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)
1 WOOD. | 2 WOOD.
Words
270
Characters
1385
Typicality
0.20 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A06343
BritDrama no.
1597
Cluster
Cluster 16 — Errand servants & brief parts
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
What, have you logged the Dear below? Who shoots? No, shee'le hunt. Who else? He shall shoot in a stone bow for me, I never loved his beyond-sea-shippe, since he forsook the Say, for paying ten shillings: he was there at the fallen of a Dear, and would needs out ofhis Mightiness, give ten groats for the docets; marry his steward would have the villuet head into the bargain, to turf his hat withal, I think he should love venery: he and old Sir Tri strum: for ifye be remembered, he forsook a Stag once, to strike a rascal milking in a meadow, and her he killed i'the eye. Who shoots else? That's a good wench, and she would not chide us for tumbling of her women in the brakes, she's liberal, and by the gods, they say honest, and whither that be a fault or no, I have nothing to do, there's all. That's a firker Faith boy, there's a wench will ride her haunches as hard after a kennel of hounds as a hunting saddle, & when ̄ she comes home, get um clapped, and all is well again, I have known her loose her self three times in one afternoon, if the Woods had been answerable, and has been work enough for one man to find her, and has sweated for't: she rides well, and she pays well, hark else. Was she not young and tall? Yes, they are ready for the bow. Shee'le take a stand I say. Why the young strange Prince. The Lady Gallatea. No, one more, Megra. Faith my Lord, we saw none.
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…