Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

IRIS

in The Maid's Metamorphosis — Anonymous

Metadata

PlayThe Maid's Metamorphosis
AuthorAnonymous
Year (catalogued)1600
First performance1600
Decade1600s
GenrePastoral Romance
Play typeBoys Professional
CompanyChildren of Paul's (second)
Speech prefix(es)Iris.
Words280
Characters1479
Typicality0.39 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA06742
BritDrama no.1231
ClusterCluster 24 — Gods, cupids & celestial agents

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

Iris is at hand, To attend Jove's wife: great Juno's High command. What is my Goddess will? may Iris ask? Gods, the grant consists alone in you, Madam, my service is at your command, About the business now that I am sent, To sleeps black Cave, I will incontinent: And his dark cabin, boldly will I shake, Until the drowsy lumpish God awake: And such a bouncing at his Cave I'll keep, That if pale death, seized on the eyes of sleep, I'll rouse him up, that when he shall me hear, I'll make his locks stand up on end with fear. Be silent air, whilst Iris in her pride Swifter then thought, upon the winds does ride. What Somnus, what Somnus, Somnus. What wilt thou not awake? are thou still so fast? Nay then i'faith, I'll have and other cast. What Somnus Somnus I say? Up thou drowsy God, I say, And come presently away, Or I will beat upon this door, That after this, thou sleepest no more. Out you beast, you block, you stone: Come, or at thy door I'll thunder, Till both heaven and hell do wonder, Somnus I say. What Somnus? From mighty Juno, Jove's immortal wife, Somnus I come: to charge thee on thy life, That thou unto this Gentleman appear, And in this place, thus as he lies here, Present his mistress to his inward eyes, In as true manner, as thou canst devise. Morpheus: if he in humane shape appear. Eurymine. See how he catches to embrace the shade. No Somnus, no: go back unto thy bed: Juno she shall reward thee for thy pain. Morpheus farewell: to Juno I will fly.

Plot summary

Plot — The Maid's Metamorphosis
Considering Eurymine too low-born to be a suitable match for his son Ascanio, Duke Telemachus orders two of his gentlemen to escort her from the court and murder her. In the event, however, Phylander persuades his colleague that they have no obligation to follow unlawful orders. They plan to present the Duke with an animal’s heart, claiming it to be hers, and Eurymine agrees to live away from the court in country exile. She meets a forester and a shepherd, each of whom wants her to live with him; when they become competitive, she agrees to accept a cottage from the forester and a flock of sheep from the shepherd. Ascanio goes into the woods looking for Eurymine. Juno finds him asleep and, eager to prove her superiority to Venus, arranges for him to dream of where to find his love. Meanwhile, Eurymine meets Apollo, who is also attracted to her. To save herself from rape, she claims to disbelieve his claims of godhead, and asks him to prove himself by working a miracle: specifically, she asks him to change her sex. He does, but with an associated curse: as a man, she will fall hopelessly in love with another man, and long to be a woman again. Ascanio learns from an echo that Eurymine is nearby but inaccessible, and the hermit Aramanthus, who is also a dispossessed prince, explains her metamorphosis. This disappoints not only Ascanio but also her country admirers, and Aramanthus recommends that she should ask the Graces to intercede with Apollo on her behalf. Apollo eventually agrees and restores her original gender. Telemachus has a change of heart and sends Phylander to bring Eurymine back from the forest. Apollo reveals that she is in fact Aramanthus’ long-lost daughter, and so of royal blood: her status is after all no obstacle to her marriage with Ascanio.