his father was probably Edmund Kean, an architect’s clerk; and his mother was an actress, Anne Carey, daughter of the 18th century composer and playwright Henry Carey. Kean made his first appearance on the stage, aged four, as Cupid in Jean-Georges Noverre’s ballet of Cymon. As a child his vivacity, cleverness and ready affection made him a universal favourite, but his harsh circumstances and lack of discipline, both helped develop self-reliance and fostered wayward tendencies. About 1794 a few benevolent persons paid for him to go to school, where he did well; but finding the restraint intolerable, he shipped as a cabin boy at Portsmouth. Finding life at sea even more restricting, he pretended to be both deaf and lame so skilfully that he deceived the doctors at Madeira. London (pronounced ) is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom. ... Architect at his drawing board, 1893 An architect is a person involved in the planning, designing and oversight of a buildings construction. ... Henry Carey (c. ... Jean-Georges Noverre (April 29, 1727–November 19, 1810) was a French dancer and ballet master, and is considered to be the creator of modern ballet. ... 1794 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Portsmouth is a city of about 189,000 people located in the county of Hampshire on the southern coast of England. ... An editor has expressed a concern that the topic of this article may be unencyclopedic. ... Motto: Das ilhas, as mais belas e livres (Of the islands, the most beautiful and free) Anthem: A Portuguesa (national) Hino da Região Autónoma da Madeira (local) Capital (largest city) Funchal Portuguese Government Autonomous region  - President Alberto João Jardim Independence    - Settled 1420   - Autonomy 1976  Area  - Total 797...

On his return to England he sought the protection of his uncle Moses Kean, mimic, ventriloquist and general entertainer, who, besides continuing his pantomimic studies, introduced him to the study of Shakespeare. At the same time Miss Tidswell, an actress who had been especially kind to him from infancy, taught him the principles of acting. Ventriloquism is an act of deception in which a person (ventriloquist) manipulates his or her voice so that it appears that the voice is coming from elsewhere. ... It has been suggested that The British Pantomime be merged into this article or section. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

On the death of his uncle she took charge of him, and he began the systematic study of the principal Shakespearean characters, displaying the peculiar originality of his genius by interpretations entirely different from those of John Philip Kemble, then considered the great exponent of these roles. Kean’s talents and interesting countenance caused a Mrs Clarke to adopt him, but he took offence at the comments of a visitor and suddenly left her house and went back to his old surroundings. Aged fourteen, he obtained an engagement to play leading characters for twenty nights in York Theatre, appearing as Hamlet, Hastings and Cato. John Philip Kemble (February 1, 1757 - February 26, 1823), was an English actor. ... The third quarto of Hamlet (1605); a straight reprint of the 2nd quarto (1604) The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is a tragedy by William Shakespeare and is one of his best-known and most-quoted plays. ...

Shortly afterwards, while he was in a travelling theatre company, the rumour of his abilities reached George III, who commanded him to appear at Windsor Castle. He subsequently joined Saunders’s circus, where in the performance of an equestrian feat he fell and broke both legs—the accident leaving traces of swelling in his insteps throughout his life. George III (George William Frederick) (4 June 1738 – 29 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until 1 January 1801, and thereafter King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death. ... Windsor Castle: The Round Tower or keep dominating the castle, as seen from the River Thames. ...

About this time he picked up music from Charles Incledon, dancing from D’Egville, and fencing from Angelo. In 1807 he played leading parts in the Belfast theatre with Sarah Siddons, who began by calling him “a horrid little man” and on further experience of his ability said that he “played very, very well”, but that “there was too little of him to make a great actor”. An engagement in 1808 to play leading characters in Beverley’s provincial troupe was brought to an abrupt close by his marriage (July 17) with Mary Chambers of Waterford, the leading actress. Sarah Siddons Sarah Siddons (1755–1831) was a British actress, the best-known of the 18th century. ... 1808 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... July 17 is the 198th day (199th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 167 days remaining. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 52. ...

For several years his prospects were very gloomy, but in 1814 the committee of Drury Lane theatre, which was on the verge of bankruptcy, resolved to give him a chance among the “experiments” they were making to win a return of popularity. When the expectation of his first appearance in London was close upon him he was so feverish that he exclaimed “If I succeed I shall go mad.” Drury Lane is a street in the Covent Garden area of London, running between Aldwych and High Holborn. ...

His opening at Drury Lane on January 26, 1814 as Shylock roused the audience to almost uncontrollable enthusiasm. Successive appearances in Richard III, Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth and King Lear demonstrated his mastery of the range of tragic emotion. His triumph was so great that he himself said on one occasion, “I could not feel the stage under me.” On November 29, 1820 Kean appeared for the first time in New York as Richard III. The success of his visit to America was unequivocal, although he fell into a vexatious dispute with the press. On June 4, 1821 he returned to England. January 26 is the 26th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1814 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Shylock After the Trial by John Gilbert (late 19th century) Shylock is a central character in Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice who famously demanded a pound of flesh from the titular character. ... Frontispage of the First Quarto Richard The Third. ... The third quarto of Hamlet (1605); a straight reprint of the 2nd quarto (1604) The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is a tragedy by William Shakespeare and is one of his best-known and most-quoted plays. ... Title page of the first quarto edition of Othello, published in 1622 The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy by William Shakespeare written around 1603. ... Scene from Macbeth, depicting the witches conjuring of an apparition in Act IV, Scene I. Painting by William Rimmer This article is on Shakespeares play, for other meanings see Macbeth (disambiguation). ... Title page of the first quarto edition, published in 1608 King Lear is generally regarded as one of William Shakespeares greatest tragedies. ... November 29 is the 333rd (in leap years the 334th) day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1820 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Official language(s) English de facto Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area  Ranked 27th  - Total 54,520 sq mi (141,205 km²)  - Width {{{WidthUS}}} miles (455 km)  - Length 330 miles (530 km)  - % water 13. ... June 4 is the 155th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (156th in leap years), with 210 days remaining. ... The coronation banquet for George IV 1821 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

Kean’s lifestyle became a hindrance to his career. The adverse decision in the divorce case of Cox v. Kean on January 17, 1825 caused his wife to leave him, and aroused against him such bitter feeling, shown by the riotous conduct of the audiences before which he appeared about this time, as nearly to compel him to retire permanently into private life. January 17 is the 17th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1825 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

A second visit to America in 1825 was largely a repetition of the persecution which he had suffered in England. Some cities showed him a spirit of charity; many audiences submitted him to insults and even violence. In Quebec he was much impressed with the kindness of some Huron Indians who attended his performances, and he was made chief of the tribe, receiving the name Alanienouidet. Kean’s last appearance in New York was on December 5, 1826 in Richard III, the role in which he was first seen in America. 1825 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Motto: Je me souviens (French: I remember) Official languages French Flower Blue Flag Iris (Iris versicolor Linné) Tree Yellow Birch Bird Snowy Owl Capital Quebec City Largest city Montreal Lieutenant-Governor Lise Thibault Premier Jean Charest (PLQ) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 75 24 Area Total  - Land  - Water  (% of... Huron redirects here. ... December 5 is the 339th day (340th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The oldest surviving photograph, Nicéphore Niépce, circa 1826 1826 (MDCCCXXVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

He returned to England and was ultimately received with favour, but by now he was so dependent on the use of stimulants that the gradual deterioration of his gifts was inevitable. Still, his great powers triumphed during the moments of his inspiration over the absolute wreck of his physical faculties. His appearance in Paris was a failure owing to a fit of drunkenness.

His last appearance on the stage was at Covent Garden, on March 25, 1833, when he played Othello to the Iago of his son, Charles Kean, who was also an accomplished actor. At the words “Villain, be sure,” in scene 3 of act iii, he suddenly broke down, and crying in a faltering voice “O God, I am dying. Speak to them, Charles,” fell insensible into his son’s arms. He died at Richmond upon Thames two months later. In Dublin, Gustavus Vaughan Brooke took up the part of William Tell vacated by Kean. Covent Garden is a district in central London and within the easterly bounds of the City of Westminster. ... March 25 is the 84th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (85th in leap years). ... 1833 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Othello and Iago. ... Charles John Kean (January 18, 1811 - January 22, 1868), was born at Waterford, Ireland, the son of the actor Edmund Kean. ... Richmond is a suburb in southwest London, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. ... Gustavus Vaughan Brooke (25 April 1818 – 11 January 1866) stage actor. ... Statue of Wilhelm Tell and his Son in Altdorf, Switzerland (Richard Kissling, 1895). ...

It was in the impersonation of the great creations of Shakespeare’s genius that the varied beauty and grandeur of the acting of Kean were displayed in their highest form, although probably his most powerful character was Sir Giles Overreach in Philip Massinger’s A New Way to Pay Old Debts, the effect of his first performance of which was such that the pit rose en masse, and even the actors and actresses themselves were overcome by the terrific dramatic illusion. His main disadvantage as an actor was his small stature. Coleridge said, “Seeing him act was like reading Shakespeare by flashes of lightning.” Philip Massinger (1583 - 1640) was an English dramatist. ... Samuel Taylor Coleridge, English poet, 1795 Samuel Taylor Coleridge (October 21, 1772 – July 25, 1834) (pronounced ) was an English poet, critic, and philosopher who was, along with his friend William Wordsworth, one of the founders of the Romantic Movement in England and one of the Lake Poets. ...

If the range of character in which Kean attained supreme excellence was narrow, no one except David Garrick was so successful in so many great roles. Unlike Garrick, Kean had no true talent for comedy, but in the expression of biting and saturnine wit, of grim and ghostly gaiety he was unsurpassed. Portrait of David Garrick David Garrick (February 19, 1717 – January 20, 1779) was an English actor, dramatist, theatrical producer and theatrical manager, and a friend and pupil of Samuel Johnson. ...

His eccentricities at the height of his fame were numerous. Sometimes he would ride recklessly on his horse Khylock throughout the night. He was presented with a tame lion with which he might be found playing in his drawing-room The prize-fighters Mendoza and Richmond the Black were among his visitors. Grattan was his devoted friend. Boxing, nicknamed the sweet science and also called pugilism or prizefighting, is a sport where two participants of similar weight attack each other with their fists in a series of one to three-minute intervals called rounds. In both Amateur and Professional divisions, the combatants (called boxers or fighters) avoid... Daniel Mendoza (5 July 1764 – 3 September 1836) was an English-Jewish prizefighter, who was heavy-weight boxing champion of England 1792-1795 and is considered the father of scientific boxing. Was well known for transforming the stereotypical image of a Jew at the time from a weak, indefensible person... Bill Richmond (1763 - December 28, 1829) was an American boxer, born a slave in Cuckolds Town (now Richmondtown), Staten Island, New York. ... Henry Grattan (July 3, 1746 - June 6, 1820) was a member of the Irish House of Commons and a campaigner for legislative freedom for the Irish Parliament in the late 18th century. ...

In his earlier days, Talma said of him, “He is a magnificent uncut gem; polish and round him off and he will be a perfect tragedian.” Macready, who was much impressed by Kean’s Richard III and met the actor at supper, speaks of his “unassuming manner ... partaking in some degree of shyness” and of the “touching grace” of his singing. Kean’s delivery of the three words “I answer—!” in the part of Sir Edward Mortimer in The Iron Chest, cast Macready into an abyss of despair at rivalling him in this role. So full of dramatic interest is the life of Edmund Kean that it formed the subject for a play by the elder Dumas, entitled Kean, ou Désordre et génie, in which Frederick-Lemaître achieved one of his greatest triumphs. François Joseph Talma (January 15, 1763 - 1826) was a French actor. ... William Charles Macready (March 3, 1793 - April 27, 1873), English actor, was born in London, and educated at Rugby. ... Alexandre Dumas redirects here. ...

See Francis Phippen, Authentic Memoirs of Edmund Kean (London, 1814); BW Procter (Barry Cornwall), The Life of Edmund Kean (Boston, 1835); TW Hawkins, The Life of Edmund Kean (London, 1869); Lewes, On Actors and the Art of Acting (London, 1875); Baker, Our Old Actors, (London, 1881); Edwin Booth, "Edmund Kean," in Actors and Actresses of Great Britain and the United States, edited by Matthews and Hutton, volume iii (New York, 1886); J Fitzgerald Molloy, The Life and Adventures of Edmund Kean, Tragedian, 1787-1833 (London, 1897); Edward Stirling, Old Drury Lane (London, 1887). Bryan Waller Procter (November 21, 1787 - October 5, 1874) was an English poet. ... George Henry Lewes (April 18, 1817 – November 28, 1878) was a British philosopher and literary critic. ... James Brander Matthews (born February 21, 1852 in New Orleans; died March 31, 1929 in New York City), was a U.S. writer and educator. ... Laurence Hutton (1843-1904) was an American essayist and critic, born in New York City and educated privately there. ...

Trivia

In Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, one of the con artists poses as Kean. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, the lead section of this article may need to be expanded. ... Huckleberry Finn and Jim Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885) by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) is commonly accounted as the first Great American Novel. ...

References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.