Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

WHIBBLE

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)Whib. | Whi. | Wh. | VVhib: | VVhib.
Words199
Characters1045
Typicality0.29 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA12157
BritDrama no.2251
ClusterCluster 16 — Errand servants & brief parts

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

His Worships pad shall be prepared: If your Golding be not ready in a minute, your Worship shall ride me. Why? Remember your self Sir, this is your Worships Footman, and for mine own partly, though I be not cut 2 pages missing Will be your honour, and the deed it self Reward us in his benefit, he was ever wild Here she is, no there she is. Brains. Lets risle the other bottle of wine. How? Sir George Richley Sir, and Sir Nicholas are newly arrived. She did long for tother bout then, Yes, an't please your worship. I thank your worship. Every eye hath his object already. I am commonly his journeyman Sir. I look to his Horses sir. Alas, I have no good parts to commend men. Drunk? I? Who has betrayed me? his Mistress procured the Key of the Wineseller, and bade me try if I could wind up his brains handsomely, he knows on't not one health more. Suspect me? I am, but in friendship. I will drink your health and be drunk alone. Where is Sir Nicholas ? we have brought the Gentleman. Yes Sir Nicholas, hath Mistress Violetta, I am a witness.

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…