Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

MANTO

in The Renegado, or The Gentleman of Venice — Massinger, Philip

Metadata

PlayThe Renegado, or The Gentleman of Venice
AuthorMassinger, Philip
Year (catalogued)1630
First performance1624
Decade1630s
GenreTragicomedy
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyLady Elizabeth's Men
TheaterPhoenix/Cockpit;Indoor Professional
Speech prefix(es)Manto. | Mant. | Mant •• | Manto,
Words734
Characters3958
Typicality0.48 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA07246
BritDrama no.2090
ClusterCluster 12 — Wooers, gallants & courtly love-talk

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

Yes an't please your Excellency I took a full view of her, when she was Presented to him. I know not. Malicious men report we are all guided In our affections by a wandering Planet? But such a sudden change in such a person, May stand for and example to confirm Their false assertion. She slept not the last night: and yet prevented The rising Sun in being up before him. Called for a costly Both, then willed the rooms Should be per um'd; Ransackde her Cabinets For her choice, and richest Jewels: and appear S now Like Ci hia in full glory, waited on By the fairest of the Stars. They are both her creatures, And by her grace preferred, but I am ignorant To what purpose they were sent for. Forbear. But vouchsafe To let me understand what you desire Should be effected: I will undertake it And curse my self for Cowardice if I paused To ask a reason why. Do not hinder Your self by these delays. Is this all. Which say you have arrived at, be not wanting To your self, and fear not us. Talk not, but do. By her description I am sure it is. Pish, thou hast none. Sir, you are welcome: Think what 'tis to be happy and possess it. Deserve her favour sir, in making haste For a second entertainment. He swore, Short Minutes should be tedious Ages to him, Until the tender of his second service, So much he seemed transported with the first. A Virgin Madame? At my years being a waiting-woman, and in Court to? That were miraculous. I so long since lost That barren burden, I almost forget That ever I was one. No indeed. I passed For currant many years after, till by fortune, Long and continued practice in the sport Blue up my deck, a husband then was found out By my indulgent father, and to the world All was made whole again. What need you fear then That at your pleasure may repair your honour Durst any envious, or malicious tongue, Presume to taint it? Best dispatch him His lingering here else will deter the other, From making his approach. She has. By all— I am out of tune, But do as you please. My conscience tush the hope Of liberty throws that burden off, I must go watch, and make discovery. Carazie, quit the room. I expect All tyrannous usage, but I must be patient; And though ten times a day, she tears these locks, Or makes this face her footstool, 'tis but justice. Oh Madam, I have been false, forgive me. I'll redeem it By any thing however desperate You please to impose upon me. With much ease, I am familiar with the guard; beside, It being known it was I that betrayed, My entrance hardly will of them be questioned? Here's the Viceroys ring Gives warrant to my entrance, yet you may Partake of any thing I shall deliver; 'Tis but a present to a dying man Sent from the princess that must suffer with him. I would not disturb This his last contemplation. Sir, the sad Donusa Grieved for your sufferings, more then for her own, Knowing the long and tedious pilgrimage You are to take, presents you with this cordial, Which privately she wishes you should taste of, And search the middle partly, where you shall find Something that hath the operation, to Make death look lovely. With such patience As it overcomes the others insolence Nay triumphs over her pride. My much hast now Commands me hence, but the sad Tragedy passed, I'll give you satisfaction to the full Of all hath passed, and a true character Of the proud Christians nature. She was drowned in tears then, Which took much from her beauty, yet in spite Of sorrow, she appeared the Mistress of Most rare perfections; and though low of stature, Her well proportioned limbs invite affection; And when she speaks, each syllable is music That does inchant the hearers. But your Highness That are not to be parallelde, I yet never Beheld her equal. Speak to him Madam, cheer him up, or you Destroy what you have built. How's this sir? Doubt it not. 'Tis the Basham of Aleppo Who humbly makes request he may present His service to you. What I do Shall speak my care and faith.

Plot summary

Plot — The Renegado, or The Gentleman of Venice
PLOT Paulina has been kidnapped by the pirate Grimaldi and brought to stock the Viceroy Hassan Bey’s seraglio in Tunis. However, she wears a relic given to her by the Jesuit Francisco, which protects her from violence and ensures that she cannot be raped. Hassan Bey’s attempts to seduce her are proving ineffectual. The Pasha Mustapha arrives in Tunis and presents himself to Donusa with a letter from her uncle, the Sultan, recommending him as a prospective husband. She expresses an interest in seeing the market, and he escorts her there. One of the merchants, Vitelli, is really Paulina’s brother. He is selling pictures of beautiful European women, so Donusa unveils herself to invite a comparison. Vitelli instantly falls in love with her, and, to bring him out of his reverie, she smashes some of his glassware and tells him to present the bill for the damage at the palace the following day. Seeing an opportunity to rescue Paulina, he goes, is admitted to the seraglio, and ends up having sex with Donusa. He returns to the market a made man, and passes on his business to his servant Gazet. The Maltese raid the harbour at Tunis and capture a ship. Having failed to prevent this, Grimaldi is dismissed from Hassan Bey’s services; his seraglio recruitment work counts for nothing. He goes to the market in despair, believing he can never be forgiven the act of sacrilege for which he originally fled Venice: dashing the host out of a priest’s hand as he was saying mass. The priest was, in fact, Francisco, who cures him by presenting himself in episcopal vestments and granting him absolution. A change in Donusa’s behaviour alerts Mustapha to the loss of her virginity, and he arranges for Hassan Bey to be a hidden witness to her next meeting with Vitelli. The merchant has lost confidence in her, and returns her gifts, but their guilt is established and they are imprisoned pending a ruling from the Sultan. Vitelli impresses Mustapha by his constancy in imprisonment, but his fall disappoints Gazet: having heard that eunuchs regularly sleep with their mistresses, he has set his heart on becoming one. A ruling comes back from Constantinople that the law should swiftly take its course: any Muslim woman who fornicates with a Christian shall lose her head, unless she can convert him to Islam and marry him. Donusa invokes the exception, but Vitelli refuses to become a Muslim, and instead converts her to Christianity. She is condemned to death for apostasy, and he for procuring…