in The Courageous Turk, or Amurath the First — Goffe, Thomas
Metadata
Play
The Courageous Turk, or Amurath the First
Author
Goffe, Thomas
Year (catalogued)
1632
First performance
1619
Decade
1630s
Genre
Tragedy
Play type
University
Theater
at University;
Speech prefix(es)
H •… tam. | Hat.
Words
225
Characters
1253
Typicality
0.31 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A01836
BritDrama no.
1889
Cluster
Cluster 4 — Constant hearts & virtuous ladies
Important excerpts
Passages from this character's speech that contain the most distinguishing words for Cluster 4 (loyalty, handmaid, spotless, blessings, hamilcar, moves…). Matches are highlighted.
t'enfold within a Wives embrace, If any comfort else there be in store, (Which modesty keeps silent to it self) Cause only husbands and the night must know't, My Loyalty shall ever all perform And (though my) Lord should frown, I'll be the am Green wood will burn with a continued flame: We are too much bound unto our Princely Father
Full speech
Most awful father and my honoured P inee, Although it be enacted by the Heavens, That in these bonds of marriage such curse Attends on Princes above private men, That nor affection, nor home-nourished Love But tate and policy must elect their Wives. Which must be fetched from Countries far remote! Yet the protecting Powers have such a care, Both of their offsprings and their Kingdoms state, That to what they ordain, they work in us A sudden willingness to make us obey; For, in this breast, I do already feel That there's a kindling a Diviner heat: Which disobedience never shall extinguish. And, if there be any felicity From these u ited Loves to be derived From the weak sex into the husbands soul, Then may my Lord make his affection sure, To be repaid with unattainted Love, In which a pretty people you shall live, With soft and yielding courtesy in all He shall command, my willing arms shall still, Be open t'enfold within a Wives embrace, If any comfort else there be in store, (Which modesty keeps silent to it self) Cause only husbands and the night must know't, My Loyalty shall ever all perform And (though my) Lord should frown, I'll be the am Green wood will burn with a continued flame: We are too much bound unto our Princely Father
Plot summary
Plot — The Courageous Turk, or Amurath the First
Amurath the Turk is diverted from his programme of European conquest when, having subdued Greece, he falls in love with a Greek concubine, Eumorphe, and marries her. He asks his tutor Lala-Schahin to furnish a wedding masque about the classical gods’ amours; Lala-Schahin does so, but appends a second masque in which Fame extols the military glory of dead heroes. His objective is to turn Amurath back to martial pursuits, since there is no need for him to marry: he has already produced enough heirs. Amurath is troubled, but also melancholy at the limitations his royal status imposes on his love-life. Schahin dresses up as the ghost of Amurath’s father and, as he goes to his marriage bed, rebukes him for squandering his imperial legacy. Amurath beheads Eumorphe in her sleep and plans to attack Europe again. There is discord in the Christian ranks, and the Turks are victorious: many Christians are slain. The prisoners of war are recruited to Amurath’s service as an elite bodyguard of janissaries. Amurath negotiates a marriage treaty between his son Bajazeth and the daughter of the King of Phrygia; this secures him further territorial control in Asia Minor. Amurath breaks off his European campaign to suppress a rebellion by his son-in-law Aladin. He invades Caramania and burns its cities; Aladin is routed, but uses his wife and children to secure Amurath’s pardon. Amurath turns his attention back to Serbia, and appoints Aladin to lead one wing of the army. A series of portents foretell Amurath’s death at Kosovo, but Schahin encourages Amurath to fight anyway. The Turks are victorious, and dead bodies pile up. Amurath goes to the field intending to show mercy to Kobelitz, the Christian general and last survivor, but Kobelitz stabs him to death. Bajazeth becomes King and strangles his brother to forestall sedition.