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)
Sal.
Words
1179
Characters
6496
Typicality
0.39 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A06982
BritDrama no.
1901
Cluster
Cluster 20 — Conjurers, witches & physicians
Important excerpts
Passages from this character's speech that contain the most distinguishing words for Cluster 20 (ithimore, nat, invisible, notary, glycerie, humfrey…). Matches are highlighted.
free; behold else. You shall have more, e pour it on in showers; perform but my commandments. Hark your eam es. About it then; be constant wary and you're for unate. Away then. Thus catch we hearts with gold; thus Spiders can Poison poor Flies, and kill the innocent man. Why, Princely Nephew, I've no cause to fear. Yes, and
delight to hear me; hear me now. And act worth imitation. Heeresa b ave change, sweet Nephew; can you fly Above the pit you play in? No, 'tis Antipater; go, be fortunate: I've other plots in working. Say not so; You may find reparation. Sensibly, And fear, and will prevent it. How prove you Physicians the best members? Th'art excellent
Full speech
Subtle plots. Pa er tongues, That may discover strange dissemblers. Nay 'tis more; A tempting of your fortune. Yes. it hath pinched her on the petticoat. Yes, 'tis Sorcery. Yes; may poison flow between them. Not from mine outrage, that shall Like a storm Follow them and confound them; I will make The world in blood, text down my crumb ltie. I'll be revenged; by all my Hope's I will, Highly and deeply; shallow fool, no more; Still waters drown, the shallow do but roar. Sure they'll burst, if this strong Cholic hold them. And why to scold, proud Madame? Tut, pride loves not to distinguish: goodly Lord, not so much as how do you forsooth; (every foolish City's zens salutation;) nor hail to the Sister of my Lord the King, (every Court-Coxecombes Congee;) nor save you sweet Lady, (Fools and Physicians Orisons) Come I could Make you run doglike back, and from the ground Lick up the filth you uttered. Yes, and you Leave virtue where you found it; hark you Queen, You are chafed, and most incontinent. His picture lies within you; pluck it out, And let your false heart follow. Vengeance upon such sufferance. Old Beldame. Marry mew. Yes, and cry vengeance for it; wicked one, There's wier whips in making, and I know Furies will soundly lash you; you, and you; Both are m rkt out to perish; faith you are. Yes, 'tis fit; Lust still must flatter falsehood. Call me not Wife; The found of death hath far more Music in it: Wife? Oh, my fate! Wife unto such a Lecher? I'll be no Salumith of thine, ther'es your Love; She whom you foster in her insolences; She's your Salumith: Oh crudulous women, How easily are you gulled, with a seducing kiss! A fair word makes the Devil seem a Saint; But I'll be revenged, and in so strange a course As never woman took. D'yee perpetrate my goodness? There's your Salumith. So will I; I'm armed with able mischief. Yes; and all I fear too weak to draw them: Royal Sir, you are abused in your credulity; It is not grief but malice, bitter spleen, And anger I may call Treason, which keeps back These two from noble duties: Sir, they say You do usurp, and are a Murderer, And teach all yours to murder; that you are No lawful King of Israel; but a Greek Descended basely; drawn from polluted blood: Profane, unholy; nay, (indeed) what not That Rancour can imagine? Sir, I fear Your life is plotted on; a wrath Like theirs, So loud, so public, nay so impudent; Is not without assistance. Desperate things. Things which may shake your foothold; for, I fear The Queen is turned and Asp's, and will spread Her fatal poison over you; if you dote, The Lethargy will kill you: Sir, 'tis said, Nay, will be proved she is incontinent. With him I blush to mention; Joseph Sir, Joseph my Husband wrongs you. Do not give truth that title; for you know, It will be proved by many witnesses. Yes, and her Daughters sullenness. But I'll bring Fuel that shall inflame it. Doubt me not. Great Sir, with confidence as full of Truth, As they are full of Treason; I aver, These, in your absence, have abused your bed, With most incestuous foul Adultery. Let it come, If I speak ought unjustly; all my words, My blood and oath shall seal to. A Tempest never looked for. You must take my directions. Thou shalt inform his Majesty; his Sons hired thee, when his Highness should approach to view the buildings, by seeming chance to throw some stone upon him, which might crush him to pieces. Do this and thou shalt gain by't. No matter. Do, and live rich and happy; hold, there's gold. And what's become of Liberality? That art deceived her hand is ever open, And to desert she S free; behold else. You shall have more, e pour it on in showers; perform but my commandments. Hark your eam es. About it then; be constant wary and you're for unate. Away then. Thus catch we hearts with gold; thus Spiders can Poison poor Flies, and kill the innocent man. Why, Princely Nephew, I've no cause to fear. Yes, and you; The High-Priests death, and Marriams Tragedy, Will be objected against you. Yet so far Beyond them, I'll not fear them; here's my hand, I've marked them for destruction: since our fates Have equal danger; 'tis no reason but They do enjoy Like triumph; once again, Believe it, they are sinking. Peace, no more; here comes mine Instrument. The same, observe him. Oh 'tis a piece of strange Idolatry. Nay, yowl spoil all, if you interrupt him. Not every where good Triphon, some place still Must be reserved for other purposes. Well proceed; What, at a stand? has true love God the power, To strike dumb such a nimble wit? Nothing so, he does but mock, he loves not Salumith. Spoke Like a daring servant; hark thine ear; Do this and have thy wishes. Sir, you shall; 'tis there, pay your devotion. Nephew, true; Let him and's follies wrestle; from their birth We will bring out our safeties; Villains, we know Are sometime Stilts, on which great men must go. Oh my Lord, 'Tis a becoming Justice; hear them speak. 'Tis not so; Nephews, deer Nephews, Throw at his Highness feet, these ill becoming weapons; In this case, they do not guard but hurt you. I am struck dumb with wonder; I should swear This were your own hands Nephews. And so will I. It will renown your patience; Sacred Sir, Let me beg for my Nephews; you have said You took delight to hear me; hear me now. And act worth imitation. Heeresa b ave change, sweet Nephew; can you fly Above the pit you play in? No, 'tis Antipater; go, be fortunate: I've other plots in working. Say not so; You may find reparation. Sensibly, And fear, and will prevent it. How prove you Physicians the best members? Th'art excellent in all things; keep thy way What we admire, that we must obey. Sir, I beseech you, for your royal health, And for the Kingdoms safety, you'll be pleased To hear this E such speak; and howsoever Yaue vowed no more to hear Conspiracies: Yet Sir, in this regard him; and admit, He may make known what may endanger you. Belonging to Alexandra. Sir, 'twill be A royal Justice in you: who not knows The Lybian Lyons never dare approach The walls whereon their spoils hang; Wolves we see Fly from the found of those Drums, which we know Are headed with their own Skins: Sir, beleeu't, Severity brings safety. It a strange desperate hazard. Madam, do; It will be too apparent, trust the King; I'll sue and beg your safety. Mischief on mischief, How came she by that knowledge? What not intend it? Blushless impudence! Villain, th'art damned for that discovery. Why fool? But thou dost, and it will damn thee.
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,…