Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

MESSENGER

in Hippolytus (Seneca's Fourth Tragedy) — Studley, John, trans.; Seneca, Lucius Annaeus

Metadata

PlayHippolytus (Seneca's Fourth Tragedy)
AuthorStudley, John, trans.; Seneca, Lucius Annaeus
Year (catalogued)1581
First performance1567
Decade1580s
GenreTragedy
Play typeCloset Translation
Speech prefix(es)Nun. | NVN.
Words427
Characters2334
Typicality0.24 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA11909.4
BritDrama no.442
ClusterCluster 16 — Errand servants & brief parts

Important excerpts

Passages from this character's speech that contain the most distinguishing words for Cluster 16 (nat, ningle, chould, numps, terry, dery…). Matches are highlighted.

strait he does with Collers close array: With curbed bittes their S affled heads at will he bridles in, Then talking much unto himself to curse he does begin His native soil: alas deer Father, Father still he cries: And angry lasheth with his whip, while lose his Bridle lies: Then suddenly a hugy swolue gan swell amid the deep,

Full speech

My faltering tongue does speech unt my glutting grief deny. Hippolytus (ay woe is me) is slain by doleful death. In all post hast as fugitive to shun the Town he hide Once having caught his cutting course apace he scuddes away, His prancing Pelfrayes strait he does with Collers close array: With curbed bittes their S affled heads at will he bridles in, Then talking much unto himself to curse he does begin His native soil: alas deer Father, Father still he cries: And angry lasheth with his whip, while lose his Bridle lies: Then suddenly a hugy swolue gan swell amid the deep, And starts up into the stars no pipling wind does sweep Along the Seas in Heaven so lith no noise at all there was: The Seas full calm even as their kindly Tide does driven them, pass. Nor yet no boisterous Southern wind the Sycill sand turmoils. Nor yet with fomie ramping surge the raging gulf up boils, Heaude up by Western puffs: when as the rocks with flapping flash Do shake and drowned Lucates clive the hoary foam does dash. The tumbling waves together tossed on hills are heaped High, The swelling swolue with Monster much to land alofe does fly, Nor only shaken ships in Seas do sum er wrack hereby: The land in hazard lies of storms a waltering wave is old In ot ring wise a wallowing gulf with winding compass fold, Drives down I know not what withal: a flat uprising new And head above the water brim does raise the Stars to view. In foggy cloud eclipsed is Apollos dusky gleede, And Scyros Rocks whom Trump of Fame advanced by dreary deed Corynthus eake whom double Sea on either side assail: While greatly we agriesh these things do languishing bewail, The belking Seas yell out the grunting Rocks with all do roar The slabby Clive does eke, from whence the water ebde before, It froths, and keeping course by course it sp was the waters out, As does Physeter fish (that flittes the Ocean Coast about) And gulping does from yawning throat his floods of water spo to. The shaken surge did tottre strait and brake it self in twain: With wrack (more violent then we did fear) it rushed awayne Against the shore, beyond the banks it breaks into the land: And hideous Monster follows: these for fear did quaking stand None can lament with honesty that which he wished destroyed. If still thou keep thy grudge, why is the Face w to seats bespre

Plot summary

Plot — Hippolytus (Seneca's Fourth Tragedy)
: Reasons of state have forced Phaedra of Crete to marry her country’s old enemy, Theseus, but he has left Athens on a mission to the underworld, leaving her to rule in his place. She becomes obsessed with her stepson Hippolytus, despite her nurse’s attempts to discourage her. The nurse is sent to Hippolytus to propose a liaison, but he rejects the idea. Phaedra offers him the crown if he will accept her love, but he is adamant in his refusal. Theseus returns to Athens. At the nurse’s suggestion, Phaedra lays a charge of attempted rape against Hippolytus, and Theseus prays for his son’s destruction. Hippolytus flees Athens, but a sea-monster frightens his horses and he is killed after losing control of his chariot. Distraught, Phaedra stabs herself, and confesses that the accusation was false. Theseus takes order for Hippolytus’ funeral, and has Phaedra’s body thrown unceremoniously into a pit.