Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

RANGER

in The Play of the Weather — Heywood, John

Metadata

PlayThe Play of the Weather
AuthorHeywood, John
Year (catalogued)1544
First performance1528
Decade1540s
GenreComedy
Play typeInterlude
Speech prefix(es)¶Ranger. | ❧ Ranger. | ☜Ranger.
Words295
Characters1426
Typicality0.28 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA03181
BritDrama no.2
ClusterCluster 16 — Errand servants & brief parts

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

¶God be here, now Christ keep this company. ¶B you so, marry I cry you mercy Your maystershype may say I am homely But sins your mind is to have reported The cause wherefore I am now resorted Pleases it your maystershype it is so I come for my self and such other more Rangers and keepers of certain places As forests, parks, purlewes and chases Where we be charged with all manner game Small is our profit and great is our blame Alas for our wages what be we the never What is forty shillings or five mark a year Many times and oft where we be flettynge We spend forty pens a piece at a sitting Now for our vantage which chiefly is wyndefale That is right nought there blows no wind at all Which is the thing wherein we find most grief And cause of my coming to sew for relief That the God of pyty all this thing knownuge May send us good rage of blustering and blowing And if we can not get God to do some good I would higher the deuyil to run thorough the wood The roots to turn up, the tops to bring under A myschyefe upon them and a wild thunder. ¶Sir as in that you speak as it please you But let me speak with the God if it may be I pray you let me pass you. ¶No doubt it is so for so we now find Wherein your grace us rangers so does bind That we shall gyve you our hearts with one accord For knowledge to know you only as our lord ❧ I would fain speak with the God Iupyter. ¶Then will I leave you even as I found you.

Plot summary

Plot — The Play of the Weather
Discord between the four gods responsible for snow, sun, rain, and wind is making the weather inconsistent. Jupiter calls a parliament to settle the matter and sends Merry Report to summon any suitors. Eight representatives of various professions and occupations ask for different kinds of weather to suit themselves. Jupiter declares the need for compromise: all their jobs are mutually interdependent despite their differing needs, so the weather will continue to be inconsistent. The suitors all praise the decision.