in The Maid's Tragedy — Beaumont, Francis; Fletcher, John
Metadata
Play
The Maid's Tragedy
Author
Beaumont, Francis; Fletcher, John
Year (catalogued)
1619
First performance
1610
Decade
1610s
Genre
Tragedy
Play type
Adult Professional
Company
King's Men
Theater
Blackfriars;Indoor Professional
Speech prefix(es)
Gent. | 1. | 2.
Words
167
Characters
836
Typicality
0.39 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A06289
BritDrama no.
1650
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.
will wake, and then me thinks. A good night be it then, and a long one Madam, I am gone. Exit. Come now she's gone, lets enter, the King expects it, and will be angry. Content: how quickly he had done with her, I see Kings can do no more that way then other mortal people. Either the tapers give a feeble light, or he looks very
Full speech
Madam and hour ago. I understand you Madam, would it mine, I must not wish good rest unto your Ladyship. 'Tis all I dare do Madam, but the King will wake, and then me thinks. A good night be it then, and a long one Madam, I am gone. Exit. Come now she's gone, lets enter, the King expects it, and will be angry. Content: how quickly he had done with her, I see Kings can do no more that way then other mortal people. Either the tapers give a feeble light, or he looks very pale. Run forth and call. Exit Gent. This will be laid on us: who can believe A woman could do this? Fled, fled away, but there her woeful act Lies still. There. 'Tis a fine wench, weel have a snap at her one of these nights as she goes from him. How fast he is! I cannot hear him breathe. Lets look: Alas, he's stiff, wounded and dead. Treason. Treason, treason.
Plot summary
Plot — The Maid's Tragedy
At: the King’s request, Al@minf6f breaks off his engagement to his fiancée AlSpatia and instead marries Evadne) sister of his friend Melantius. After a wedding masque, Evadne prepares for bed. When Amintor arrives, however, she refuses him sex and explains that she is the King’s mistress: the marriage has been arranged as a cover for their continuing relationship, and to provide a nominal father for any bastards that may result; it will never be consummated. Amintor is unable to satisfy his impulse to take revenge, because his wronger is the King, but on learning the truth, Melantius has no similar scruples. A successful rebellion depends upon control of the city’s: defensive fort, but this is in the hands of Melantius’ enemy, ASpatia’sifathier Caliana who partly blames Melantius for the way Aspatia has been treated. Melantius asks Calianax to hand over the fort, knowing this will be reported to the King; but when the King confronts him with the accusation, his bare-faced denial. discredits Calianax and makes the accusation look like senile malice. Calianax is sent away from court and sees no option but to give Melantius the fort after all. M@@lantivis]? threat of violence secures a confession from Bya@méj and she agrees to join the conspiracy. Summoned by the King that night, Evadne ties him to the bed and kills him when he wakes. Melantius retreats to the fort and agrees to come out only once the mew King has granted him a pardon on his own terms. The despairing AlSpatia dresses as a man, visits Amintor, and provokes a fight in which she allows him to give her a fatal wound. Evadne comes to tell Amintor what she has done, but kills herself when he rejects her. On learning that he has killed AlSpatia, the grieving AIMEE takes his own life. Finding him dying, MGIEHTUS too tries to kill himself; he is prevented, but declares his intention to starve himself to death.