Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

ASCANIO

in The Opportunity — Shirley, James

Metadata

PlayThe Opportunity
AuthorShirley, James
Year (catalogued)1640
First performance1634
Decade1640s
GenreComedy
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyQueen Henrietta Maria's Men
TheaterPhoenix/Cockpit;Indoor Professional
Speech prefix(es)Ase. | As.
Words777
Characters4051
Typicality0.29 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA12148
BritDrama no.2455
ClusterCluster 6 — Battlefield messengers & soldiers

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

Sir? He is coming Sir, 'tis very late. Here Signior. This does look a blessing, shall I ask another? You are— Your men. Is not your name Pimponio? What do I hear? What to do Signior? A Prince of Oranges, he a Spanish Prince? In these clothes? And what shall I be? His master, de'e observe? With your pardon Sir, is not this Signior a Prince dis guisd And you one of his servants, to whom with Your other fellow called Signior Aurelio, His person stands discovered, he came hither To court our Duchess, he has promised us At his return to Spain to make us Grandees. Your grace will be a Hercules. Let me alone with my on, if I do not fit him, let me never find the way into my own breeches again, I would be loath to die in a wrong case and be mistaken in another world; is the music ready, and the wine father? can the fellows do their dance handsomely, in stead of a mask to entertain his highness, I am sorry my legs are out of tune, I have a great mind to be capering. Not too much hair of your own, and wit together, fa there, 'tis not the fashion: do hear, whatsoever I say, be you drunk time enough to justify it, the bills shall be discharged without scrupulous examination, souse in wine and give him Sea room, if his head leak we will pump his breeches, he shall not sink with all his ballast I warrant him. Your own boy? take heed what you say, lest you be driven to justify it, you have no mind to wake my mother from her grave, 'tis enough I ask you blessing, I do long to be metamorphosed, and pursue his princely humour out of breath—Music, 'tis well, his grace is upon entrance. I know my cue to enter. I kiss thy highness hand. I was so at the beginning of the wars, what we are beaten to you may discern. I have a message to deliver you, The fair Duchess of Urbino, whom I wait on, Hearing a person of your blood and quality So meanly lodged, by me desires you would Accept and entertainment in her Court. It was impossible You should stay undiscovered many hours. Princes have strange intelligence, and you may As soon tie up the Sun beams in a net As keep your self unknown; for my own partly I am honoured in the embassy, and shall Be proud to write my self your pensioner As I am to all the royal blood in Christendom. 'Twere sin to say shee'l honour you, for you Are above all addition but her love; Your wit, your blood, your person, do not loose The opportunity, yet I prophesy You will be affronted. Questionless by some great ones, And perhaps beaten. If you be valiant and endure, it will Engage her love the more, but I know Your breeding will afford you impudence To overcome their envies, and secure This Dukedom to your self, go on boldly, My counsel shall attend. He will lay about Like a Prince, de'e think We may present him safely? if you say The word I'll wind him up to and Emperor. If I Should be whipped heartily for my conceit, The little high Germane would not take it kindly, It may be the court largess; but no matter, I have some gold and dare venture the last At any time for coin of this complexion. I warrant you. Duchess of Urbino never was your Court Graced with the presence of so brave a Prince As this the darling and delight of Christendom. And cousin not your selves he is no Spaniard. But of Italian sprightly breed, a man Famous in Arts and Arms, as shall appear If any man dares question him, should your grace But see him at some royal exercise You would think him more then mortal, he shall pitch The Bar with any of your Guard, or drink with they; Wrestle with both the West and North Olympics, Sings Like the Arabian Bird, and can out-dance. The nimble Elephant, so rarely skilled In music, that he has a great ambition To go to hell to challenge Orpheus To play with him on any Instrument From the Organ to the Jews-trump. These are the outside of his qualities, But look within him, and your grace shall find Enough to ravish you. With all these virtues and advantages Of blood and state he comes to court your highness. Duke of Ferrara Madam is his title. A true Prince needs no buckler.

Plot summary

Plot — The Opportunity
Arriving in Urbino for the first time, Aurelio is surprised to find the inhabitants greeting him as a long-lost friend. It turns out that he looks identical to Borgia, who had been banished for killing the brother of Ursini, a court favourite. Accepted by Borgia’s father Mercutio, he seizes his opportunity and steps into his alter-ego’s shoes. They are summoned to court, where Ursini, in love with Borgia’s sister Cornelia, has procured a pardon for Borgia in order to gain the family’s favour. Complications arise when Aurelio falls in love with Cornelia himself, while the Duchess falls in love with him and appoints him her secretary. Aurelio decides to keep his options open, maintains his assumed identity, and pursues both ladies, circumventing any suspicion of incest by telling Cornelia that he is acting on Aurelio’s behalf: Aurelio fell for her on seeing her picture, he says, and engaged him to woo her. Other suitors have come to woo the Duchess, including the Duke of Ferrara, posing as his own ambassador; he takes offence at the favours shown to ‘Borgia’. There is a mix-up in the dark: posing as the Duchess, Cornelia tells ‘Borgia’ that she will marry Ferrara; then the Duchess arrives; ‘Borgia’ takes her for Cornelia, and, on hearing she is to marry Ursini, admits his true identity. Having overheard Cornelia’s comments, Ferrara arrives in Urbino in his own person to claim the Duchess as his bride, but she denies ever promising herself to him. Aurelio’s servant Pimponio poses as another potential suitor to the Duchess. Initially he pretends to be a Spanish don, but is advised to adopt an Italian identity instead when he is introduced at court. He duly claims to be the Duke of Ferrara, which infuriates the real Duke further. ‘Borgia’ asks the Duchess directly whether she loves him. She tartly reminds him of the unbridgeable distance between them, then dictates him a love-letter to be delivered to the person who loves her best, asking the recipient to come to an assignation in the garden. Discouraged, Aurelio gives the letter to Ferrara, but then realizes that the Duchess meant it for him. She sets Mercutio to guard the garden gate and let in none but ‘Borgia’, but he mistakenly admits Ferrara instead. Realizing that he has lost his opportunity to court the Duchess, Aurelio turns his attentions to Cornelia; but his friend Pisauro, eager to get the girl for himself, tells her that ‘Borgia’ is incestuously in love with her, and will claim, untruthfully, that…