Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

MALENA

in All's Lost by Lust — Rowley, William

Metadata

PlayAll's Lost by Lust
AuthorRowley, William
Year (catalogued)1633
First performance1619
Decade1630s
GenreTragedy
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyPrince Charles's Men (first)
TheaterPhoenix/Cockpit;Indoor Professional
Speech prefix(es)Mal. | Mal
Words617
Characters3100
Typicality0.29 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA11155
BritDrama no.1895
ClusterCluster 23 — Gulls, fops & laughing-stocks

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

Indeed my Liege, I have been the pattern that a great Many has taken out pictures by, I confess I have Been a greater friend to the Hospitals, then the Nunneries, And I think it was the greater changed city, because They are the poorer, and more wretched places. Indeed in rightful causes, weak Lawyers will Serve turn, but the wrong had needs have The best Orators; I'm but a weak vessel, you Know my Liege. Does he not abuse me my Liege? Is there not a faulty word amongst them? Go to, go to, there is a broad word amongst'm, vincunt Quotha, is it spoke with a K, or a C? but in plain Language I will do my best, if she be of my sex, I Will show her the end of her function, men follow The traditions of their forefathers, so should Women follow the trades of their fore-mothers. I will speak the words that have overthrown a Hundred in my time. Let me have access to her, if she be flesh & blood, I'll move her, I will not leave her till I turn her to a stone. You'll bring me to the place and party? You play well On the Pandora, Sir I wonder your skill. Fails to make her dance after it. Then pander I will tell thee what a pander is. But the pandet playing with the devil robs the To make his hand the stronger, and the cards being The devils, he makes out a little heart (and thats all He has) into the stock. The pander being drunk sees the devil. And takes away the knave (which is the pander) With his five finger. Enough of this game. Well, leave it to me Sir. Bless you fair Virgin: TO were pity Indeed you should be a virgin to my age Sweet beauty, you would be Like a garment long laid by, And out of fashion, which though new, would not be worth a wearing: No companion Lady, But a friend of mine, as I hope he is of yours. Ya're beloved Lady, and which is more, Yea most, Of a king beloude. Your loyalty may be mixed with his royalty, If yowl be ruled, understand, kings are not common things, Nor are their actions common; all things are Proper, and peculiar unto them, so Ladies Whom they love, are commonly proper Ladies, who being Proper, cannot be counted common. Only to a king. You wrest my meaning virgin, I would not have you be Now you come to me; 'Tis true: For what is a virgin? knew you as much As I youde never be a virgin. A virgin? why 'tis as much as to say because You were born a child you should ever be so; This were ridiculous. Virginity, Why 'tis a Jewel kept in a Casket, Which never opened, as good you never had it; Shall musk be always kept in the Cod, how shall The sweetness be tasted then? Virginity is Like a false friend to you, which indeed is better lost then kept, Nay, I have done with you Lady, If Flags of truce will not serve, you must look For defiance, and here he comes that brings it with him. Stubborn as and Elephants leg, no bending in her, You know what you have to do my Liege, trees that Will not yield their fruit by gentle shaking, must Be climde, and have it pulde by violence. I would she would give leave as soon As I, you should not be troubled to ke a duty From me, I would fallen at your feet my Liege. I'll do my best my Lord.

Plot summary

Plot — All's Lost by Lust
Spain is threatened by an invasion of Moors, but an ancient curse prevents King Roderick from opening his treasury to pay his troops. Julianus is appointed general and goes to the war. Roderick’s intention is to get Julianus out of the way while he attempts to seduce Jacinta, his daughter; Lothario engages a professional bawd to help. Jacinta resists Roderick’s advances, so he rapes her. She is then imprisoned in Lothario’s custody, but she escapes while he is asleep. Meanwhile, Antonio is in love with the base-born Margaretta, and procures her family’s consent to marry her before he leaves for the war. At the front, the Moors are reluctant to give battle, and seem undermanned. Antonio is attracted to Dionysia, the Castellan’s pugnacious daughter, and she encourages his advances. Lazarello advises him to keep quiet about his existing marriage, and pay Margaretta off. Margaretta learns that Antonio has married Dionysia bigamously, and sends her brother to the wars with a letter for him. Antonio is in a dilemma: he loves both women. Lazarello proposes that he should take Antonio’s place at the consummation of his marriage with Margaretta: she will mistake him for Antonio in the dark, and afterwards will be too ashamed to claim her husband. The plan is successful only to the extent that Lazarello is taken to be Antonio by the vindictive Margaretta: she strangles him in his bed. Julianus returns from war victorious, but Roderick orders him to stay away from court, and demands that he give up his prisoners. Jacinta tells him about the rape, and he allies with his generals.and Moorish prisoners to seek revenge. To cement the alliance, the Moorish King Muly Mumen asks for Jacinta as his wife; Julianus will not force her against her will, but gives him permission to woo her. With his army in revolt, Roderick needs to hire mercenaries, and breaks open the cursed treasury. There he sees a vision of his own defeat and deposition by the Moors. Lothario persuades Jaques the clown to hang him, and, after the battle goes against him, Roderick flees. Muly Mumen becomes King of Spain. Antonio criticizes Julianus for allowing the Moors in, and Julianus kills him. He leaves two grieving widows: Margaretta stabs herself and, not to be outdone, Dionysia wills herself to die too. Jacinta refuses to marry Muly Mumen, so he has her tongue cut out and Julianus blinded. He agrees to meet Julianus in single combat, giving the blinded man the advantage of a ‘weapon; but in the fight…