Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

MELLIDA

in Antonio and Mellida

Metadata

PlayAntonio and Mellida
Year (catalogued)1602
First performance1602
Decade1600s
GenreTragicomedy
Play typeBoys Professional;Professional
CompanyChildren of Paul's (second)
Speech prefix(es)Mell. | Mel.
Words635
Characters3492
Typicality0.67 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA07063
BritDrama no.1218
ClusterCluster 5 — Romantic leads (high style)

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

What prince was that passed through my fa the guard? O Marry Ambree, good, thy judgement wench; Thy bright electious clear, what will he prove? Even such a one was my Antonio. S. Mark, S. Mark, what kind of thing appears? What is he Flaviam? What husband, will he prove sweet Rossaline? The triumph's ended, but look Rossaline, What gloomy soul in strange accustrements Walks on the pavement. How covetous thou art of novelties! I am exceeding willing, but— Aye me! Nothing, sweet Rossaline, but the ayer's sharp. My father's Palace, Madam, will be proud To entertain your presence, if yowl dame To make repose within. Aye me! Shall I then know how fortune fell at last, What succour came, or what strange fate ensue? My thoughts are as black as your beard, my Fortune's as ill proportioned as your legs; and all the powers of my mind, as leaden as your wit, and as dusty as your face is swarthy. I pree thee intrude not on a dead men right. You never took seizin on them yet: forbear: There's not a vacant corner of my heart, But all is filled with dead Antonios lose. Then urge no more; Oh leave to love at all; 'Tis less disgraceful, not to mount, then fallen. Alas, I can not hear, nor see him. Dear heart; would, whither? Farewell bleak misery. Heaven keep you sir. I must be acquainted with you, sir. Stay sir, I think you nam Mellida. Yes. You seem to love her. She'll not requite it: all her love is fixed Upon a gallant, on Antonio, The Duke of Genoa's son. I was her Page: And often as I waited, she would sighs; Oh, deer Antonio; and to strengthen thought, Would clip my neck, and kiss, and kiss me thus. Therefore leave loving her: fa, faith me thinks, Her beauty is not half so ravishing As you discourse of; she hath a freckled face, A low forehead, and a lumpish eye. Good father A burning glass, the word splendente Phoebo? 'Tis too curious, I conceit it not. I trust ye. Antonio (aye me) my Lord, my love, my Lady, your strange habit does beget Our pregnant thoughts, even great of much desire, To be acquaint with your condition. What said you sir? alas my thought was fixed Upon another object. Good, forbear: I shall but weep. Aye me, what boots a tear! Come, come, lets dance. Oh music thou distill'st More sweetness in us then this jarring world: Both time and measure from thy strains do breath, While from the channel of this dirt does flow Nothing but timeless grief, unmeasured woe. Oh, Antonio; my Lord, my Love, my Farewell deer soul. Alas Antonio, I have lost thy note. A number mount my stairs; isle straight return. Escaped I am, spite of my father's spite. Yes. Diletta & soave anima mia Antonio, Godeuole belezza cortese Antonio. Signior mio & virginal amore bell' Antonio Gusto delli mei sensi, car' Antonio. Murono I sensi nel desiato dessio: Nel mondo pol esser belta pia chiara? Dammi pimpero deal tuo gradit' amore I beam, cosempiterno honore, Cosi, cosimi conuerra morir. Good sweet, scout over the marsh: for my heart trembls At every little breath that strikes my ear, When thou returnest: and isle discourse How I deceived the Court: then thou shall tell How thou escapt'st the watch: weel point our speech With amorous kissing, kissing continued ̄ maes, and even suck The liquid breath from out each others lips. Ay me. In faith, fair sir, I am too sad to dance. You will speak the liker your self. Nay good sweet, keep them both, I am ena mour'd of neither. Oh that my spirit in a sighs could mount, Into the Sphere, where thy sweet soul does rest.

Plot summary

Plot — Antonio and Mellida
The Genoese navy is routed by the Venetians, and the defeated Duke and his son Antonio are banished; the victorious Venetian Duke Piero proclaims a price on both their heads. Meanwhile, aristocratic suitors have come to Venice to woo Mellida, Piero's daughter and Antonio's love. Shipwrecked in Venetian territory and believing his father dead, Antonio disguises himself as an Amazon. He meets Mellida and is received at court; at first he maintains his alias, pretending to have seen Antonio die, but then reveals himself to Mellida. He makes arrangements to abscond with her to England; the plot is discovered, but they escape, separately, in disguise. Andrugio too is alive, believing Antonio to have perished, and he too has been washed up in Venice. Father and fugitive son are reunited in the Venetian marsh; then Antonio meets the disguised Mellida. Piero's search party captures Mellida; she is imprisoned and will be forced to marry her suitor Galeazzo. The courtiers perform a wedding masque, during which Andrugio arrives, to claim Piero's proffered reward for bringing his own head. Piero is astounded at his courage and renounces their enmity. Antonio prompts further remorse by feigning his own death; he rises from his coffin when Piero wishes Mellida's love could bring him back to life. Galeazzo agrees to give up Mellida (he was never that fond of her anyway), and Piero gives her to Antonio, along with the promised gold.