Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

MONEYLESS

in All for Money — Lupton, Thomas

Metadata

PlayAll for Money
AuthorLupton, Thomas
Year (catalogued)1578
First performance1577
Decade1570s
GenreMoral
Play typeInterlude
Speech prefix(es)Moneyles.
Words177
Characters826
Typicality0.25 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA06480
BritDrama no.621
ClusterCluster 21 — Old fathers & plain counsel

Important excerpts

No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).

Full speech

¶ One that without my Lords help away is Like to be cast. ¶ Oh my Lord, as I came by and hedge the last night, Of a few rags and clothes I chanced to have a sighed: Which when I had viewed with me I them took, Which were not worth a crown I dare swear on a book: And I have a rich neighbour that threats me very soar That I shall be hanged right shortly therefore. ¶ By my troth my self, for I have none other friend. ¶ I am not acquainted with him, I will not be found a liar. ¶ I am Moneyles and friendless as many one can tell. ¶ You promised me that I should not be troubled, ¶ I trust Sir you will not go against your word. ¶ God have mercy on us without a man have money He shall be cast away for a tryfell we see: But the thieves and robbers that with money be stored Escape well enough, but the poor thieves be hanged.

Plot summary

Plot — All for Money
The play satirizes the domination of money in a sequence of discrete episodes. Theology, Science, and Art lament that they are now primarily studied out ofa desire for money. Money becomes ill and vomits up Pleasure, who in turn gives birth to Sin in the same manner, whose progeny in turn is Damnation. Satan is pleased that Money’s wide popularity will consign so many souls to hell, and asks Sin to assist in the process. The relative values of money and learning are assessed in an encounter between four characters who have or lack them in various permutations: learning is shown to be superior to money, and poverty in this world carries the promise of a heavenly reward in the next; the clinching point is that Learning with Money gives alms to the poor where Money without Learning refuses. Money feels overworked and Sin gives him an associate, All for Money, who presides over a corrupt court: he pardons theft and assault, infanticide, and bigamy, but hangs a poor thief who is unable to bribe him. He also advises two suitors to procure false witnesses to support their causes, and protects a corrupt and incompetent cleric. Judas and Dives, two souls damned for monetary sins, lament their situation; Damnation drives them off to hell. Godly Admonition warns the audience not to repent too late, and to give up cupidity.