1 6 2 4 . ▁Other ▁comment ators , ▁however , ▁have ▁generally ▁been ▁un con vin ced ▁by ▁Bow ers ' ▁assignment ▁of ▁the ▁play ▁to ▁Rand olph . ▁Some ▁have ▁seen ▁signs ▁of ▁the ▁influence ▁of ▁James ▁Sh ir ley ▁in ▁the ▁play , ▁not ing ▁res embl ances ▁to ▁Sh ir ley ' s ▁The ▁Tra itor ▁( 1 6 3 1 ) ▁and ▁The ▁Young ▁Admir al ▁( 1 6 3 3 ), ▁and ▁have ▁concluded ▁that ▁The ▁Fair y ▁Knight ▁must ▁post - date ▁those ▁plays . ▁Since ▁the ▁MS . ▁includes ▁a ▁ 1 6 5 8 ▁ep it aph ▁( on ▁the ▁" vir tu ous ▁lady ▁Frances ▁M ons on "), ▁critics ▁tend ▁to ▁place ▁the ▁author ship ▁of ▁the ▁play ▁som etime ▁between ▁the ▁mid - 1 6 3 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 6 5 8 ▁— ▁generally ▁too ▁late ▁for ▁Rand olph , ▁who ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 6 3 5 . ▁Crit ics ▁have ▁also ▁noted ▁borrow ings ▁from ▁J ons on ' s ▁The ▁Al chem ist ▁in ▁The ▁Fair y ▁Knight . ▁ ▁The ▁play ▁draw s ▁upon ▁the ▁fair y ▁l ore ▁of ▁the ▁fol kt ales ▁and ▁leg ends ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁Is les , ▁and ▁so ▁can ▁be ▁class ed ▁with ▁similar ▁works ▁like ▁D ray ton ' s ▁N ym ph idia . ▁In ▁the ▁play , ▁Los w ello ▁is ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁the ▁fair y ▁kn ight , ▁while ▁a ▁silly ▁politician ▁called