Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

LADY PLOT

in The Example — Shirley, James

Metadata

PlayThe Example
AuthorShirley, James
Year (catalogued)1637
First performance1634
Decade1630s
GenreComedy
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyQueen Henrietta Maria's Men
TheaterPhoenix/Cockpit;Indoor Professional
Speech prefix(es)La. Plott. | La. Pl. | Plo. | Plo | La. [Lady Plot]
Words446
Characters2289
Typicality0.41 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA12136
BritDrama no.2437
ClusterCluster 1 — Wives, widows & intimate counsel

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

Still peevish! What if my husband be asleep? I hope you did not mean this for his cure, I am not so weary cozen of my freedom. He that's full master of his reason, may Be master of his wife too, which I Like not. Nay, let him have his humour. This will undo me, now must I to Prison. Welcome welcome, again to thy wits. This is a holy day. Be ruled by me; And none shall be so merry as we. Beyond my hope He is recovered sir, and I must stand too't, And turn a miracle, a Lady huswife. I am glad your Lordship yet is pleasant with Her stubborness, and were I worthy to Advice you, it should never trouble your thoughts; I know your Lordship is not barren of acquaintance. 'Tis your goodness— With a Warm bedfellow? This I cannot help, He wonot understand. My Lord is a great honorer of your sister. That man must have a powerful tongue must charm her, Into consent of marriage, her estate Is worth ten thousand pound. You forget, my Lord, the music was prepared To dance, and warm her blood. And did not mind us. Here are Gentlemen. Nay Gentlemen lets to gleek. You and my Cozen may To the same exercise. This fellow's infected too with serious folly. Visits and air at midnight? pray return My Lord imbassador to sir Solitary, I will give order when I go to Bed, To have the Coach made ready for his progress. Stay, I have a great desire to see his worship, Has he the same complexion still? I prithee Leave of thy gravity, and answer me, Is he in Bed? It shall be so, come nearer. Be you sure, and secure, Jacintha you must with me. To my husbands Chamber. And yet you were not willing to believe it. I think I know a man. He deserves, By many bounties ever to command me, And I must thank your pains, but in my Chamber, We may discourse more freely. The Game my Lord? I hope, You point not this at me, because I use To pass the howrs at play with Ladies, and gentlemen. Follow her, my Lord, she is stolen to her chamber: Thy will Give you admittance through my Lodgings, I'll excuse Your absence, there be more ways to'th wood, try all. She returns, give her more air. No Madam. I'll carry him the news of her recovery. Plo. Cheer up your spirit my Lord, and speak to her, She is alive, and likely. Did ever any man was sure o'th gallows, shake so? I'll have no Key to the buttery door,

Plot summary

Plot — The Example
Money troubles have driven Sir Walter Peregrine to go to war in Europe to keep him away from his creditors in England. In his absence, his wife Bellamia is being pursued by Lord Fitzavarice, who plies her with rich gifts. She chastely refuses him, but he feels that, since he is known to have courted her, it is a matter of honour that the seduction should succeed. He pursues her to her chamber and offers to surrender her husband’s mortgage if she will sleep with him, then pay off his debts £100 a time in return for subsequent nights of passion. When she still refuses him, he threatens rape, and she faints. The experience converts him from his louche ways: he is relieved to learn that she is not dead, and returns the mortgage anyway, impressed with her virtue. A captain comes from the Netherlands on a recruiting mission. Sir Walter takes the opportunity to accompany him and pays a flying visit to his wife. She proposes to pay his debts with Lord Fitzavarice’s gifts, but he assumes that these are the rewards of adultery and challenges the Lord to a duel. Fitzavarice, recognizing that he is obliged to answer the challenge, appoints Confident as his second. But Confident’s reputation for valour is undeserved: rather than have to prove it by fighting, he tips off Sir Walter’s creditors and has him arrested for his debts before the duel can take place. Lord Fitzavarice disowns the ploy and secures Sir Walter’s release by paying his debts. Sir Walter realizes that his suspicions must be false—an adulterer would find it more convenient to keep him in jail—but the Lord insists on going through with the duel. Both men are slightly wounded, and honour is satisfied. In the sub-plot, Vainman and Pumicestone have both borrowed heavily to finance their courtship of Bellamia’s sister, Jacintha. They agree that whichever of them wins her will cover the other’s expenses. Jacintha is not disposed to marry anyone, but asks them to demonstrate which of them loves her best. Rather than send them to do dangerous deeds, she imposes difficult conditions: they must both visit her every day for six months, during which time Vainman must not speak a word and Pumicestone must do the opposite of everything she asks. She then contrives a situation in which their compliance is embarrassing. At her instigation they also visit her uncle, the plot-obsessed Sir Solitary, and pretend to be agents of a foreign power; Jacintha also arranges for servants to pose as officers come to arrest them.…