Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

NEW YEAR

in The Inner-Temple Masque, or The Masque of Heroes — Middleton, Thomas

Metadata

PlayThe Inner-Temple Masque, or The Masque of Heroes
AuthorMiddleton, Thomas
Year (catalogued)1619
First performance1619
Decade1610s
GenreMasque
Play typeInns of Court; Occasional
Speech prefix(es)New-Y.
Words216
Characters1188
Typicality0.28 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA07503
BritDrama no.1881
ClusterCluster 10 — Mourners, mothers & doleful voices

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

I cannot, Master Doctor. My father's death sets the Spring backward i'm. For joy and comfort yet, I'm now between Sorrow and joy, the Winter and the Spring. And as Time gathers freshness in it's season, No doubt Affects will be subdued with reason. What's he, that looks so piteously, and shakes so? How's that? He was my Father's servant, That he was, sir. Thou shalt not all be lost, not for vainglory Greedily welcomed, we'll begin with Virtue, As we may hold with't, that do's Virtue right, Set him down, Sir, for Candlemas Eve at night. How now? what's he? O I honour That Reverend Figure, may I ever think How precious thou be in youth, how rarely Redeemed in Age. Time Observe, you have Times service. There's all in brief. Hah? Doctor? What are these? Time The Rabble that I pity, these I have served too, But few or none have ever observed me, Amongst this dissolute Rout, Candlemas day! I'm sorry to see him so ill associated? Giu'em their charge, and then admit'em. You have gin't at the wrong end, What scornful looks the Abusive Vil laines threw, Upon the reverend form and face of Time! Me thought it appeared sorry, and went angry. How now? what are these? But is here all?

Plot summary

Plot — The Inner-Temple Masque, or The Masque of Heroes
The Old Year is dead. After attending his funeral, Dr Almanac examines Christmas’s water, and finds that he too is dying. The Old Year’s servant, a Fasting Day, looks for a new employer, and gets Candlemas Eve. The New Year seeks the doctor’s advice for his health. A set of festival days come in an antimasque, seeking their places in the new year; so do the good, bad, and indifferent days. Harmony arrives and sings to New Year about the relationship between virtue and prosperity. Heroes, deified for their virtues, appear and dance.