Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

MENALCAS

in Midas — Lyly, John

Metadata

PlayMidas
AuthorLyly, John
Year (catalogued)1592
First performance1589
Decade1590s
GenreComedy
Play typeBoys Professional
CompanyChildren of Paul's (first)
Theaterbefore the Court;
Speech prefix(es)Men. | Menal.
Words159
Characters815
Typicality0.27 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA06621
BritDrama no.835
ClusterCluster 17 — Intriguers & schemers

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

Suppose they have, yet they may be without tongues, to bewray us. He seeks to conquer Lesbos, and Like a foe lish gamester, having a bagfull of his own, ventures it all to win a groat of another. We poor commons (who tasting war, are made to relish nothing but taxes) can do nothing but grieve, to see things unlawful practised, to obtain things impossible. All his mines do but gild his comb, to make it glister in the wars, and cut ours that are for ced to follow him in his wars. Let this suffice, we may talk too much, and being overheard, be all undone. I am so jealous, that me thinks the very redes bow down, as though they listened to our talk: and soft, I hear some coming, let us in, and meet at a place more meet. IMuse what the Nymphs meant, that so sang in the groves, Midas of Phrygia hath Asses ears.

Plot summary

Plot — Midas
Offered anything he wishes by way of reward for entertaining Baéehus) KingiMidas seeks advice. Two of his lords suggest that he request love and empire respectively; the third proposes gold, which can buy both, so Midas asks that everything he touches should turn to gold. The gift proves to be an inconvenience, turning Midas’s food and even his beard to gold. (A BaBE steals the golden beard from the FSyalibarber, but the barber gets his own back by giving him toothache.) Regretting his folly and his imperialistic designs on other nations, Midas seeks a remedy from the oracle, and washes off the golden touch in a nearby river. On the way home, Midas goes hunting in the woods, gets lost, and encounters Ajpoll6 and Pan ‘The two gods are in dispute over which is the best musician; Midas is asked to judge, and, perversely, chooses Pan. Apollo gives him ass’s ears in reprisal, and he becomes reclusive while rumours spread; even the reeds whisper about his ears. Meanwhile his empire begins to disintegrate and he is unable to achieve his overriding objective, the conquest of Lesbos. Finally he seeks a remedy from the oracle of Apollo, and also proclaims that any further talk about his ass’s ears will cost the speaker his own. The pages inveigle Motto the barber into flouting the edict, and thereby force him to return the golden beard. Midas makes his obeisance at Apollo’s oracle, and is ordered to give up his imperial ambitions; in particular, his ears will only get longer if he continues to covet Lesbos. He agrees, and promises to make annual sacrifices at the oracle. The ass’s ears fall off, and the play ends with praise for Apollo.