Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

GRATIANA

in The Wise Woman of Hogsdon — Heywood, Thomas

Metadata

PlayThe Wise Woman of Hogsdon
AuthorHeywood, Thomas
Year (catalogued)1638
First performance1604
Decade1630s
GenreComedy
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyUnknown
Speech prefix(es)Gratiana. | Grat. | Grat | Gratia. | Grace. | Gratian. | Anne. | 〈◊〉 . [Gratiana]
Words393
Characters1972
Typicality0.40 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA03255
BritDrama no.2037
ClusterCluster 12 — Wooers, gallants & courtly love-talk

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

How ride to night, the marriage day to morrow And all things well provided for the feast. Oh tell me sweet, why do you look so pale. But I will S ay. I want the heart to see him post away? It is: The message that you have to her. You may acquaint me with, for I am one That knows the inside of her thoughts. Sir I am the poor gentlewoman I'll not fail her. My husband being this day rid rome home. My leisure fitly serves , thank you Mistress? I will not fail the hour. Call me some half and hour hence. My Husband? Married, I can no longer. She thanks you, and is much beholding to you. Art thou my suitor? wouldst thou marry more And thy first wife alive, then poison me, To purchase my poor dowry. Hast thou the face, thou brazen impudence, To look upon me passed grace. Who drew thee to this folly? Treacherous youth? Here are two Gentlemen with great desire, Crave conference with my Father: here he is, Now Gallants, you may freely speak your minds. No, if you can get his consent to marry him, shall it me? You both mistake the Scholar. Nay on, I Pretkee fellow on, my Father will wone der where I have been visiting. Now, what had I forgotten? Taber, there's money, go to the Goldsmiths, bid him send me my Fan; and make a quick return: on, fell low on. But were I to choose, Which of that see two should please my fancy best, I sooner should aff ct this Gentleman, For his m worser carriage, and his fair discourse, Then my hight Suitor; Ruffians I detest: A S ooth and square b behaviour likes me best. You press so suddenly upon me sir I know not what to answer. My self on him, whom I tell now I near saw? Well since I must, your will's to me a law. of whose doing, I pray. What of him. But do you mean to ride. My father, villain. Inconstant no, He never pleased mine eye so well as now. I know his Love, and he in Chartlyes place My favour shall possess. You had best ask my Father what I should say. Husband? Wife? Oh my heart. I hope he does not to her so.

Plot summary

Plot — The Wise Woman of Hogsdon
Chartley and Boister are both in love with Luce, but Luce insists on marriage before sex; Chartley agrees, but wants the marriage to remain a secret for a month, after which his inheritance will be secure. Their plans are overheard by Chartley’s former fiancée, another Luce, who was jilted by him on the eve of her wedding day, and who has come to London after him in disguise. She gets herself hired as a page by the Wise Woman of Hoxton, who takes a hand when Chartley offends her. He is privately married at the Wise Woman’s house, though not to Luce as he thinks, but to the second Luce (which the Wise Woman, taking the latter for a boy, thinks is just a prank); Luce herself is also married, not to Chartley as she thinks but to the masked Boister. The Wise Woman then furthers the confusion by having the two Luces change clothes, so that each new husband will mistake his wife. Senser woos Gratiana, who prefers his friend Haringfield; but when her father learns they come as suitors, he has them thrown out. Senser boasts that he will return, be welcome, and even be hired to stay; Sir Harry promises that in that event he will consent to the marriage. Senser duly fulfils the condition: Sir Harry seeks a Latin tutor for Gratiana, and the disguised Senser gets the job after making the other candidate, Sir Boniface, sound inept and bawdy in Latin. Chartley arrives to woo Gratiana, whom he has seen in the street: he brings with him a forged letter from his father offering a good financial settlement if they marry, along with money and jewels he has taken from Luce. When Senser intervenes, Sir Harry reneges on his promise. Luce faints on seeing that Chartley plans a bigamous marriage to Gratiana. She, Senser, and Boister all visit the Wise Woman, who undertakes to prevent the wedding and win Luce for Boister’s wife. Senser lures all the relevant parties to Hoxton: Chartley to visit Luce, excusing his absence by claiming that his father has just died; Gratiana to buy a dress; and Sir Harry to visit the Wise Woman. On the way, Sir Harry meets Old Chartley, who is not dead but come to London to look for his son, and who follows Sir Harry to Hoxton. The second Luce hides all the visitors separately around the house, and they all watch Chartley’s assignation with Luce. Confronted by the spectators in turn, Chartley tries each time to put the blame on ===== PAGE 461 ===== 1623 someone else, only to have that person appear next. The Wise Woman resolves the confused…