Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

MARIAN

in Cambises, King of Persia — Preston, Thomas

Metadata

PlayCambises, King of Persia
AuthorPreston, Thomas
Year (catalogued)1570
First performance1561
Decade1570s
GenreTragedy
Play typeInterlude
Speech prefix(es)Marian. | Marian, | Marian
Words207
Characters984
Typicality0.45 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA10041
BritDrama no.480
ClusterCluster 15 — Devils, vices & grotesques

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

Oh the body of me husband Hob, what mean you to fight: For the passion of God, no more blows smite. Neighbours and Friends so long, and now to fallen out: What? in your age to seem so stout? If I had not parted you, one had killed another: So, get you to market, no longer stay. And with yonder knave let me make a fray. Thou whoreson knave & prickeard boy, why didst y u let them fight? If one had killed another here, couldst thou their death's requite? It bears a sign by this thy deed, a cowardly knave thou art: Else wouldst thou draw y e weapon thine, Like a man them to part A villain, my self on Thee I must ease. Give me a box on the ear? that will I try: Who shall be Master thou shalt see by and by. Shake hands again at the request of me: As you have been Friends, so Friends still be. A thou knave, dost thou throw ̄ me down and run thy way? If he were her again, o how I would him pay. I will after him, and if I can him meet: With these my nails, his face I will greet.

Plot summary

Plot — Cambises, King of Persia
Gamibyses leaves Sisamimes in charge of his kingdom while he conquers Egypt. After a comic incident in which soldiers going to the war are beaten by a prostitute, the deputy, encouraged by AlmibiGextér, grows corrupt and takes bribes. Cambyses returns victorious and has him executed and flayed in the presence of Sisamnes’ son @tiaii, whom he appoints as his father’s successor. Praxaspes criticizes Cambyses’ drunkenness, so the King demonstrates his steady hand by shooting the courtier’s son dead. SHIEFAIE is also critical, but bides his time awaiting Cambyses’ death and his own succession to the throne; but Cambyses grows fearful of his ambition and has him murdered. After another comic incident in which Ambidexter first entraps two rustics into speaking ill of the King and then denounces them as traitors, Menus and @upid induce Cambyses into an_ incestuous marriage with a kinswoman. She criticizes him for the murder of Smerdis and he has her killed too. ===== PAGE 46 ===== Finally Cambyses accidentally impales himself on his own sword when leaping onto his horse, and dies. This is interpreted as divine punishment for his tyranny.