in Campaspe (Alexander, Campaspe, and Diogenes) — Lyly, John
Metadata
Play
Campaspe (Alexander, Campaspe, and Diogenes)
Author
Lyly, John
Year (catalogued)
1584
First performance
1583
Decade
1580s
Genre
Comedy
Play type
Boys Professional
Company
Children of the Chapel (first) (Oxford's Boys)
Theater
before the Court;
Speech prefix(es)
Arist.
Words
198
Characters
1040
Typicality
0.28 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A06583
BritDrama no.
746
Cluster
Cluster 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
I do not so much stand upon the apparition is seen in the Moon, neither the Demonium of Socrates, as that I cannot by natural reason give any reason of the ebbing and flowing of the Sea, which makes me in the depth of my studies to cry out, Oh ns entium misere re mei. Here comes Alexander. We are all here ready to be commanded, & glad we are that we are commanded, for that nothing better becomes kings then literature, which makes them come as near to the Gods in wisdom, as they do in dignity. If ever mischief entered into the heart of Calistenes, let Calistenes suffer for it, but that Aristotle ever imagined any such thing of Calistenes, Aristotle does de nigh. In doing a thing unpossible for a man. And all you happy that he is your sovereign. He seeks to draw near to the Gods in know ledge, not to be a God. These austere manners set aside, it is well known that thou didst counterfeit money. Thou hast reason to contemn the court, being both in body and mind too crooked for a courtier. Plato, what dost thou think of Diogenes?
Plot summary
Plot — Campaspe (Alexander, Campaspe, and Diogenes)
King Alexander has conquered Thebes and brought its captives to Athens, where he means to spend a peaceful interlude with the philosophers. Mo~t 1.:on 1 e and debate for him, but Diogenes churlishly refu:;t:"s to comply. Alexander becomes enamoured of Campaspe, and has her painted by Apelles, who himself falls in love with her. Knowing he must not challenge Alexander in love, he creates an excuse to see her again by blemishing the painting so that a second sitting is needed. Diogenes sends his servant to draw a crowd with a report that he will fly, but it is only a pretext to rail at them. Using a false report of a fire in Apelles' shop, Alexander tricks the painter into revealing his feelings for Campaspe, and, establishing that she reciprocates them, graciously withdraws his suit and allows them to marry. Having subdued his own amorous feelings, he will now go to war with Persia and conquer the world.