in Cornelia (Pompey the Great His Fair Cornelia's Tragedy) — Kyd, Thomas, trans.; Garnier, Robert
Metadata
Play
Cornelia (Pompey the Great His Fair Cornelia's Tragedy)
Author
Kyd, Thomas, trans.; Garnier, Robert
Year (catalogued)
1594
First performance
1594
Decade
1590s
Genre
Tragedy
Play type
Closet (?) Translation
Speech prefix(es)
Phil. | Phillip.
Words
179
Characters
1067
Typicality
0.26 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A01500
BritDrama no.
954
Cluster
Cluster 10 — Mourners, mothers & doleful voices
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
Pompey's tender bones, which (in extremes) and earthen Urn containeth. Alas that profits nought. Heavens will perform what they have promised. The plaints of men oppressed, do pierce the air. "Endue punishment "Succeeds not always after and offence. "For oftentimes t'is for our chastisement "That heaven does with wicked men dispense. "That when they list, they may with usury, "For all misdeeds pay home the penalty. Caesar bewailed his death. He punished his murderers. Photis and false Achillas he beheaded. What God he by his death? Yet Caesar speaks of Pompey honourably. He will not let his statues be broke. He took no pleasure in his death you see. Nay, he was moved with former amity. I fear your griefs increase with this discourse. "Time calmeth all things. Can nothing then recure these endless tears? Madam, beware, for should he hear of this, his wrath against you will exasperate. T'is policy to fear a powerful hate. Madam what cannot men that have the pour to do what pleases them? Yes, cause your death. With rigorous torments. Cease these laments.
Plot summary
Plot — Cornelia (Pompey the Great His Fair Cornelia's Tragedy)
Gigéfo laments the decline of Rome: after presumptuously conquering the nations of the world, the city has been laid waste by civil war, and now lives under a tyrant. @6ffélia laments the successive deaths of her two husbands, Gfassiis and Pompey. She and Gieér dispute which is greater: the common grief or hers in particular. He talks her out of committing suicide. She sees her dead husband in a dream; he tells her that her father has been killed in the African war, and asks her to send their son Sextus away from Rome for his own safety. Philip, a witness to Pompey’s murder, brings his ashes to @6FHelia. Both Cicero and Cornelia look forward to Caesar’s violent downfall. ’ Caesar returns to Rome in triumph. His supporter Decimus Brutus fears that he intends to assume absolute power in Rome; in that event, he and @assils plan to kill the tyrant. MaFR§AMtOMy warns Caesar against plots, but Caesar refuses to be cowed by fear. A messenger recounts to Cornelia how her father killed himself after G@A@8ar defeated him in battle. With her father dead and her husband’s property confiscated, @G6FMelia decides to defer suicide until she has erected their tombs.