Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

NESTOR

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)Neſtor.
Words325
Characters1600
Typicality0.37 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA09651
BritDrama no.451
ClusterCluster 8 — Martial kings & Roman gravity

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

Now syeth we be here King Menalaij Unto us we pray you, your matter to say. For these princes here, after they have perpendyd, If ought be amys, it shall be amended, But syrra provision, go in haste and fetched, Good King Idumeus, tell him we are set. Go out. Well come sier king the same to you, contynewalley we pray. As you good King Idumeus, have said so likewise I, Do think it true therefore as now, I do him here defy. That one dare say y to he hath wrought, y e thing y to is not right Lo here my glove to him I give, in pledge with him to fight. I promise here to prove there by, Horestes nought did do, But that was joust & that the gods, commanded him there to That he is king of Mycoene land, who ever do deney. I offer here my glove with him, therefore to live and die. If none therebe will under take, his tyghfull to with say. Let us be friends unto him now, my Lords I doye pray. It was the part of such a knight, revenged for to be, Should Horestes content him self, his father slain to see. No, no, a righteous fact I think, the same to be in deed, Syeth that it was accomplished so, as gods before decreed. She is a dame of comley grace, therefore king Menalaye, Grant this to us this strife to end, oh king we do the pray. For each of them a grede be the other for to have, Good sir grant this that at thy hands, so iustley we do crave Right joyful is this thing to us, and happey for your state, Therefore with speed let us go hence, the marriage to seleybrate And all the gods I pray presarue, & keep you both from woe, Come on sir king, shall we from hence, unto our palace go.

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.