Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

MORTON

in 1 Edward the Fourth — Heywood, Thomas (?)

Metadata

Play1 Edward the Fourth
AuthorHeywood, Thomas (?)
Year (catalogued)1600
First performance1599
Decade1600s
GenreHistory
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyDerby's (Strange's) Men
Speech prefix(es)Mor. | Mo.
Words232
Characters1251
Typicality0.44 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA03224.1
BritDrama no.1195
ClusterCluster 22 — Ghosts, curses & horror voices

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

Thomas Nevil, yet hast thou grarious time Of deer repentance, now discharge thy continued ̄ science, Lay open thine offences to the world, That we may witness thou dost die a Christian. We butcher Thee? canst thou deny thy self, But thou hast been a pyrate on the sea? Canst thou deny but with the commonalty Of Kenned and Essex, thou didst rise in arms, And twice assault the City London, where Thou twice didst take repulse, and since that time, Canst thou deny, that being fled from hence, Thou ioynedst in con federarie with France, And camest with them to burn Southampton here, Are these no faults, thou shouldst so much presume, To clear thy self, and lay thy blood on us? Go to, leave of these ole braves of thine: And think upon thy souls health Falconbridge. Why Edward of the house of York. As for his head, it shall be sent with speed To London, and the promised reward, Allotted for the apprehending him, Be given unto the poor of Southampton here: How say you Captain are you so content? Well how so ere, that concerns not S, We have to do with no men death, but his, That for his treason here hath lost his head. Come let us give direction as before, And afterwards make back unto the shore. Thou art a traitor, stop thy traitors mouth.

Plot summary

Plot — 1 Edward the Fourth
Although he has made diplomatic arrangements to marry a French princess, King Edward impulsively takes an English bride instead, much to his mother's disapproval. The bastard Falconbridge leads a rebellion to reinstate the deposed King Henry VI. The London authorities prepare the city's defences: Falconbridge is unable to penetrate the gates, the city apprentices make a significant contribution to the battle, and the rebels are beaten back to Mile End. When they regroup, the Londoners rout them again, and Matthew Shore defeats a rearguard attempt to take the city while the militia are at Mile End. The King rewards the civic officials with knighthoods, but Shore modestly declines. Falconbridge flees with a price on his head, and he and his associate Spicing plan to betray one another and claim the reward. A miller captures Spicing, but Falconbridge escapes. Spicing is hanged by his former comrade in arms, Chub. While out hunting, members of the court encounter Hobs the tanner. King Edward, pretending to be his own butler, tries to induce Hobs to say something uncomplimentary or treasonous about him, but fails. He accepts the tanner's invitation to supper, where he takes a fancy to Hobs's daughter Nell. Meanwhile, things are going King Edward's way: his brother Gloucester sends word that King Henry VI is dead, and Falconbridge is captured and executed. Back in London, he dines with the Lord Mayor, where he meets Jane Shore. He is attracted to her and grapples with his conscience, but later visits her incognito in her husband's shop. Initially she rejects his advances, but Mistress Blague, who hopes to acquire status and influence through her, advises her to submit to adultery. While her husband confides his suspicio ns to the Lord Mayor, she absconds to court. Shore gives away all his property and goes into exile. En route he encounters Jane, now a sought-after power-broker trying to deal justly with the people who seek her influence with the King; one of them, Jockie, she entertains as a servant. On recognizing her husband she regrets her betrayal, but he refuses to take her back: she now belongs to the King. Meanwhile, Edward pursues his claim to the French throne. Planning an invasion but financially depleted after the civil war and rebellion, he seeks support from his subjects, not by taxation or forced loan but voluntary contributions. Hobs's generosity shames his fellows into giving more. He comes to London to try and procure a pardon for his son, who…