The Poetaster

by Ben Jonson

"The Poetaster" by Ben Jonson is a satirical comedy written in 1601. Set in ancient Rome with the poet Ovid as its principal character, the play became a key salvo in the War of the Theatres—a public feud between Jonson and rival playwrights John Marston and Thomas Dekker. Through clever characterization and biting satire, Jonson explores the poet's moral duties in society while skewering bad poets and their pretentious vocabulary. The play popularized the term "poetaster" for inferior poets with artistic pretensions.