in Locrine, the Eldest Son of King Brutus — S., W. (?)
Metadata
Play
Locrine, the Eldest Son of King Brutus
Author
S., W. (?)
Year (catalogued)
1595
First performance
1594
Decade
1590s
Genre
Tragedy
Play type
Adult Professional
Company
Unknown
Speech prefix(es)
Assar. | Assa.
Words
284
Characters
1535
Typicality
0.30 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A11262
BritDrama no.
885
Cluster
Cluster 2 — Allegory, Nature & pageant voices
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
Alas my Lord, we sorrow at your case, And grieve to see your person vexed thus, But what so ere the fates determined have, It lies not in us to disannul, And he that would annihilate his mind, Soaring with Icarus too near the Sun, May catch a fallen with young Bellerophon, For when the fatal sisters have decreed To separate us from this earthly mould, No mortalll force can countermand their minds: Then worthy Lord since ther's no way but one, Cease your laments, and leave your grievous moan. Cousin remember Brutus latest words, How he desired you to cherish them, Let not this fault so much incense your mind. Which is not yet passed all remedy. But tell me cousin, died by brother so? Now who is left to helpless Albion, That as a pillar might uphold our state, That might strike terror to our daring foes? Now who is le to to hapless Brittany, That might defend her from the barbarous hands Of those that still desire her ruinous fallen, And seek to work her downfall and decay? Alas my Lord, you should have called to mind The latest words that Brutus spoke to you, How he desired you by the obedience That children ought to bear unto their sire To love and favour Lady Guendoline, Consider this, that if the injury Do move her mind, as certainly it will, War and dissension follows speedily. What though her power be not so great as yours, Have you not seen a mighty elephant Slain by the biting of a illy mouse? Even so the chance of war inconstant is. They are my Lord, and mean incontinent To bid defiance to your majesty.
Plot summary
Plot — Locrine, the Eldest Son of King Brutus
Brutus, the conqueror of Britain, is dying. He gives his eldest son Locrine the crown and betrothes him to Gwendoline, and assigns his other sons, Camber and Albanact, the south and north respectively. His funeral is swiftly followed by Locrine’s royal wedding. Strumbo is in love with Dorothy, and persuades her to marry him. However, he is impressed into Albanact’s army when the Scythians invade northern Britain, and Dorothy is killed when the Scythians burn his house with her inside. The Scythians win the battle, and Albanact takes his own life rather than submit. To avenge his death, Locrine, Camber, and the peers give battle and defeat the Scythians. Humber’s wife Estrild is captured by Locrine’s soldiers, and Locrine is attracted to her. Strumbo is caught having sex with Margery. Initially he refuses to marry her, but is forced to agree after she beats him up. He encounters the defeated and starving Humber, but the ghost of Albanact stops him from feeding the Scythian. Humber eventually drowns himself. Locrine is unable to put away Gwendoline and install Estrild as his queen because Gwendoline’s father, Corineus, proves inconveniently long-lived despite being wounded in the battle with the Scythians. Locrine hides her in an underground pleasure- chamber and visits her in secret; they have a child, Sabren. After Corineus finally dies, Gwendoline goes to Cornwall to arrange the funeral, and Locrine takes the opportunity to bring Estrild out of hiding. Gwendoline and her brother raise an army, and defeat Locrine in battle; he and Estrild kill themselves. Sabren finds their bodies but is physically too weak to use the sword on herself. Gwendoline finds her and promises her a lingering, unusual death, so Sabren drowns” herself; the river is named after her, Severn. Gwendoline arranges to bury Locrine as befits a king - and to leave Estrild ignominiously unburied.