in Herod and Antipater — Markham, Gervase; Sampson, William
Metadata
Play
Herod and Antipater
Author
Markham, Gervase; Sampson, William
Year (catalogued)
1622
First performance
1622
Decade
1620s
Genre
Tragedy
Play type
Adult Professional
Company
Red Bull (Revels) Company (first)
Theater
Red Bull;Outdoor Professional
Speech prefix(es)
Ani. | Anim.
Words
467
Characters
2541
Typicality
0.23 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A06982
BritDrama no.
1901
Cluster
Cluster 3 — Citizens, tradesfolk & neighbors
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
Gracious Sir, Fear not my care; for nothing you can wish Is able to outstrip my diligence. With faith great as your longings. Sir, they are fled. By all that's true, I have not slacked a minute; they were gone Ere I had my commission, and so fast, My speed could not outstrip them; yet I took This luggage and their Servants, whence (no doubt) Your Majesty may gather new instructions. Gracious Sir: To Arms my Lord, to Arms: your Princely Sons, Attended by the people, stand between The Town of Bethlehem and Jerusalem; Their Ensigns spread, their Bows bent, and their Swords Waving Like wings of Eagles: Sir, they vow Revenge for their Mother's death. Be swift as Lightning; for the cause requires it: Such paper-plots are invisible Goblins; Pinching them most, which do least injury. Y are armed with full instructions. Sir, I am. I know it well. Sir, your care Makes you too curious, fear me not. My Lord, I did. My Lord;—You are undone. Great Antipater. This cause and this Authority. Strange Sir, and heavy; Rumour says, the King Hath slain himself. 'Tis strongly so reported. Upon my life, 'tis firmly so reported. I think your Greatness only. Go, my Lord, whither? Pardon me; I have not that Commission. Good my Lord, be pleased. Sir, I dare not. Take better thoughts, And good my Lord conceive, this is but News; It may be true, or false, or any way. Would I could; Yet if you will take patience, with all hast I'll fly unto the Court: if there I find The News be firm and certain; I'm your Slave: You shall dispose your self, and me and all things. I am vanished. Where is the King my Master? Imperial Sir, 'Tis from Antipater. Gracious Sir, The rumour of your death, when it had filled The City; flew to him. Not toth' heart. That was as light as any. Sir, in brief; When I had told the fatal Accident Both of your wound and dying; sudden mirth Ran through him Like a Lightning; and he seemed Only a flame of Jest and Merriment: His joy was passed example; and he swore, His sins had made him King of Israel: What shall I say; if threatenings or reward Could but have bought his freedom; at my choice Lay all my heart could number. Long life unto the King Antipater. Is the news true then? is the Old man dead? The wretched poor Old man; and, have my Stars Made me the man I wished for? Oh, you are My Nightingales of comfort, and shall sing Notes far above your Fortune's. Sir, 'tis too late; The heart-strong Lady once imprisoned, Forsook all food, all comfort, and with sighs, Broke her poor heart in sunder. Princely Antipater
Plot summary
Plot — Herod and Antipater
Queen Alexandra attempts to flee to Egypt with her son, the High Priest Aristobulus, after King Herod commands a bloody purge of their family. Herod’s troops arrive in time only to seize their luggage, but they are found hiding inside. Herod makes a public gesture of sparing them, but has his bastard son Antipater arrange an ‘accidental’ drowning for Aristobulus during a swimming contest. Herod backed the wrong side in the recent Roman civil war between Mark Antony and Augustus. He goes to Rome to make his peace with Augustus, the new master of the Empire, leaving Antipater with instructions to kill Mariam, the Queen, in the event of his failure. When Herod presents himself, Augustus offers two slaves the chance to murder him: the Briton conscientiously refuses, whereas the Roman eagerly accepts the job. But Augustus was only toying with Herod: he rewards the British slave, has the Roman thrown into the sea, and confirms Herod in his kingdom as an ally of Rome. Mariam learns that Herod has ordered her death, which compounds his crime in killing Aristobulus. Antipater, who seeks the crown, draws inspiration from Hell, and is shown a vision of the murder of Agamemnon. He procures false witnesses to accuse Mariam of attempting to poison her husband in order to facilitate an incestuous liaison with his brother. Herod sentences them both to death; he later changes his mind and tries to reprieve Mariam, but is too late. His two sons, Alexander and the younger Aristobulus, raise rebellion against him to avenge their mother. War is averted when Augustus intervenes: Herod’s authority is reinforced, the rebel princes are forgiven, and they are given nominally equal status with Antipater, though Herod gives precedence to the bastard. Antipater receives further hellish inspiration in a vision of Jugurth’s murder of his half-brothers. More false evidence is arranged, implicating Alexander and Aristobulus in plots to assassinate Herod and sow sedition in the army: a mason working on the rebuilding of the Temple is induced to say that he was bribed to drop a stone on Herod as he came to inspect the works, and Herod’s barber is asked to cut his throat. The barber shows the letter to Herod, who kills him to be on the safe side, and then has Alexander and Aristobulus strangled. Antipater is now the only surviving son. Wishing to retire, Herod sends Antipater to Rome, asking Augustus to make him King of Judah. Before he leaves, Antipater suborns Pheroas, Herod’s cupbearer,…