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)
Ios.
Words
488
Characters
2762
Typicality
0.26 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A06982
BritDrama no.
1901
Cluster
Cluster 21 — Old fathers & plain counsel
Important excerpts
Passages from this character's speech that contain the most distinguishing words for Cluster 21 (gar, shillings, alii, yongrave, ogenes, nat…). Matches are highlighted.
would after purchase with your blood; But cannot then recall it: Sir, conceive; There may be Complots, Letters, Stratagems, And things we cannot dream of. Unfortunate youngman. You shall do Wrong to your royal nature to suspect him. Sir, y'haue engaged me where my heart desired; Doubt not my diligence. (But shot wide Of goodness,
the setting forth Of many things that are inscrutable; Beside you are a learned rare Physician. I shall have employment for you. Oh Sir, you shall not. I am no niggard, Sir. No more, you're all for mine employment; you for stone, You for Painting, you for Timberwork; No man shall want his merit: Go, away, Apply your labours,
He is, and safely. Ladies, shake hands with passion, and let's join To meet the King with royal cheerfulness. This is a violent passion. Gracious Sir, Th'vnfortunate destruction of her Son, The high Priest Aristobulus (late drowned Within to River Rigill ) so takes up Their hearts with powerful sorrow, that their minds Are
Full speech
Not so good, You may, by that means, blindfold cast away What you would after purchase with your blood; But cannot then recall it: Sir, conceive; There may be Complots, Letters, Stratagems, And things we cannot dream of. Unfortunate youngman. You shall do Wrong to your royal nature to suspect him. Sir, y'haue engaged me where my heart desired; Doubt not my diligence. (But shot wide Of goodness, and all good thoughts.) Two fiends Like these were never spit from Hell. Well said my masters, and how mounts the brave Temple? may a man stand on the top of it and orelooke the Sun? Tut, any foolish Citizen may do that which hath his wife for his master: but stay; what's he? What's he? What, the famous Mountebanke? Reverend Jew; I hear you're famed for many rarities; As Sculpture, Painting, and the setting forth Of many things that are inscrutable; Beside you are a learned rare Physician. I shall have employment for you. Oh Sir, you shall not. I am no niggard, Sir. No more, you're all for mine employment; you for stone, You for Painting, you for Timberwork; No man shall want his merit: Go, away, Apply your labours, there's a largess for you. Madam, forbear complaining; would this were The worst of Mischiefs journey. I dare not speak my knowledge, though my heart Leaps betwixt my lips to utter Mysteries. Madam, I dare not. You have laid Such strong Commandments on me I must yield: Hark, your ears. Nay, be still; you shall hear greater mischief. 'Tis a fault Which asks your deepest wisdom: come, let's in; I'll tell you stranger Stories. How now; what means this outrage? Peace for shame; This talk fits Stews and Brothels: Gome, no more; Mother, your judgement should be far more wise; And Madam, you should be more temperate: A Princes hands, all injuries should look Not for revenge but pa ience. Would; what's that? why Wife— Why Salumith. By Heaven & happiness, I know not what this means; Yet were the King not suddenly returned, And craved our swift attendance; I would sift And try this language strangely. He is, and safely. Ladies, shake hands with passion, and let's join To meet the King with royal cheerfulness. This is a violent passion. Gracious Sir, Th'vnfortunate destruction of her Son, The high Priest Aristobulus (late drowned Within to River Rigill ) so takes up Their hearts with powerful sorrow, that their minds Are born with nothing but calamity. Oh pardon me; It was my love, not malice. Woman, look up; The vault of Heaven is Marble; this untruth Will make it fallen to kill thee. Malice hath wrought upon us, and oretane Our guiltless lives with vengeance: Hell it self Is not more false then these are; yet, I know, Nothing can save us but a Miracle. There's but one true Judge over Israel, And he knows I am guiltless.
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,…