Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

WENCHES

in The Unnatural Combat — Massinger, Philip

Metadata

PlayThe Unnatural Combat
AuthorMassinger, Philip
Year (catalogued)1639
First performance1624
Decade1630s
GenreTragedy
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyKing's Men
TheaterGlobe;Outdoor Professional
Speech prefix(es)1. Wen. | 2. Wen. | 1. Wench. | 2. VVen. | Wenches. | 2. Wench.
Words214
Characters1112
Typicality0.29 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA07248
BritDrama no.2185
ClusterCluster 3 — Citizens, tradesfolk & neighbors

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

Oh Sir, you may in public pay for the fiddling You had in private. And therefore knowing you are openhanded, Before all be destroyed, I'll put you in mind, Sir, Of your young heir here. We have not been hasty, Sir. True, While you were poor, and it was pol cy, But she that has variety of father's, And makes nor choice of him that can maintain to, Near studied Aristotles Problems. Will you come off, Sir? Will you see your issue starve? And it Like your Lordship, Very poor sp n er . 'Tis our best course We hear you are full of crowns, Sir. Here's a second, Sir, That looks for a child's portion. No, but ease you Of your golden burden, the heavy carriage may Bring you to a sweating sickness. What, and in Such a glorious suit? Or the mother's beg? We'll find a time to fit him. Oh, have we spied you. Nay, buss this first, It hath just your eyes, and such a promising nose, That if the sign deceive me not, in time 'Twill prove a notable striker, Like his father. 'Tis fi you should be pulled; here's a boy, Sir, Pray you kiss him, 'tis your own, Sir, Nay, Captain, glorious Captain: Save you brave Captain.

Plot summary

Plot — The Unnatural Combat
Malefort Junior, son of the Admiral, has committed treason by allying himself with pirates and threatening the ruin of Marseilles. The Admiral is suspected of complicity and imprisoned. Theocrine, his daughter, reluctantly offers herself to Beaufort Junior, son of the Governor of Marseilles, if he will only persuade his father to allow hers a hearing. Beaufort Senior can refuse his son nothing, so the Admiral gets his opportunity to protest his innocence. Malefort Junior ‘challenges his father to a duel over a wrongdoing which he will not specify. The Admiral refuses to be held accountable by his son, and accepts the challenge. Malefort Junior is killed: the threat to Marseilles is over, and Admiral Malefort is lauded a hero. Malefort suggests that Theocrine should marry Beaufort Junior; Beaufort Senior half-heartedly agrees and invites them to a nuptial feast. The Governor's table is open to any former soldier who needs a free ~ meal, a custom regularly invoked by Belgarde, who is unemployed in peacetime and angry at being denied - his -back pay. Fearing embarrassment at the feast, Beaufort Senior has his steward discourage Belyarde with the suggestion that he is underdressed for the ===== PAGE 200 ===== occasion; but the upshot is that Belgarde turns up in a suit of armour and declares his worthiness. His plain- speaking wins him respect and a gift of money from the Governor. He spends it all on new clothes, but the signs of prosperity attract his creditors, and he is still unable to pay them. People are noticing Malefort’s excessive solicitude towards his daughter. This comes to a head when Beaufort Junior takes her off to woo her in private, with a priest ready to perform the marriage. Malefort reacts by calling off the marriage and taking Theocrine home. He harbours an incestuous passion for his daughter, who is very like his dead second wife. Struggling to conquer the urge, he confesses to his friend Montreville and asks him to abduct her: he cannot be tempted if he never sees her again. Beaufort Junior realizes something is wrong and has Belgarde muster troops to besiege Montreville’s fort. Montreville demands sexual favours from Theocrine, and reveals her father’s secret. Meanwhile Malefort reasons from classical precedent that incest is not wicked after all, and goes to fetch his daughter back. Montreville denies him access and reveals that he has.a long-standing grudge: Theocrine’s mother was his mistress before Malefort stole her, poisoning his…