Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

SAM

in A Yorkshire Tragedy — Middleton, Thomas

Metadata

PlayA Yorkshire Tragedy
AuthorMiddleton, Thomas
Year (catalogued)1608
First performance1606
Decade1600s
GenreTragedy
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyKing's Men
TheaterGlobe;Outdoor Professional
Speech prefix(es)Sam. | Sa. | Sam ▪ | Sam-
Words370
Characters1863
Typicality0.57 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA12030
BritDrama no.1484a
ClusterCluster 0 — Clowns, beggars & street sellers

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

Boy look you walk my horse with discretion, I have rid him simply, I warrant his skin sticks to his back with very heat, if a should catch cold & get the Cough of the Lunges I were well served, were I not? What Ralph and Oliver. Why? the more fool she, I, the more ninny hammer she. Why he's married to another Long ago Why, did you not know that till now? why, he's married, beats his wife, and has two or three children by her: for you must note that any woman bears the more when she is beaten. And I think she was blessed in her Cradle, that he never came in her bed, why he has consumed all, pawned his lands, and made his university brother stand in wax for him, The a fine phrase for a scribe ner, puh he owes more then his skins worth. But speak in your conscience i'faith, have not we as good potingsticks ith Country as needs to be put ith fire, The mind of a thing is all, The mind of a thing's all, and as thou saidst eene now, far fetched is the best things for Ladies. But Ralph, what, is our beer Sour this thunder? You see I am hanged after the truest fashion, three hats, and two glasses, bobbing upon em, two rebato wyers upon my breast, a capcase by my side, a brush at my back, and Almanac in my pocket, & three bal lats in my Codpiece, nay I am the true picture of a Common servingman. Nay I'll tell you moreover he calls his wife whore as familiarly as one would call Mal & Dol, and his chil dren bastards as naturally as can be, but what have we here, I thought it somewhat pulled down my breeches: I quite forgotten my two potingsticks, these came from London, now any thing is good her that comes from London. Why then follow me, I'll teach you the finest humour to be drunk in, I learned it at London last week. The bravest humour, twold do a man good to be drunk in't, they call it knighting in London, when they drink upon their knees.

Plot summary

Plot — A Yorkshire Tragedy
News arrives from London that a young woman's absent lover has married somebody else. It was a lucky escape for her: he has turned out to be a wastrel and a gambler, has got into debt, and is treating his wife badly; he will not listen to remonstrance and responds ungratefully to attempts to help him. An appeal by the Master of his brother's college, made after the brother is imprisoned for his debts, finally makes him realize what his prodigality has cost his family and descendants. Stricken with remorse, he takes command of his fate by murdering his son and heir, then assaulti