in Dido, Queen of Carthage — Marlowe, Christopher; Nashe, Thomas
Metadata
Play
Dido, Queen of Carthage
Author
Marlowe, Christopher; Nashe, Thomas
Year (catalogued)
1594
First performance
1586
Decade
1590s
Genre
Tragedy
Play type
Boys Professional
Company
Children of the Chapel (first) (Oxford's Boys)
Speech prefix(es)
Nurse.
Words
313
Characters
1546
Typicality
0.50 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A07023
BritDrama no.
820
Cluster
Cluster 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
My Lord Ascanius, you must go with me. No, thou shalt go with me unto my house, I have and Orchard that hath store of plums, Brown Almonds, Services, ripe Figs and Dates, Dewberries, Apples, yellow Oranges, A garden where are Be hives full of honey, Musk-roses, and a thousand sort of flowers, And in the amid does run a silver stream, Where thou shalt see the read gild fish leap, White Swans, and many lovely water souls: Now speak Ascanius, will you go or no? But hereby child, we shall get thither straight. I, so yowl dwell with me and call me mother. That I might live to see this boy a man, How prettily he laughs, go you wag, Yowl be a twigger when you come to age. Say Dido what she will I am not old, I'll be no more a widow, I am young, I'll have a husband, or else a lover. Oh what mean I to have such foolish thoughts! Foolish is love, a toy, Oh sacred love, If there be any heaven in earth, 'tis love: Especially in women of your years. Blush blush for shame, why shouldst thou think of love? A graven, and not a lover fits thy age: A graven, why? I may live a hundred years, Fourscore is but a girls age, love is sweet: My veins are withered, and my sinews dry, Why do I think of love now I should die? Well, if he come a wooing he shall speed, Oh how unwise was I to say him nay! Exeunt. Oh Dido, your little son Ascanius Is gone! he lay with me last night, And in the morning he was stolen from me, I think some Fairies have beguiled me. I know not what you mean by treason, I, I am as true as any one of yours. Exeunt the 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.