Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

HEMPSTRING

in The Interlude of Vice (Orestes) — Pickering, John

Metadata

PlayThe Interlude of Vice (Orestes)
AuthorPickering, John
Year (catalogued)1567
First performance1567
Decade1560s
GenreTragedy
Play typeInterlude
Speech prefix(es)Hempſtringe. | Hempſtring.
Words317
Characters1594
Typicality0.43 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA09651
BritDrama no.451
ClusterCluster 11 — Tosspots & tavern railers

Important excerpts

Passages from this character's speech that contain the most distinguishing words for Cluster 11 (tospot, rees, ralph, soch, tout, oundes…). Matches are highlighted.

Goges oundes haultersycke, what makes thou hear, By his oundes I have sought the some newse the to tell, What hold thy peace, as far as I see, We be boyse both therefore let
halltersycke, if thou love me, Take some prytey wench our laundrar to be, And be goges blood, I am contented to bear, Half of her charges, when that she comes there. Goges oundes, heart, and nails, you are a sea man, Come of with a mischief, my gentle companion. By your sleeve fire haultersicke, I think that a be, As good a sodyer as ever
have coylyd the well, but I hold the a groat? If thou meddell with me. I will S inge Thy coat. Goges dundes is he gone, nay after I will, And of the slave by his oundes, I will have my fill.

Full speech

Goges oundes haultersycke, what makes thou hear, By his oundes I have sought the some newse the to tell, What hold thy peace, as far as I see, We be boyse both therefore let us agree. You but if they bourn, so that they same, Yet water dycke halltersycke, the bourning cane same. But hack Thee my master will venture a joint, And me to wait on him, he all ready does point. But hearste thou, thou knowest my master loves well, Now and then to be snappinge, at some dainty mossell. But by goges blood halltersycke, if thou love me, Take some prytey wench our laundrar to be, And be goges blood, I am contented to bear, Half of her charges, when that she comes there. Goges oundes, heart, and nails, you are a sea man, Come of with a mischief, my gentle companion. By your sleeve fire haultersicke, I think that a be, As good a sodyer as ever was you, Hang me no hanging, if you be so quick, Roube not to hard, lest hempstringe do kycke. Goges blood good man haltersycke, begin you to flout me Goges blood so to flout me, thou art much to blame? give him a bor on y e ear Take thou that for they jest, and flout me no more? Nay set sword a side, and at offetes well trey, Whether of us both, shall have the masterey. In faith thou act meatey, but this is the matter, Doust thou hear haltersicke? each man does clatter: Of wars, you of wars, for Horestes will go, His erytage to win, boy the truth is so. I have coylyd the well, but I hold the a groat? If thou meddell with me. I will S inge Thy coat. Goges dundes is he gone, nay after I will, And of the slave by his oundes, I will have my fill.

Plot summary

Plot — The Interlude of Vice (Orestes)
The Vice (who gives several aliases but eventually reveals his name as Revenge) is sent by the gods to incite Orestes to avenge his father's murder. Orestes is living in exile in Crete under the protection of King Idumeus, who grants him permission to return home and supplies a thousand-strong army. Nature tries to dissuade Orestes from matricide. He lays siege to Mycenae, forcing Clytemnestra and Aegisthus to leave their life of sexual dalliance and give battle. After Orestes' ultimatum is answered disdainfully, he conquers the city, hangs Aegisthus, and orders his mother's death. In consequence, ill fame attends him, and Menelaus, his uncle, demands revenge in turn on him.