Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

BRAGGART

in Nobody and Somebody — Anonymous

Metadata

PlayNobody and Somebody
AuthorAnonymous
Year (catalogued)1606
First performance1605
Decade1600s
GenreHistory; Satire
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyQueen Anne's Men
Speech prefix(es)Brag: | Brag. | Bra.
Words192
Characters1010
Typicality0.47 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA08262
BritDrama no.1460
ClusterCluster 6 — Battlefield messengers & soldiers

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

I would this roundman nobody would come, I that profess much valour yet have none, Cannot but be too hard for nobody, For what can be in nobody, unless He be so called because he is all spirit, Or say he be all spirit, wanting limbs, How can this spirit hurt me, sure he die, And by his death, my fame shall mount the skies. Stay. I challenge thee. For cowardice. Thou hast abused one Somebody, I'll fight with thee for that. Prepare thee then, for I will spit thy body upon this weapon. Thy bowels then. Have at thy belly. I'll kill and quarter thee. now thou art at my mercy. I'll kill thee now. No I will let Nobody rise. Fortune that giddy Goddess hath turned her wheel, I shall be matched, thus will I gore you both. Hold captains, not Hercules himself would fight with two, I yield. 'Tis base, Oh base. 'Tis done. I'll follow, I shall meet with Somebody, That will revenge, isle plot and ert be long I'll be revenged on Nobody for this wrong. I'll have thee pictured as thy picture, unless thou answer me

Plot summary

Plot — Nobody and Somebody
The British nobles are discontented at the way Archigallo, recently succeeded to the throne, has grown vicious and lascivious. This is demonstrated in the way he decides a series of disputes among his subjects. Morgan and Malgo both claim the ownership of an island; Archigallo takes it for himself and appoints Lord Sycophant as its governor. The clown has stolen and married Rafe’s fiancée; Archigallo adjudicates in the clown’s favour, but then promises the woman advancement if she will stay at court. ===== PAGE 191 ===== 1605 Finally, a petition is presented against Nobody for his excessive charity; at Sycophant’s suggestion, Somebody is appointed to bankrupt Nobody. The nobles plot rebellion, but are overheard by the unworthy princes Vigenius and Peridure. Realizing they have been caught, the nobles continue the conversation by suggesting that the princes will become joint rulers after Archigallo is deposed. The princes decide not to expose the treachery after all, but as they discuss how they will divide the kingdom, they are themselves overheard by Archigallo and sent to prison. The Council deposes Archigallo. Elidure is reluctant to take the crown, but his wife, eager to lord it over the Queen, forces him to do so. He releases Vigenius and Peridure. Out hunting, he meets Archigallo, who was banished but has remained in the kingdom. Elidure decides to resign the crown, but the Council is initially unwilling to have Archigallo back: they would rather have a foreigner as king. Archigallo acknowledges his misdeeds and promises to rule better in future, so the lords accept his return, but he soon falls ill and dies. Elidure becomes King again, but the former Queen plots with Vigenius and Peridure to depose him. Backed by Morgan and Malgo, they seize power, but keep falling out with one another. First they disagree which of them should rule, and settle on joint sovereignty. Next they cannot settle the fate of Lady Elidure: Peridure wants her imprisoned in the dowager Queen’s charge, but Vigenius sees no danger in her and wants her released. They go to war over the issue, and kill one another in battle. Elidure is restored to the throne and crowned King a third time. Lord Sycophant is engaged by both Lady Elidure and the dowager Queen to murder the other, but contrives to reconcile them. In the sub-plot, Somebody sends a servant to oppress the poor and claim it is being done by Nobody. The slander campaign is successful, and Nobody gets the blame for…