SOURCE: Armistead, J. M. “Providence and the Fallen Psyche: Caesar Borgia; Son of Pope Alexander the Sixth: A Tragedy (1679),” and “Lee's Artistry.” In Nathaniel Lee, pp. 106-121; 174-78. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1979.

In the first essay below, Armistead argues that while Caesar Borgia is a play with few overt political overtures, it is nevertheless full of psychological and moral undercurrents that show the corruption of the author's world. In the second, Armistead assesses Lee's cumulative dramatic output, noting his lyrical style and the themes of political corruption, social disorder, evil, and madness in his work.

Providence and the Fallen Psyche: Caesar Borgia; Son of Pope Alexander the Sixth: a Tragedy (1679)

To the informed reader, Caesar Borgia is one of Lee's most rewarding compositions, though it is commonly thought little more than a terror-filled, verbose affair hastily thrown together to compensate for the prohibition of The Massacre of Paris. Some...