Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

OLD WOMAN

in Rule a Wife and Have a Wife — Fletcher, John

Metadata

PlayRule a Wife and Have a Wife
AuthorFletcher, John
Year (catalogued)1640
First performance1624
Decade1640s
GenreComedy
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyKing's Men
Speech prefix(es)Old wo. | Old wo | Old Wom • | Old. wo.
Words211
Characters1086
Typicality0.30 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA00967
BritDrama no.2141
ClusterCluster 1 — Wives, widows & intimate counsel

Important excerpts

No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).

Full speech

Are your trunks open? Where's your gentlewoman? The young fair woman. Is she truly, truly your wife. If you be married to that Gentlewoman, You are a wretched man, she has twenty husbands. And she has cozened all sir. She is indeed but little, but she is wondrous fair Her own Mistress, her very Mistress, Sir, and all you saw About, and in that house was hers. Abominable poor, as poor as we are, Money as rare to her unless she steal it. But for one civil gown his Lady gave his, She may go bore good Gentlewoman. You may find truth as soon, Alas a thousand concealed corners sir, she lurks in, And here she gets a fleece, and there another, And lives in mists and smokes where none can find her. Little better Gentleman, I dare not say she is so sir, because She is yours, sir, but these 5 years she has firked A pretty living, Until she came to serve; I fear he will knock my Brains out for lying. And I deserve it, I tell but truth. You are cozened too, 'tis none of hers good gentle man, It is a Ladies, what's the Ladies name wench. Would what would you have? A young sweet Lady.

Plot summary

Plot — Rule a Wife and Have a Wife
Perez, gathering his troops in preparation for an expedition to Flanders, is visited by the veiled Estefania. She piques his interest by refusing to show her face; on their second meeting, he woos her, hastily marries her, abandons his military career, and moves into what she claims to be her house, bringing with him what he claims to be a trunk of jewels. In fact the house belongs to Margarita; Estefania is no lady but a former servant. Margarita intends to marry, but when her older confidantes remind her of the joys of promiscuity, she decides on a husband who will be content to be cuckolded. Her waiting-woman Altea recommends Leon, who has just evaded military recruitment by feigning folly, and who agrees to be his wife’s subordinate in the marriage, no better than her household servants. The newlyweds arrive unexpectedly at Margarita’s city house, surprising Estefania and her husband. Estefania claims that she has lent the house to Margarita (whom she claims as a kinswoman), to facilitate the cozening of a lover. Perez moves temporarily into lodgings, whereupon Estefania steals the contents of his trunk. She later discovers the jewels to be counterfeit, and gets her own back by encouraging Perez to take possession of ‘his’ house; when he attempts to do so, he is rebuffed by Leon. She presents the jewels to the rich tradesman Cacafuego, persuading him that they are a love-gift from Margarita. In return, he gives her money which she hands over to Perez: evidently she has something to bring to the marriage after all. Now married to Margarita, Leon proves less subservient than she bargained for. She entertains the Duke of Medina to dinner, but Leon refuses to serve any food until he is introduced to the guests and treated as her husband, the host. The Duke tries to get rid of him by sending him a commission to lead a troop of cavalry in Flanders; but he intends to take Margarita along with him, and has all her property packed up. When Margarita cannot dissuade him by entreaty, sickness, or feigned pregnancy, the Duke admits that the commission was a fake. Leon's response is to plan a trip to visit Margarita’s commercial interests in the Indies. To delay her departure and extend her opportunities for adultery, the Duke arranges to be ‘injured’ in a fight outside the house so that he can be lodged there during his convalescence. Threatened with humiliation, Margarita submits herself to her husband. Cacafuego visits the house to show Margarita some jewels,…