in The Temptation of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, by Satan in the Desert — Bale, John
Metadata
Play
The Temptation of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, by Satan in the Desert
Author
Bale, John
Year (catalogued)
1547
First performance
1538
Decade
1540s
Genre
Biblical
Play type
Interlude
Speech prefix(es)
Angelus primus.
Words
178
Characters
978
Typicality
0.30 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A02658
BritDrama no.
61
Cluster
Cluster 2 — Allegory, Nature & pageant voices
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
The father of Comfort, and heavenly consolation, Hath sent us hither, to do our admynystracyon. We come not to help, but to do our obsequy, As servants becometh, to their lord and mastre meekly. If our office be, to wait on creatures mortal, Why should we not serve, the mastre and lord of all? How meek art thu lord, to take that nature on the? Which is so tender, and full of infirmity. As Mannys nature is, both Feeble faint and weary, Weak after labour, and after fasting hungry. Forsooth heaven and earth, yea, hell may be astoyned, The Godhead to see, to so frail nature joined, The lord here for you, was born and circumcised, For you here also, he was lately baptised. In the wilderness, this lord for you hath fasted, And hath ouerremen, for you the devil that tempted. For you Friends for you, this heavenly lord does all, Only for your sake, he is become man mortal. In mannys frail nature, you have conquered the enemy. That man over him, should always have victory.
Plot summary
Plot — The Temptation of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, by Satan in the Desert
After his baptism, Christ goes out into the desert to be tempted. Satan has heard the voice of God at the baptism, and intervenes in an effort to prevent Christ from redeeming mankind.Posing as a hermit, Satan points out that Christ must be hungry, having fasted for forty days. He encourages Christ to turn the stones into bread, but Christ refuses, trusting in God to provide. Satan warns him that his mission of redemption will result in his own death, and encourages him to abjure it. Christ refuses, and cites scripture. Satan takes him to the pinnacle of the Temple in Jerusalem and encourages him to prove his divine invulnerability by throwing himself off. Christ refuses, and cites scripture. Satan takes him to a mountain and offers him the kingdoms of the world. Christ refuses, and cites scripture. Satan admits defeat, plans Christ's death in four years' time, and anticipates that some future Christians will be his friends, notably the Pope. God sends two angels to bring Christ food. They encourage the audience to follow Christ and resist the devil, and sing Christ a song.