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)
STRA. | Strat. | STR.
Words
275
Characters
1406
Typicality
0.33 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A06289
BritDrama no.
1650
Cluster
Cluster 3 — Citizens, tradesfolk & neighbors
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
Yes, they must commend, and speak in praise of the assembly, bless the Bride and groom, in person of some God, there tied to rules of flattery. But not tedious, None, its ods against any bridegroom living, he never gets it while he lives. She's at your service. We shall interrupt them. You cannot, you want sleep, O call the bride my Lord Amintor, that we may see her blush, and turn her eyes down, it is the pr city to sport. My Lord Amintor swears you are no maid now. I faith he does. And his brother. Sir Enter Strat. 'Tis my ill luck Sir, so to spend them then. Never follow her, For she alas was but the instrument. News is now brought in that Melantius Has God the Fort, and stands upon the wall, And with a loud voice calls to those few that pass At this dead time of night, delivering The innocence of this act. We do acknowledge it. He looks as if he had the better cause, Sir, Under your gracious pardon let me speak it, Though he be mighty spirited and forward To all great things, to all things of that danger Woe see men shake at the telling of, yet certain I do believe him noble, and this Actium Rather pulled on then sought, his mind was ever As worthy as his hand. Be sudden Sir to tie All up again, what's done is passed recall, And passed you to revenge, and there are thousands That wait for such a troubled hour as this. Throw him the blank. Oh there, there. As well as masks can be.
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.