Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

SCIENCE

in All for Money — Lupton, Thomas

Metadata

PlayAll for Money
AuthorLupton, Thomas
Year (catalogued)1578
First performance1577
Decade1570s
GenreMoral
Play typeInterlude
Speech prefix(es)Science.
Words239
Characters1294
Typicality0.33 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA06480
BritDrama no.621
ClusterCluster 7 — Pedants, satyrs & Latin wit

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

Many do embrace and study me daily: But will you know why, and also to what end, Forfooth for great living, and also for money: Not to help the needy therewith they do intend, But vainly on their carcases to consume and spend, And the rest to revenge malice wickedly they do spare: Thus to live at pleasure is their delight and care. But the most part care not for me neither me regard So much they are led with the blind love of money: Vile money before science and knowledge is preferred. All good science and knowledge I represent truly. Which doth heal the mind, as medicines do the body, Quemadmodum corpus medicinam, sic animum curate Philosophiam Et vita sine literis, mors est, & hominis sepulturam. What worthy Theology I am glad to see you hear, A must needs confess you are my head and pear, For as man through me hath necessary living Even so both body and soul to heavenly joys you bring. ¶ To us you are welcome Art most necessary No good order in the land can be without us three. ¶ Dives vix bonus, a preaty saying and true, The rich man is scant good, this is the meaning: And money makes pleasures, this sentence does show Pecuniam effectrix multarum & magnarum voluptatum. ¶ According to your godly will I am content likewise, Let us not with money commit (Oh Lord) any vice.

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.