Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

CUPID

in Dido, Queen of Carthage — Marlowe, Christopher; Nashe, Thomas

Metadata

PlayDido, Queen of Carthage
AuthorMarlowe, Christopher; Nashe, Thomas
Year (catalogued)1594
First performance1586
Decade1590s
GenreTragedy
Play typeBoys Professional
CompanyChildren of the Chapel (first) (Oxford's Boys)
Speech prefix(es)Cupid.
Words180
Characters884
Typicality0.37 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA07023
BritDrama no.820
ClusterCluster 1 — Wives, widows & intimate counsel

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

I, and my mother gave me this fine bow. I will fair mother, and so play my partly, As every touch shall wound Queen Didos heart. Now Cupid cause the Carthaginian Queen, To be inamourd of thy brother's looks, Convey this golden arrow in thy sleeve, Lest she imagine thou art Venus son: And when she strokes thee softly on the head, Then shall I touch her breast and conquer her. No Dido will not take me in her arms, I shall not be her son, she loves me not. My cousin Helen taught it me in Troy. Will Dido let me hang about her neck? What will you give me? now I'll have this Fan. And if my mother go, I'll follow her. Mother, look here. You shall not hurt my father when he comes. Whither must I go? I'll stay with my mother. Come come I'll go, how far hence is your house? Nurse I am weary, will you carry me? So yowl love me, I care not if I do. A husband and no teeth! Come Nurse.

Plot summary

Plot — Dido, Queen of Carthage
JMipHEEE tries to seduce Gahiymiede] who complains of Juno’s ill usage, but succumbs when offered gifts. Meanwhile J@m6 has suborned Aeolus to wreck Aeneas’ fleet, which is carrying refugees from Troy to Italy; WEMUS seeks Jupiter’s help: Jupiter prophesies that ASHEa8 is destined to wander until he founds a new Troy in what will become Rome; but also sends Mereury to calm the seas. Separated from his fleet, Aeneas lands on the coast of north Africa and meets the disguised Venus, who encourages him to present himself at Dido’s court. The Trojans are reunited in Carthage, where Dido greets them. At her request, he recounts the fall of Troy. Venus abducts AS€amius and substitutes @apid in his shape. He makes Dido fall in love with Aeneas, and she offers to help repair his ships on condition that he remains with her in Carthage; her attentions make her suitor [aeba8 jealous. Juno attempts to kill the sleeping Ascanius, but Venus intervenes, warned by her doves. Submitting to destiny, Juno agrees to help Dido win Aeneas, and causes a storm during their hunting expedition. They shelter together in a cave, and, wooed by Dido, Aeneas promises never to leave Carthage during her lifetime. Iarbas prays for Jupiter’s help against Aeneas; AiR tries to interest him in her instead of her sister, but fails. Hermes appears to Aeneas in a dream and instructs him to leave for Italy, but Dido crowns him King of Carthage. As further insurance, she has ‘Ascanius’ taken into the country, and the rigging removed from Aeneas’ ships. Aeneas plans to build a new Troy in Carthage, but H@@mes appears in person, having swapped back Ascanius for Cupid, and repeats Jupiter’s command. Jarbas supplies Aeneas with rigging, and he sails away. Dido destroys the items he has left behind and then burns herself to death. [arbas ===== PAGE 447 ===== 1588 kills himself for love of Dido, and Anna kills herself for love of Iarbas.