Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

VIOLETTA

in The Witty Fair One — Shirley, James

Metadata

PlayThe Witty Fair One
AuthorShirley, James
Year (catalogued)1633
First performance1628
Decade1630s
GenreComedy
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyQueen Henrietta Maria's Men
TheaterPhoenix/Cockpit;Indoor Professional
Speech prefix(es)Vio. | Viol. | Vi. | Vio:
Words781
Characters4119
Typicality0.33 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA12157
BritDrama no.2251
ClusterCluster 17 — Intriguers & schemers

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

He's here — good Uncle, is my father gone? Delight in both your walks I'll take this Arbour. Then briefly thus I understand he loves me Pray you do him the true office of a friend And council him desist, I am disposed of Already in my father's thoughts, and must Show my obedience, he shall beget But his own trouble, if he move it to My Uncle or my Father, and perhaps Draw their suspicion and displeasure On me too, by so indiscreet proceeding, I would not have a Gentleman of his worth Do himself so great injury to run A course of so much hazard, if you please To bear the burden of my thanks for his On my partly undeserved opinion, And make him sensible, in time he may Place his affection where he may expect Better return, you shall discharge a friendship To him, and with it make my thoughts your debtor. Heeres Breynes, he has not yet been drenched. How now Breynes ? He hath very good parts in him questionless, but do you love him. I'll to my Chamber I hope you will be careful that I am not troubled with any visit of Gentlemen, it will become your officious ness good Dametas to have a care of your charge Pamela. Would? is he gone? I'm glad on't, I'll take this oppor tunity to read the Paper, Master Aymwell sent me no sum perscription? I do not court your fortune but your love, If my wild apprehension of it, prove My error, punish gently, since the fire Came from your self that kindled my desire. So my poor heart full of expectance lies To be your servant or your sacrifice. It shall be answered. Exit. Who's there? Sensible. Who's i'the chamber. Beshrew you for your noise. Make and end and get thee to bed. I know not, your servant Breines received it. Not I Sir. What means my father? I beseech you Sir have no suspicion. — My harsh fate. Your man devil. Enter Brains. This was your work you can read. It will appear the same, both made together Which since my sisters death I have worn. Sir can you pardon? Beside my own misfortune, I have cause to pity thine, my father is displeased, and not injustly, happy ge nius. — Exeunt I was not blind to your deserts. Nor can be so ungrateful now, as not To give encouragement to your affection My father may command my person, never My love to marry Treedle. I thought his fancy would not reach they. There be ways to prevent marriage for I'm all ready changed. But how shall I be sure your love is firm. And I will, for shall it be a hard task I'll impose on you, dare you fight? It's a poor old fellow. My father's servant Brains. Stay, there is a circumstance To be observed, by some means I'll procure He waits on me to the Strand this afternoon. Sir Nicholas ? your ear for the rest. Just at that place assault him. My Delight, how fare you. Trouble not your head, Whible entreat my Father him there. Were you ever of any College? And ever since you have had a running wit, you were better consult our wits at home, we have excellent Poets i'th Town they say. O my dearest! How happy shall I be when I'm married. Kiss. Why are our joys deferred? It's and age me thinks. I want some trifles the Exchange will furnish me, Let it be your motion to my Father. Help, help. She runs in & presently slips out Sensible dressed Like her Mistress. You may Sir, he was my engine, now, What says my factious servant, nay, wee're friends, The greatest Politician may be Deceived sometime, wit without brains ye see. Sir, if your engagement require no hast. Father your pardon. Witty. O look Sensible seek every where About the chamber, I would lost the letter Aymwell sent me, if we should be Discovered, we are quite undone, whats that in thy hand, Whence. Let me see't. To the right worshipful Sir George Richly, I see him coming, lose no time, employ thy dili gence to search for mine, I will deliver this. My father presses me to marry Treedle Short time's allowed for the prevention Enter Sir Geo. My good angel assist me, here's a letter Sir. Here me I beseech you. O wench my father hath my letter. And I mistaking sealed and returned Aymwell that which he sent. Talk not of that, O for some art to help us. But must we partly. It succeeds to my wish.

Plot summary

Plot — The Witty Fair One
PLOT After a dinner party at his brother Worthy’s house, Sir George Richly goes off to visit his prospective son-in-law Sir Nicholas in the country, leaving his daughter Violetta in Worthy’s care and under the watchful eye of his servant Brains: he is concerned that, as his heir, she should not be the object of unwelcome attentions from gallants. The other dinner guests take a walk in the garden. Aimwell has fallen for Violetta and asks Worthy what his chances are; he gets a frank answer, and resolves to give up his suit, but changes his mind when Violetta’s own words seem to imply that her father’s matrimonial plans for her may not have her full consent. Meanwhile Fowler woos Worthy’s daughter Penelope, but admits in private that he is not in earnest, only practising his skill. Sir George returns home with Sir Nicholas. He proves to be an arrant fool dependent on his opportunistic tutor, who can see that the objective of the marriage is one knight’s desire to control the other’s estate. Aimwell sends a letter to Violetta enclosed in one from Fowler to Penelope. Through a mix-up, Violetta keeps her reply and sends him back his original letter, which he takes as a rebuff. Brains steals the remaining letter from her and sends it to her father, who is outraged and plans to advance the date of the wedding. Violetta’s chambermaid Sensible, sacked by Sir George, tells Aimwell about the mistake with the letters; reassured that she loves him after all, he starts to lay plans. Importuned by Sir Nicholas’s tutor, Violetta agrees to elope with him rather than marry Sir Nicholas, on condition that he kills Brains. She gets permission to go out shopping, escorted by Brains, and the tutor picks a quarrel. While Brains’s attention is distracted, Violetta substitutes Sensible for herself. Brains discovers the ruse, but is arrested at the tutor’s suit before he can do anything about it. Brains writes asking Sir George to arrange for his release, and mentions the attempted elopement but not the substitution; so when Sir Nicholas confronts the tutor, it is Sensible, not Violetta, whom he takes back and marries. Meanwhile, Violetta and Aimwell are also married. Sir Nicholas and Sir George accept the fait accompli and forgive their servants. In the sub-plot, Fowler feigns a fever as a wooing technique; Penelope promises to marry him when he is better. His recovery is suspiciously rapid, and, with her father’s connivance, she sets up an assignation with him in her chamber. In…