Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

MEN

in A King and No King — Beaumont, Francis; Fletcher, John

Metadata

PlayA King and No King
AuthorBeaumont, Francis; Fletcher, John
Year (catalogued)1619
First performance1611
Decade1610s
GenreTragicomedy
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyKing's Men
TheaterGlobe;Outdoor Professional
Speech prefix(es)2. | 1. | 3. | 2 | 1 | 1:
Words1494
Characters7599
Typicality0.45 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA06207
BritDrama no.1636
ClusterCluster 23 — Gulls, fops & laughing-stocks

Important excerpts

Passages from this character's speech that contain the most distinguishing words for Cluster 23 (rogues, crochet, shakbag, kicked, doister, tidle…). Matches are highlighted.

By virtue of ou calling, to utter our opinions Shortly, and dis reetly. How far Sir? Brother, this is a pretty case, pray ponder on't, Our friend here has been kicked. Sorely he says: Now had he fit down here Upon the mere kick, it had been cowardly. But our friend has r worser med it, in delivering His sword without compulsion;
has r worser med it, in delivering His sword without compulsion; and that man That took it of him, I pronounce a weak one, And his kicks nullities. He should have kicked him after the delivery, Which is the confirmation of a coward. I must not say so; Nor I must not hear it spoke byth' tongue of man You kicked deer brother; you
it spoke byth' tongue of man You kicked deer brother; you are merry. Lot them put it that are things weary of their lives, & know not honour: put case you were kicked? Nor no silly creature, that wears his head without a case, his soul in a skin-coat: you kicked deer brother. The boy may be supposed, he's liable; but kick my
for us; proceed. The error, and a soar one, as I take it; Lies in the thing kicking. There springs a new branch: whose was the foe e? If he be sure he has been kicked enough: For that brave sufferance you speak of brother, Consists not in a beating, and away, But in a cudgeld body, from eighteen To eight and thirty: in a head
showed discretion the best partly of valour. He has so brother. I think it had been cowardly indeed. Brother, I take it you mistake the question: For say that I were kicked. But put the case I were kicked? I do not say I was kicked. Why then I say, suppose your boy kicked Captain? A foolish forward zeal Sir in my friend; But to the

Full speech

We shall outgo her. The man told us he would walk a foot through the people. 'Slife yonders my Master I think. Let her look to her self then, has she not had thrusting enough yet; if she stay shouldering here, she may hap to go home with a Cake in her belly. Away, away, all's done. You cannot hang too much Sir for your honour, But to your cause, be wise, and speak truth. The King may do much Captain beieeue it, for had he cracked your skull through Like a bottle, or broke a rib or two with crossing of you, yet you had lost no honour: This is strange you may imagine; but this is truth now Captain. Brother you err, 'tis fifteen mile a day, His stage is ten, his beatings are fifteen. No trouble at all to us Sir, if we may Profit your understanding; we are bound By virtue of ou calling, to utter our opinions Shortly, and dis reetly. How far Sir? Brother, this is a pretty case, pray ponder on't, Our friend here has been kicked. Sorely he says: Now had he fit down here Upon the mere kick, it had been cowardly. But our friend has r worser med it, in delivering His sword without compulsion; and that man That took it of him, I pronounce a weak one, And his kicks nullities. He should have kicked him after the delivery, Which is the confirmation of a coward. I must not say so; Nor I must not hear it spoke byth' tongue of man You kicked deer brother; you are merry. Lot them put it that are things weary of their lives, & know not honour: put case you were kicked? Nor no silly creature, that wears his head without a case, his soul in a skin-coat: you kicked deer brother. The boy may be supposed, he's liable; but kick my brother? By no means Captain, let it be supposed still; this word grant, makes not for us. This must be granted brother? Still the must: Give me the must again, ag ine; brother you palter. Brother, I say you palter, the must three times toga there; I wear as sharp steel as another man, And my Fox bites as deep, must my deer brother: But to the cause again: In a word I would done. Forward. So much for us; proceed. The error, and a soar one, as I take it; Lies in the thing kicking. There springs a new branch: whose was the foe e? If he be sure he has been kicked enough: For that brave sufferance you speak of brother, Consists not in a beating, and away, But in a cudgeld body, from eighteen To eight and thirty: in a head rebuked With pots of all Size, daggers, stools, and bedstaves, This shows a valiant man. Embrace him brother, this man is valiant, I know it by my self he's valiant. 'Tis fit it should be. Now let him come, and say he was not sorry, And he sleeps for it. It is so most renowned, 'Tis somewhat strange. Your Lordship must understand we are no men ath' Law, that take pay for our opinions: it is sufficient we have cleared our friend. Oh Lord my good Lord. Oh good Lord. More of your foot, I do beseech your Lordship. I beseech your Lordship stay a little, my strap's tied to my codpiece point: Now when you please. Here 'tis Sir, a small piece of Artillery, that a gentle man a deer friend of your Lordship's sent me with to get it mended Sir; for if you mark, the nose is somewhat lose. My Lord this is foul play i'faith, to put a fresh man v Pon us; Men are but men. Has a devilish hard foot, I never felt the Like. If he kick thus ith dogdays, he will be dry foundered: what cure now Captain, beside oil of bays? Yes, God be thanked; but I feel a shrewd ach, sure he has sprang my huckle bone. Captain, we must request your hands now to our ho nours. Oh my small guts, a plague upon these sharp toe'd shoes, they are murderers. Come, come, run, run, run: You herd he with the bottles say, he thought we should come too late, what abundance of people here is. Why, the King look you, will many times call for those bottles, and break his mind to his friends. Our shops are well look to now: No, 'tis not he. Whats the matter? Come, shall we go, all's done. Philip will not fight he's afraid on's face. we understand our selves Sir. Two blows oth'face, and given by a worse man, I must confess as we Swordmen say, had turned the business: Mark me brother, by a worse man; but being by his Prince, had they been ten, and those ten drawn ten teeth, beside the hazard of his nose for ever; all these had been but favours: This is my flat opinion, which I'll die in. Theres another, A new cause rising from the time, and distance, In which I will deliver my opinion: He may strike, beat, or cause to be beaten; for these are natum rall to man: your Prince I say may beat you so far forth as his dominion reaches; that's for the distance, the time, ten mile a day I take it. Obedience ever makes that noble use ont, To which I dedicate my beaten body; I must trouble you a little further Gentlemen oth' Sword. It showed discretion the best partly of valour. He has so brother. I think it had been cowardly indeed. Brother, I take it you mistake the question: For say that I were kicked. But put the case I were kicked? I do not say I was kicked. Why then I say, suppose your boy kicked Captain? A foolish forward zeal Sir in my friend; But to the boy, suppose the boy were kicked? I do suppose it: you grant your boy was kicked then. I say this must be granted. I, this must be granted. I say this must be granted. I will not hear you wasp. A tall man, but untemperate; 'tis great pity: Once more suppose the boy kicked. And being thoroughly kicked, laughs at the kicker And in this beaten scorn, as I may call it, Delivers up his weapon: where lies the error? That is according to the man that did it. The cause is mighty, but had it been two Lords, And both had kicked you, if you laughed, 'tis clear. Yes, it shall help you, if you laughed aloud. My reason now; the valiant man is known By suffering and contemning, you have Enough of both, and you are valiant. Captain thou art a valiant Gentleman To abide vpon't, a very valiant man. Sir when the world has taken notice what we have done, Make much of your body, for I'll pawn my steel, Men will be coyer of their legs hereafter. How now Captain, bear up man. There be our hands again. Lord, it is strange, yet true; we have examined from your Lordship's foot there to this men head, the nature of the beatings; and we do find his honour is come off clean, and sufficient: This as our swords shall help us. I do beseech your Lordship. A this side good my Lord. Mines off my Lord. Nor I, and yet Ime sure I would felt a hundred. I would loft a haunch. Nay, then we must be valiant; Oh my ribs. One were better be hanged, then carry women out fid ling to these shows. I know not. Why, Ink good man fool: Ink, what to do? I marry did he. How now goodman squitterbreech, why do you lean so on me? Will you sir saucebox? Its at the first end then; for he will never stay the last. when you will. At a bawdy house. The King, the King, the King, the King: Now, now, now, now. Content: Farewell Philip. Thou wouldst be Philip, if thou sawest it in a glass; it looks Like a visor. Brother what think you of this case If he have beaten him I grant the case; But how? We cannot be too subtle in this business I say, but how? Those blows ath'face have made a new case ont', The rest were but and honourable rud ness We will, and tell that Lord he must be ruled, Or there be those abroad will rule his Lordship. We knew that, or the foolish fellow had better a kicked His Grandsire. Confirm, confirm I pray. Stay there a little Sir, do you doubt a beating, Or have you had a beating by your Prince. If he have beaten him, the case is clear. Was it a blow of love or indignation. Has your boy a sword?

Plot summary

Plot — A King and No King
Arbaces has been away from his kingdom for many years fighting a war with Armenia, which he has just won. He has received reports from his Lord Protector, Gobrias, about the virtue and accomplishments of his younger sister Panthea, whom he has not seen since she was nine years old. He offers her hand in marriage to Tigranes, the vanquished Armenian King, but Tigranes demurs. Arbaces takes him back to Iberia to see her for himself. Tigranes’ objection lies in the fact that he already has a girlfriend, Spaconia, and he bribes the cowardly Bessus to bring her along and place her in Panthea’s household. Once there, she begs Panthea not to marry Tigranes, and Panthea agrees. Arane, Arbaces’ mother, has been trying to assassinate him since he came to the throne. Another attempt is foiled, but he pardons her when he returns in triumph. She clearly has an ulterior motive which is known to Gobrias, but both are discreet about its precise nature. Arbaces’ first meeting with Panthea as an adult proves unsettling: he falls in love with her. So does Tigranes. Identifying a rival, Arbaces imprisons him. Torn between desire and conscience, he also imprisons Panthea. Panthea gives Spaconia a token authorizing her to visit Tigranes in prison. He rejects her, but Arbaces finds them together and assumes that she is a go-between. Gobrias importunes him to release Panthea, who persuades him that his suspicions are unfounded: she loves him, and would act upon that love if to do so were not incestuous. The Armenians send Spaconia’s father as an ambassador to negotiate for Tigranes’ release. He believes his daughter has eloped with Bessus, but his denunciations of her bring Tigranes to his senses: he will make Spaconia his Queen. When Arbaces decides to kill Gobrias for corrupting him to incest, the truth comes out. Arbaces is not of royal blood. The old King married Arane when he was old and impotent, and, fearful about the succession, Gobrias and Arane conspired to produce an heir: Gobrias gave Arane his new-born son, and she faked his birth. Later, it proved that the King was not so impotent after all, and he died leaving Arane pregnant with Panthea, but by the time this was known, the young Arbaces had already succeeded to the throne. Since then, Gobrias and Arane have both been trying to put matters to rights, Arane with her murder plots and Gobrias by encouraging Arbaces to marry his putative sister and so establish the legitimacy of his teign. Arbaces publicly announces…