in Adrasta, or The Woman's Spleen and Love's Conquest — Jones, John
Metadata
Play
Adrasta, or The Woman's Spleen and Love's Conquest
Author
Jones, John
Year (catalogued)
1635
First performance
1635
Decade
1630s
Genre
Tragicomedy
Play type
Closet/Unacted
Speech prefix(es)
Aſſaſ. | Aſſ. | Aſſa. | Aſſaſs.
Words
235
Characters
1190
Typicality
0.37 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A04604
BritDrama no.
2488
Cluster
Cluster 15 — Devils, vices & grotesques
Important excerpts
Passages from this character's speech that contain the most distinguishing words for Cluster 15 (ang, hunc, fleire, shillings, chil, sblood…). Matches are highlighted.
heavens 'twas a foul abuse; what were't best to do? Before Heaven Madam I would revenge it. To make away the Prince; it's that you mean, Madam the enterprise is dangerous, And though I have a daring spirit that bids Me undertake the deepest attempts of blood For your revenge, and in so just a quarrel, Yet must you think the
dangerous, And though I have a daring spirit that bids Me undertake the deepest attempts of blood For your revenge, and in so just a quarrel, Yet must you think the danger I shall pass Cannot but highly merit recompense. Then I resolv't; And he shall die. Health to your Grace. I have my Lord, and must have private conference with
Full speech
Why Sir, I said it, and I say it again, that the Dukes Son was a fool, and a madman, to venture his life for ere a woman's love in Italy. I say he was. I Madam, what of that? Madam not I, Good Madam, I am sorry for it— By heavens 'twas a foul abuse; what were't best to do? Before Heaven Madam I would revenge it. To make away the Prince; it's that you mean, Madam the enterprise is dangerous, And though I have a daring spirit that bids Me undertake the deepest attempts of blood For your revenge, and in so just a quarrel, Yet must you think the danger I shall pass Cannot but highly merit recompense. Then I resolv't; And he shall die. Health to your Grace. I have my Lord, and must have private conference with your Grace. Heaven, Air, Place, Time, and all will fit thy death. What I have said your self are witness to, Nor needs it be renewed; nor can I add One word or syllable to make it more. And have still Madam, for rumour says she lives. But Madam the report of his passage is so obscure, That I can hardly learn which way he took. You have friends: call in the enemy, & mutiny. As wanting no partly of welfare but your wished presence. Yes, and whip thee with Birch i'the Nose.
Plot summary
Plot — Adrasta, or The Woman's Spleen and Love's Conquest
Adrasta, Duchess of Florence, objects to the amours between her son Lucilio and Althea, a woman of lower rank. She forges a letter from Lucilio to Althea which describes a plan to murder the Duke; Althea’s reply provides evidence to have her arrested for treason. Lucilio visits her in prison, convinces her that the original letter was a fake, and arranges her escape. Dressed in women’s clothes, he takes her place in the cell, stands trial as her, and is sentenced to death. The substitution is discovered only just before the execution; Lucilio attempts to kill himself anyway, but is prevented by his friend Antonio. He leaves Florence, fearful of his parents’ reprisals, and asks Antonio to assume his name and go to Greece, hoping that his father’s agents will follow this false trail and so leave him in peace. Worried that he may yet take his own life, Antonio passes on the responsibility to the villainous servant Alastor, and shadowys Lucilio in disguise. Consulted by Adrasta, the witch Micale conjures up spirits, who locate Althea living as a shepherdess in the mountains and supply poison to dispose of her. Micale is magically transported there and tries to share food with her, but Althea is melancholy and only her friend Camilla will drink the poisoned wine. Micale’s second strategy entails getting her to despair and kill herself, so she claims that both Lucilio and Althea’s mother Julia have been executed. Camilla dies, and Althea covers her face with a scarf she was given by Lucilio. Shepherds find and bury her body, and show the scarf to Antonio, who infers that the dead girl is Althea and duly notifies Julia. Julia blames Lucilio for her daughter’s death and hires Assassino to murder him. Assassino tracks Lucilio to the port where he is about to take ship for Greece, not knowing it is really Alastor whom he is following; he kills the supposed Prince and disposes of the body in the sea, but is arrested and sent back to Florence for trial. The corpse is later recovered, but is so decomposed that only the clothes are identifiable. Assassino confesses, and implicates Julia in the hope of being spared himself. Antonio offers Julia his help to lie low, but plans to attend Assassino’s execution with her in disguise. Althea goes to the place of execution, intending to throw herself off the rock and be reunited with Lucilio in death; but on the edge she sees the living Lucilio coming with the same intention. They are found together when Assassino is brought…