Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

SEMPRONIA

in Catiline His Conspiracy — Jonson, Ben

Metadata

PlayCatiline His Conspiracy
AuthorJonson, Ben
Year (catalogued)1611
First performance1611
Decade1610s
GenreTragedy
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyKing's Men
Speech prefix(es)SEM.
Words781
Characters4186
Typicality0.47 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA04640
BritDrama no.1646
ClusterCluster 13 — Attendant courtiers & citizens

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

To see Aurelia Orestilla. She sent for me. I came to call thee, with me; wilt thou go? Alas, I pity thee. I ha'bene writing all this night, (and am So very weary) unto all the Tribes, And Centuries, for their voices, to help Catiline, In his election. We shall make him Consul I hope, amongst us. Crassus, I, and Caesar Will carry it for him. H'is the chief Candidate. Here's a good pearl in troth. A very orient one. There are Competitors, Caius Antonius, Publius Galbe, Lucius Cassius Longinus, Quintus Cornificiu , Caius Licinius, and that talker, Cicero. But Catiline, and Antonius will be chosen. For four of the other, Lincinius, Longinus, Galba, and Cornificius will give way. And Cicero they will not choose. It will be crossed, by the Nobility. Nor, were it fit. He is but a new fellow, And Inmate here in Room (as Catiline calls him) And, the Patricians should do very ill, To let the Consulship be so defiled As't would be, if he obtained it? A mere vpstarr, That has no pedigree, no house, no coat, No ensigns of a family? Hang virtue, where there is no blood: it's vice And, in him, fawcinesse. Why should he presume To be more learned, or more eloquent, Then the Nobility? or boast any quality Worthy a Noble man, himself not noble? I yield you, it might, at first, in Rome's poor age; When both her Kings, and Consuls held the plough, Or gardened well But, now, we have no needs, To dig, or lose our sweat for't. We have wealth, Fortune and ease, and then their stock, to spend on, Of Name, for Virtue, which will bear us out against all new comers: and can never fail us, While the succession stays. And, we must glorify, A Mushroom? one of yesterday? a fine speaker? Because he has sucked at Athens? and advance him, To our own lose? No Fulvia. There are they Can speak Greek too, if needs were. Caesar and I Have sat upon him; so hath Grassus, too; And others. We have all decreed his rest, For rising farther. Oh good Galla, how dost thou? Is this gray poulder, a good Dentifrice? I have one is whiter. Yet this smells well. Fulvia, I pray thee, who comes to thee, now? Which of our great Patricians? Thou hast them all. Faith, when was Quintus Curius, Thy special servant, here? Yes, thy Idolater, I call him. How! Venus forbid! Your so constant Lover. He's fresh yet, Fulvia: Beware, how you do tempt me. And those one may command. And must be born Both with, and out, they think. Do's Caesar give well? Th'art a most happy wench, that thus canst make Use of they youth, and freshness, in the season: And hast it to make use of. I am, now, feign to give to them, and keep Music, and a continual Table, to invite them; Eat my self out with usury, and my Lord, too, And all my officers, and friends beside, To procure moneys, for the needful charge I must be at, to have them: And, yet, scarce Can I achieve them, so. I'll leave you, Fulvia. In faith, I will not. I'll not hinder you. No, Nor shall not, careful Galla, by my means. What needs this? By Castor, no; I'll tell him, you are awake; And very well. Stay Galla. Farewell Fulvia: I know my manners. Why do you labour, thus, With Actium, against purpose? Quintus Curius, She is, i'faith, here, and in disposition: We have done; And are now fit for Actium. How Know es your wise fatness that? But we must hasten To our design as well, and execute: Not hang still, in the fever of and accident. I do Like our plot Exceeding well, 'tis sure; and we shall leave Little to fortune, in it. Oh the two Lovers are coupling. you'd have her Laugh, and lie down. have they no Greek? Fie, what do I here, waiting on them then? If they be nothing but mere Statesmen. I do wonder much, That States, and Commonwealths employ not women, To be Ambassadors, sometime: we should Do as good public service, and could make As honourable Spies (for so Thucydides Calls all Ambassadors.) Are they come, Cethegus? Good Sir, There are of us can be as exquisite Traitors, As ere a male-Conspirator of you all. Sir. They'll be trusted With as good secrets, yet, as you have any, And carry them too, as close, and as concealed, As you shall for your heart. Shun they, to treat with me, too? I should be loath to be left out, and here too.

Plot summary

Plot — Catiline His Conspiracy
Piqued at his rejection for a military command, Catiline has assembled a group of ambitious and malcontented men, and plans to take over the Roman state: some ~ are motivated by envy of those in authority, and by the prospect of wealth, power, and the opportunity for unlimited self-indulgence; another, Lentulus, believes that a prophecy has named him as a future ruler of Rome — an interpretation commissioned by Catiline himself. At a clandestine meeting, the conspirators drink blood to mark their commitment to the plot. Meanwhile Aurelia recruits a network of powerful women supporters. Curius visits his mistress Fulvia, whose resistance to his advances provokes a rape attempt. He excites her curiosity and she wheedles details of the conspiracy out of him. Catiline stands in the consular election, but is defeated by Cicero. When Cicero speaks of the need to protect the Roman state, Caesar and Crassus suspect that he may secure his position by manufacturing a threat for himself to overcome; they set the other consul, Antonius, to keep an eye on him, but Cicero turns him by bribery. Upset that Sempronia has been given pre-eminence in the conspiracy, Fulvia leaks to Cicero what she knows about it; Cicero confronts Curius with the information and recruits him as a double agent inside the plot. The conspirators plan to burn the city, having first assassinated Cicero; the plot is secretly backed by Crassus and Caesar. Curius sends Fulvia to warn Cicero of the attempt on his life, and he makes arrangements for his own security: the would-be killers are unable to gain access to his house. Alarmed at the prospect of civil unrest, people flee from Rome. Cicero exposes the plot in an extended address to the Senate. Catiline protests his innocence, but is forced out of the Senate, and leaves Rome to muster his forces. Lentulus has treated with the ambassadors of the Allobroges, a discontented neighbouring tribe seeking redress from the Senate. These dealings are relayed to Cicero, who persuades the Allobroges to procure letters from the conspirators, which will provide documentary evidence of the plot. When they leave Rome, the Allobroges are arrested as arranged, and deliver up the letters; their escort, Volturcius, offers information in exchange for his life. Seeing that the conspiracy is doomed, Crassus and Caesar quietly withdraw their support. Cicero presents his evidence to the Senate, but refuses to consider allegations implicating Caesar and Crassus. The…