Famous as the writer of the first American play to be professionally performed, Tyler was also lawyer, a professor, and a Chief Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court.

Primary Works

The contrast; a comedy. (1787) With an introd. by Thomas J. McKee. NY: B. Franklin, 1970. PS855.T7 C6 (E-Text)

The Algerine Captive (novel), 1797.

The Yankey in London (travel book), 1809.

Four Plays ("The Island of Barrataria," "The Origin of the Feast of Purim," "Joseph and His Brethren," and "The Judgement of Solomon." Eds. A. W. Peach and G. F. Newbrough, 1941.

The Verse of Royall Tyler. Collected and edited by Marius B. Peladeau. Charlottesville: UP of Virginia, 1968. PS855.T7 A6

The Prose of Royall Tyler. Collected and edited by Marius B. Peladeau.

| Top | Selected Bibliography

Bassett, T. D. Seymour. "Discovery of Royall Tyler's Unfinished Essay 'The Touchstone'." Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America 73 (1979): 346-48.

Borkat, Roberta F. S. "Lord Chesterfield Meets Yankee Doodle: Royall Tyler's The Contrast." Midwest Quarterly 17 (1976): 436-39.

Carson, Ada Lou. ""Thomas Pickman Tyler's "Memoirs of Royall Tyler": An Annotated Edition." DAI 46.10 (Apr 1986): AAT 8526403. U. of Minnesota.

Carson, Ada Lou, and Herbert L. Carson. Royall Tyler. Boston: Twayne, 1979. PS855.T7 Z6

Davidson, Cathy N., and Arnold E. Davidson. "Royall Tyler's The Algerine Captive: A Study in Contrasts." Ariel 7.3 (1976): 53-67.

Dennis, Larry R. "Legitimizing the Novel: Royall Tyler's The Algerine Captive." Early American Literature 9 (1974): 71-80.

Engell, John. "Narrative Irony and National Character in Royall Tyler's The Algerine Captive." Studies in American Fiction 17.1 (Sprg. 1989): 19-32.

Evelev, John. "The Contrast: The Problem of Theatricality and Politcal Crisis in Postrevolutionary America." Early American Literature 31.1 (1996): 74-97.

Lauber, John. "The Contrast: A Study in the Concept of Innocence." English Language Notes 1 (1963): 33-37.

Meserve, Walter J. ed. On stage, America! : a selection of distinctly American plays. NY: Feedback Theatrebooks & Prospero Press, 1996. PS625 .O5 1996

(CONTENTS:The contrast / by Royall Tyler -- Metamora / by John Augustus Stone -- The stage-struck Yankee / by Oliver Everett Durivage-- Fashion / by Anna Cora Benjamin A. Baker -- Rip Van Winkle / as acted by Joseph Jefferson -- Under the gaslight / by Augustin Daly -- Young Mrs. Winthrop / by Bronson Howard -- The old homestead / by Denman Thompson -- Margaret Fleming / by James A. Herne -- A trip to Chinatown / by Charles H. Hoyt -- The girl of the golden West / by David Belasco.)

| Top | Peladeau, Marius B. "Royall Tyler's Other Plays." New England Quarterly 40 (1967): 48-60.

Pressman, Richard S. "Class Positioning and Shays' Rebellion: Resolving the Contradictions of The Contrast." Early American Literature 21.2 (Fall 1986): 87-102.

- - -. "Letter to the Editor: (On 'Class Positioning and Shays' Rebellion')." Early American Literature 22.2 (Fall 1987): 230.

Richardson, Gary A. "Nationalizing the American Stage: The Drama of Royall Tyler and William Dunlap as Post Colonial Phenomena." Making America/Making American Literature. Eds. Robert A. Lee and W. M. Verhoeven. Amsterdam: Rodopi, 1996. 221-48.

Rinehart, Lucy. "A Nation's 'Noble Spectacle': Royall Tyler's The Contrast as Metatheatrical Commentary." American Drama 3.2 (Sprg 1994): ,29-52.

Siebert, Donald T., Jr. "Royall Tyler's 'Bold Example': The Contrast and the English Comedy of Manners." Early American Literature 13 (1978): 3-11.

Stein, Roger B. "Royall Tyler and the Question of Our Speech." New England Quarterly 38 (1965): 454-74.

Tanselle, G. Thomas. "Some Uncollected Authors XLII: Royall Tyler, 1757-1826." Book Collector 15 (1966): 303-320.

- - -. "Author and Publisher in 1800: Letters of Royall Tyler and Joseph Nancrede." Harvard Library Bulletin 15 (1967): 129-139.

- - -. Royall Tyler. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1967.

- - -. "Royall Tyler, Judith Sargent Murray, and The Medium." New England Quarterly 41 (1968): 115-17.

- - -. "The Editing of Royall Tyler." Early American Literature 9 (1974): 83-95.

MLA Style Citation of this Web Page

Reuben, Paul P. "Chapter 8: American Drama - Royall Tyler." PAL: Perspectives in American Literature- A Research and Reference Guide. URL: http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap2/tyler.html (provide page date or date of your login). | Top | Back | Chap 2 | Alphabetical List | Contents | PAL Home | Literature | Home |