in Philaster, or Love Lies a-Bleeding — Beaumont, Francis; Fletcher, John
Metadata
Play
Philaster, or Love Lies a-Bleeding
Author
Beaumont, Francis; Fletcher, John
Year (catalogued)
1620
First performance
1609
Decade
1620s
Genre
Tragicomedy
Play type
Adult Professional
Company
King's Men
Theater
Globe;Outdoor Professional
Speech prefix(es)
COVN.
Words
245
Characters
1176
Typicality
0.27 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A06343
BritDrama no.
1597
Cluster
Cluster 15 — Devils, vices & grotesques
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
I will see the king if he be in the Forest, I have hunted him this two hours, if I should come home, And not see him, my sisters would laugh at me, I can see nothing but people, better horst then my self, That out ride me, I can hear nothing but shouting, These kings had need of strong brains, The whooping would put a man out of his wits: Theres a Courtier with his sword drawn, by this hand upon a woe man, I think. Hold dastard, strike a woman, th'art a craven, I warrant thee, thoud'st be loath to play half a dozen veneis at wasters with a man for a broken head. God judge me, I understand you not, But I know the rogue has hurt you. I know not your Rethrack, but I can lay it on if you touch the woman. Oh, do you breath? I cannot follow the rogue, I prithee wench come kiss me now. Almost killed I am, for a foolish woman, A knave has hurt her. By God she lies, has hurt her i'the breast, look else. Is it the Princess? Then I have seen something yet. I told you a rogue, I never saw him before, I. He's hurt too, he cannot go far, I let my father's old fox fly about's ears. I pray you friend, let me see the king. If I get clear of this, I'll see no more gay fights,
Plot summary
Plot — Philaster, or Love Lies a-Bleeding
The King. of Sicily invites the Spanish prince Pharamiond to marry his daughter Airethiisa and become his heir. This is challenged by the rightful King, PHilastér, who was deposed in his minority by the present King’s predecessor, but is too popular to imprison or kill. Arethusa secretly woos Philaster, and he gives her the page Bellarig to be their go-between. She refuses Pharamond’s request for pre-marital sex, so, looking for satisfaction elsewhere, he tries the ladies-in-waiting: (Galatéd refuses him, but his seduction of M@gra is more successful. Galatea overhears their plans for an assignation and reports it to Arethusa, who reports it in turn to the King. Pharamond is disgraced, but Megra gets her revenge by alleging an improper relationship between Alrethtisa and Béllario. The scandalous rumours come to Philaster’s ears, and he becomes mentally distracted through jealousy. Arethuisa dismisses Bellario on her father’s orders. She then disappears in the woods during a royal hunt, and meets the boy by chance. PhilaStér finds them together and thinks his fears confirmed. He confronts and wounds her, but is driven off by a country fellow; he then finds Béllarid asleep and wounds him. Philaster is taken prisoner and committed to Alrethusa’s custody. Facing execution, he is reconciled to her, and they are married. When the King learns of this, he has them both imprisoned. Pharamond pays a sightseeing visit to the city. There he is captured by the Sicilian citizens, who have risen in rebellion, fearful for Philaster’s safety. THe—King promises to restore Philaster’s rights if he can quell the mutiny. He does, and the King keeps his. word; Pharamondiis to return to Spain, and Philaster suggests that he take Mégra with him. Megra renews the slander about Arethusa’s illicit relationship with Bellario, and the King orders BéllaniG tortured to reveal the truth (and hopefully clear Arethusa). Bellario reveals that the story cannot be true, for ‘he’ is really a girl in disguise: she fell hopelessly in love with PHilaster and, recognizing the match to be impossible, posed as a page to be with him. Megra is forgiven, but banished from the court. 1609 B-Text In this version, the present King, not his father, was responsible for Philaster’s deposition. There is no threat to torture Bellario. Megra is not forgiven but imprisoned pending the King’s pleasure. The King effects a more explicit transfer of power to Philaster. Philaster arranges husbands for Bellario and…