Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

EUROTA

in Gallathea — Lyly, John

Metadata

PlayGallathea
AuthorLyly, John
Year (catalogued)1592
First performance1585
Decade1590s
GenreComedy
Play typeBoys Professional
CompanyChildren of Paul's (first) (?)
Theaterbefore the Court;
Speech prefix(es)Eurota
Words352
Characters1734
Typicality0.42 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA06619
BritDrama no.754
ClusterCluster 5 — Romantic leads (high style)

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

Telusa, Diana bid me hunt you out, & says that you care not to hunt with her, but if you follow any other Game then she hath rowsd, your punishment shall be to bend all our bows, and weave all our strings. Why look you so pale, so sad, so wildly. I am no Oedipus to expound riddles, and I muse how thou canst be Sphinx to utter them. But I pray thee Telusa tell me what thou ailest, if thou be sick, this ground hath leaves to heal: if melancholy, here are pastimes to use: if peevish, wit must wean it, or time, or counsel. If thou be in love (for I have herd of such a beast called love) it shall be cured, why blushest thou Telusa? I confess that I am in love, and yet swear that I know not what it is. I feel my thoughts unknit, mine eyes unstayed, my heart I know not how affected, or infected, my sleeps broken and full of dreams, my wakenesse sad and full of sighs, my self in all things unlike my self. If this be love, I would it had never been devised. How did it take you first Telusa? By the ears, whose sweet words sunk so deep into my head, that the remembrance of his wit, hath bereaved me of my wisdom, o eloquent Tyte rus, o credulous Eurota. But soft here comes Ra mia, but let her not hear us talk, we will withdraw our selves, and hear her talk. You shall see Ramia hath also bitten on a love leaf. Indeed Ramia, if Lovers were not virtue ous, then Wertenberg thou vicious. Tush Ramia, 'tis too late to recall it, to re penned it a shame: therefore I pray thee tell what is love? Nor you Telusa. So do I, and I will have him. Talk no more Telusa, your words wound. Ah would I were no woman. We will plague ye for a little God. Make no excuse but to it. Let me see, now 'tis unpossible to be un done. Why laugh you?

Plot summary

Plot — Gallathea
Every five years, Lincolnshire’s fairest and chastest virgin is sacrificed to N&@ptumé; this ancient custom keeps the land safe from the monster Agat. The fathers of Galatea and PHyllidd independently attempt to preserve their respective daughters from selection for sacrifice by disguising her as a boy and sending her to hide in the woods. They meet: each takes the other for the boy she seems, and falls in love with ‘him’. Meanwhile, to make mischief among Diana’s nymphs, @upid cross-dresses too and gives them all amorous thoughts about the two disguised girls; but Galatea and Phyllida reject them all, each preferring the other. Cupid is captured, and set fiddly tasks by way of punishment. The day of the sacrifice arrives. M@be, the most suitable remaining virgin, is offered in sacrifice, but Neptune has seen through Galatea and Phyjllida’s disguises and will not take her; Hebe is relieved to-have survived and disappointed not to be the fairest virgin. WenGsS arrives to release her son, and appeals for Neptune’s help. He offers to discontinue the custom of sacrifice if Dia@iia will release Cupid, and, knowing it will save the lives of future virgins, Diana agrees. Galatea and Phyllida each discover the other's true gender, but Venus agrees to change one of them into a boy, but they are not to know which of them it is until they are married. In the sub-plot, three brothers are shipwrecked on the Lincolnshire coast, and seek their fortune by some other means than the sea. Raifé successively serves an alchemist and an astronomer, but ends up no richer than before; RGB too has little success, but Diek claims prosperity. The goddesses engage them to sing at the wedding of Galatea and Phyllida.