Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

ERMSBY

in Friar Bacon and Friar Bongay — Greene, Robert

Metadata

PlayFriar Bacon and Friar Bongay
AuthorGreene, Robert
Year (catalogued)1594
First performance1589
Decade1590s
GenreComedy
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyQueen Elizabeth's Men
Speech prefix(es)Ermsbie. | Ermsby. | E • msbie. | Erms. | Ermsbi • . | Erm • bie. | Erm • by.
Words221
Characters1142
Typicality0.20 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA02127
BritDrama no.822
ClusterCluster 17 — Intriguers & schemers

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

Sirrah Raphe, what say you to your master, Shall he thus all amort live malcontent. Excellent policy. I pray you how is that my Lord? Warren well motioned, we will to the Friar Before we revel it within the town. Raphe see you keep your countenance Like a Prince. Stay who comes here. Marry scholar heres our master. Nor I mine, Swones Ned I think I am bewitched. Apollo could not utter more than this. What doctor in a dump, tush help the prince, And thou shalt see how liberal he will prove, Whose face shining with many a sugared smile, Bewrays that he is bred of princely raze. And I my lord will have Pioneers to undermine the town, that the very Gardens and orchards be carried away for your summer walks. Choose you fair damsel, yet the choice is yours, Either a solemn Nunnery, or the court, God, or Lord Lacy, weich contents you best, To be a Nun, or else Lord Lacies wife. Why shall we to prison my lord? The old lecher hath gotton holy mutton to him a Nun my lord. I pray thee my Lord of Sussex why art thou in a broune study? Why Raphe? M rrie we would speak with friar Bacon. Why how watched you her my lord? A good reason Raphe.

Plot summary

Plot — Friar Bacon and Friar Bongay
Primce Bdwafd is in love with the country wench Margarety and he orders Bay to woo her on his behalf. He does so, but she falls for him rather than the Prince. Meanwhile BRiamlBaeoH is questioned by his academic superiors, who suspect him of practising black magic. He explains his plans to make a brazen head which will lecture in philosophy, and to surround England with a defensive wall of brass. The one sceptic, DEIBOTGER, is shown up when Bacon uses his powers to reveal that he sneaks off at night to play cards at a tavern when he should be reading. Prineejkdward and Ralphithelfeal swap clothes and identities when visiting Bacon, but he sees through the deception with ease. Bacon shows Edward events at Suffolk through a magic mirror: Daey is wooing Margaret for himself, and they are to be married by FriamBungay; but Bacon magically strikes Bungay dumb, then brings him to Oxford for dinner. Edward rides to Suffolk to confront Lacy, but Margaret’s determination reconciles him to the situation: even if he tries to remove the obstacle by killing Lacy, she will never love him and will kill herself to be with Lacy. Prince Edward’s future wife, Elifi@f of Castile, arrives in England with a group of foreign potentates. The Emperor of Germany has brought along Wandérmast} a famous magician, to compete with England’s best scholars at Oxford. Vandermast’s first opponent in magic is BriamBuiigay, who conjures up a golden tree. Vandermast summons Hercules to pull it down, but Hercules proves to be more subservient to Fraribacen) who completes his victory by magically sending Vandermast back to Germany. At the ensuing dinner, th@|Emiperot is offended by the mean academic fare, so Bacon conjures up a more sumptuous feast. Bacon’s brazen head is ready, but he is tired from staying up all night waiting for it to speak. He appoints his scholar Miles to watch, and wake him when it does. The head speaks enigmatically and is magically destroyed, but Miles fails to wake his master in time. Bacon sacks him and later sends a devil to carry him to Hell. Two country squires want to marry Margarée but she asks for ten days’ grace to make a decision, confident that Lacy will come for her before then. What actually arrives is a letter telling her that he is to marry someone else, so she decides to enter a nunnery. The two squires kill one another in a duel, and their sons, watching from Oxford through Bacon’s magic mirror, do the same. Bacon smashes the mirror in remorse and…