Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

SUSSEX

in Edward the First — Peele, George

Metadata

PlayEdward the First
AuthorPeele, George
Year (catalogued)1593
First performance1591
Decade1590s
GenreHistory
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyUnknown
Speech prefix(es)Sussex.
Words202
Characters1113
Typicality0.30 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA09224
BritDrama no.881
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

Five hundred pound, and please your majesty. And yet sir David you aumble after apace. My lord it is in vain to threaten them, They are resolved ye see upon his death. My lord these rebels all are desperate. Besore your highness rid from ̄ hence to Northam. Sir Roger was a suitor to your Grace, Touching fair Elinor Lluellens love, And so Like denied with discontent, A discontinues from your Royal presence. May it please your majesty, here are 4. good Squires of the Cantréds where they do dwell, come in the name of the whole country to gratulate unto your highness all your good Fortune's, and by me offer their most humble service to your young son their Prince, whom they most heartily beseech God to bless with long life and honour. The whole country of Cambriaround about all well horst, and attended on both men and women in their best array, are come down to do service of love and honour to our late born Prince, your Majesties son and honey, the men and women of Sowdone especially have sent in great abundance of cattle & corn enough by computation for your highness housheld a whole month and more.

Plot summary

Plot — Edward the First
Edwardilongshanks returns from the crusades to find that in his absence both his father and his son have 1591 died, and that he is now King of England. He makes provision to house his wounded veterans, and all the nobility contribute handsomely. His @W@8n asks him to defer the coronation to give her time to send to Spain for the latest fashions. MEW was planning to take advantage of Edward’s absence to secure his power in Wales. A Welshliprophet encourages him with the assertion that he will mount higher than all his kin. Now he intends reprisals against Edward for the detention of his betrothed wife, DA@VMEI@HGr, daughter of an English rebel. His brother DaWid, a spy in the English court, proposes getting himself captured by the Welsh in order to create a pretext for an exchange of prisoners. The plan goes awry when the Welsh soldiers agree to make peace with the English, on condition that Edward does not impose direct rule from England. Llewelyn and his entourage pose as Robin Hood, and waylay passers-by in the forest. M@riimiér, who loves Lady Eleanor, goes to Wales and joins in the masquerade by assuming the identity of the potter from the Robin Hood story; but this means he gets a thrashing. To comply with the Welsh demand for a Welsh-born prince, Edward summons the pregnant Queen to Wales, where she gives birth to a son: Edward, Prince of Wales. The loyal Welsh present the child with a frieze mantle, but the Queen takes offence at the homespun fabric. Edward promises her a boon, and she demands that the English men should cut their long hair and beards, and that the English women’s breasts should be likewise amputated; Edward is forced to consent, but the Queen is displeased that he insists on being the first to go under the barber, and withdraws her request when he proposes that she should likewise undergo the first mastectomy. Prince Edward is christened and the Queen’s daughter, J6am, married to the BarllshiGlowcester. The nine lords of Scotland are unable to agree which of them should be king, so they approach Edward to adjudicate. He crowns JOHHMBalliG], who endows an Oxford college in gratitude, but later asserts Scotland’s independence from England. In Wales, Edward is set upon by Llewelyn and his crew of outlaws, who demand half his money. Instead he proposes single combat, winner take all. Llewelyn is beaten, but Edward spares his life in order to save Mortimer. He then goes to deal with the Scottish insurrection, leaving Mortimer to mop up…