Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

SIREN

in Love's Metamorphosis — Lyly, John

Metadata

PlayLove's Metamorphosis
AuthorLyly, John
Year (catalogued)1601
First performance1590
Decade1600s
GenrePastoral Comedy
Play typeBoys Professional
CompanyChildren of Paul's (first)
Speech prefix(es)Syr.
Words183
Characters976
Typicality0.21 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA06620
BritDrama no.841
ClusterCluster 12 — Wooers, gallants & courtly love-talk

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

Accursed men, whose loves have no other mean then extremities, nor hates end but mischief. Of all creatures most unkind, most cunning, by whose subtleties I am half fish, half flesh, themselves be king neither fish nor flesh, in love luck warm, in cruelty read hight, if they praise, they flatter; if flatter, deceive; if deceive, destroy. Here comes a brave youth, Now Syren, leave out nothing that may allure, thy golden locks, thy en tising looks, thy tuned voice, thy subtle speech, thy fair promises, which never misled the heart of any but Ulysses. Live still so thou love me: why standest thou ama z at the word Love? I am a goddess, but a Lady and a virgin, whose love if thou embrace, thou shalt live no less happy, then the gods in heaven. That old man measureth the hight assault of love, with the cold skir hes of age. I shrink my head for shame. Oh Ulysses, is it not e nough for thee to escape, but also to teach others? Sing and die, nay j, and never sing more.

Plot summary

Plot — Love's Metamorphosis
Three nymphs are loved by three foresters but reject them. The foresters offend Erisychthon, ruler of the forest, by cutting down a tree sacred to Ceres and blaspheming the goddess. The tree is revealed to contain Fidellia, a nymph transformed after being raped by a satyr, and she calls for revenge. Ceres punishes Erisychthon with perpetual hunger, driving him to attempt to sell his daughter Protea for food. Neptune grants Protea the power of metamorphosis, allowing her to escape. Meanwhile, the foresters seek help from Cupid, who punishes the disdainful nymphs through transformations: Nisa becomes a rock, Celia a rose, and Niobe a bird. Protea later saves her lover from a Siren’s temptation. Eventually Cupid and Ceres reverse the punishments, freeing Erisychthon from hunger and restoring the nymphs to their original forms. The nymphs finally accept the love of the foresters.