in The Misfortunes of Arthur (Certain Devices and Shows Presented to Her Majesty) — Hughes, Thomas; Fulbecke, William, rev.
Metadata
Play
The Misfortunes of Arthur (Certain Devices and Shows Presented to Her Majesty)
Author
Hughes, Thomas; Fulbecke, William, rev.
Year (catalogued)
1587
First performance
1588
Decade
1580s
Genre
Tragedy
Play type
Inns of Court
Theater
before the Court;
Speech prefix(es)
FRON.
Words
218
Characters
1183
Typicality
0.43 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A03804
BritDrama no.
797
Cluster
Cluster 1 — Wives, widows & intimate counsel
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
Good Madame, temper these outrageous moods, And let not will usurp, where wit should rule. Oh spare this heat: you yeélde too much to rage, You're too unjust: is there no mean in wrong? Hatred concealde does often happen to hurt, But once professed, it oftener fails revenge. How better though, Wertenberg to repress your ire? A Ladies best revenge is to forgive. What mean is in your hate? how much soever You can invent, or dare: so much you hate. Eschew it far: such love impugnes the laws And is your love of husband quite extinct? How can you then attempt a fresh offence? But here the greatness of the fact should move. To kill your spouse? Your liege and king? Nature affords not to your sex such strength. What rage is this? Whom Gods do press enough, will you annoy? Your grief is more then his deserts: Each fault requires and equal hate: be not severe, Where crimes be light: as you have felt, so greéue. Yet let your highness shun these desperate moods, Cast of this rage, and fell disposed mind. Put not shame quite to flight, have some regard Both of your sex, and future fame of life. Use no such cruel thoughts, as far exceéde A manly mind, much more a woman's heart.
Plot summary
Plot — The Misfortunes of Arthur (Certain Devices and Shows Presented to Her Majesty)
Three Muses present five members of Gray’s Inn to the Queen: they are law students who have been trained to disdain the arts, but the Muses have taken them captive so that the show will be poetical. A student retorts that they are willing prisoners, and denies the antithesis between the law and the arts: they are able to turn their hand to anything. The ghost of Gorlois rises from the underworld to wreak revenge: Pendragon stole his wife, and now Pendragon’s son has lost his wife to adultery. Arthur is returning to Britain, victorious after nine years’ foreign wars, during which time Guenevora has lived with the usurper Mordred. Initially she plans to murder Arthur on his arrival, but eventually decides to go into a nunnery instead. Mordred is unsuccessful in his attempt to prevent Arthur from landing, but refuses to surrender when Arthur offers peace. Instead he secures the support of his allies by dividing his kingdom with them. Arthur reluctantly accepts that he must fight for his kingdom, and likewise musters his allies. Many are slaughtered in the ensuing battle, and, seeing he cannot win, Mordred spits himself on Arthur’s sword, enabling himself to get close enough to give Arthur a mortal wound. Arthur dies full of military glory, but the kingdom has been laid waste. Gorlois gloats over his revenge and predicts a time when the golden age will return to a Britain ruled by a virgin. B-Text a The opening speech of Gorlois indicates that he has been sent back to Earth by the rulers of hell, and omits mention of the adultery of both his wife and Guenevora. The references to Queen Elizabeth I in his closing speech are toned down. ===== PAGE 401 ===== 1588