Cleone (play)

Cleone
Illustration from published version of play.
Written by	Robert Dodsley
Date premiered	2 December 1758
Place premiered	Covent Garden Theatre, London
Original language	English
Genre	Tragedy

Cleone is a 1758 tragedy by the British writer Robert Dodsley.

The original Covent Garden cast included David Ross as Silfroy, Luke Sparks as Glanville, Isaac Ridout as Beaufort senior and George Anne Bellamy as Cleone.

Plot summary

The plot concerns a woman named Cleone, whose brother in law, Granville, attempts to convince her husband that she is unfaithful. Granville plots to have his servant kill Cleone so Granville can frame his own brother, Beaufort for the murder; Granville plans to have it believed that Beaufort has murdered Cleone in a jealous rage. Granville carries out this scheme under the pretext that he is avenging himself against Beaufort for stealing his fortune, but in reality, Granville is motivated by his jealousy of Cleone, who has rebuffed his advances towards her. Granville's servant accidentally murders Cleone's child instead of his intended target. Granville and his servant are found out and arrested by the police. Despite the attempts of her father, brother, and husband to rehabilitate her, an aggrieved Cleone dies of madness.

Bibliography

• Nicoll, Allardyce. A History of English Drama 1660–1900: Volume III. Cambridge University Press, 2009.
• Hogan, C.B (ed.) The London Stage, 1660–1800: Volume V. Southern Illinois University Press, 1968.
• Dodsley, Robert Cleone a Tragedy as it is Acted at the Theatre-Royal at Covent Garden, the Fourth Edition. Printed for J. Dodsley at Pall Mall, 1771