Abstract
Biographers, anxious to turn Edmund Kean's life into a cautionary tale of genius ruined by success, happily agreed with the actor's pitiable, if, perhaps, staged confession. In fact, the convenient excuse of drink was revived for many of Kean's failures. Given Kean's love of sycophants, not to mention Byron's position on the Drury Lane Committee, it seems logical to assume that Kean would have done his best in the role. According to Jonathan Bate, the statement implied that Keats was interested in reviving "Shakespearean dramatic poetry as Kean had revived Shakespearean acting”. Inexperienced and financially distressed playwrights like Keats were easy prey for Kean, but he also toyed with well-known dramatists. It is clear that Kean's power both within the playhouse and with his audience was such that he was able to control his own play selections. In rejecting perfectly good plays and ruining still others, Kean discouraged new playwrights from offering their work to Drury Lane.