Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

FLAVIA

in The Young Admiral — Shirley, James

Metadata

PlayThe Young Admiral
AuthorShirley, James
Year (catalogued)1637
First performance1633
Decade1630s
GenreTragicomedy
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyQueen Henrietta Maria's Men
TheaterPhoenix/Cockpit;Indoor Professional
Speech prefix(es)Fla.
Words485
Characters2518
Typicality0.33 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA12158
BritDrama no.2410
ClusterCluster 20 — Conjurers, witches & physicians

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

What will become of us Madam? You have some reason for your self, if any danger fol low I know where to place the cause, but I dare suffer with your grace, Passerello Madam, and the Page Thou art a fresh water soldier. It has not the same complexion, I hear A noise too. 'Tis well we are a shore, o me I tremble To think what would be come on's, and we had Not been afore this tempest, I thank providence I was upon the Sea once in a storm, But they use to clap the women under hatches, I never prayed so in my life; the King! How he looks? A mighty wager! Yowl not have m n enough to conquer. Are you ready Madam? To laugh, I am turned enchantress, and now 'tis upon the minute, Pazzorella by the boys directions comes for his magical armour. Prosper in all your wishes. She commanded not to expect her, but she le not be long absent, where's to e gamest r? I warrant you, I have some furies to assist me too. Conduct him hither, if the fool after this conceiving himself bewitched, should grow valiant, and do wonders, who can help it? if he have but the wit to keep his own counsel, let him take his course, but he approaches. To make him slick, and shot free. He is welcome child. Where is Mephestophiles. I must have some to search him. Where be my spirits? He must cut off his little finger then. Comes it freely off. I do and thus prepared, delay My charms no longer, come away You spirits that attend upon, This powerful incantation, Have you brought that sacred juice, Which at such a time we use; Distil it gently I command, Holding his ears with other hand. Now rub his temples, forehead eke, Give his nose a gentle tweak. Strike of paleness, and bestow On either cheek a lusty blow; Take him by the hair and pull it, Now his heads free from sword and bullet. Gram pe his neck till he groan twice, Enough, now let the young man rise; Thus on his shoulders I dispense My wand to keep all bullets thence; And other weapons that would harm, Pinch him now on either arm, fairy-like. On his breast give him a thump, And two kicks upon the rumpe. No circumstance must be forgotten, To make him free from stick and shot; And now my potent charms are done, This man is free from sword and gun. Farewell to both, for now must I On my winged Gennet fly. Suckle and Hoppo fetch long strides, By your mistress as she rides. Home to a witches upsitting, she's there By this time. Where's Pazzorello now. Madam. My duty Madam. Come Didino, we shall have your tale too? Madam I hope I have not offended. Not so deer Madam.

Plot summary

Plot — The Young Admiral
Cesario has provoked a war between Sicily and Naples by wounding the King of Sicily’s favourite, Horatio, and by refusing to marry his daughter, Rosinda; he is more interested in Cassandra, the girlfriend of the Neapolitan Admiral Vittori. He pesters her unsuccessfully while Vittori is away fighting the war, then has Vittori’s father Alphonso imprisoned. When Vittori returns in triumph, he finds the city gates shut against him on Cesario’s orders. Offered a reward by the King, Cesario’s father, Vittori asks for Alphonso’s freedom; the King agrees only on condition that Vittori and Cassandra go into exile. The banished pair are shipwrecked on the Neapolitan coast and fall into the hands of the regrouped Sicilian army. Cassandra is taken into Rosinda’s custody and Vittori offered a choice: if he agrees to lead the army against Naples, Cassandra’s life will be spared. Torn between love and honour, he chooses love. He goes to Naples, disguised as a herald, and tries to persuade the King to surrender; but Cesario complicates his dilemma by sending back the message that Alphonso will be executed if Vittori fights. The threat is a bluff: after the message is sent, Alphonso is appointed to command the Neapolitan army against his son. Rosinda is with the invasion forces because, despite everything, she loves Cesario. Cassandra writes to him to set up an assignation, intending that Rosinda should go in her place. Cesario agrees to come into the Sicilian camp for the meeting, but the plan is overheard by Horatio, who tells the King. Cesario is arrested on arrival and held as a hostage. Vittori assumes that Cassandra was two-timing him, and decides to fight and save Alphonso. Rosinda corrects his misapprehension, and they go in disguise to Naples, where she offers herself as a reciprocal hostage: now Sicily cannot harm Cesario without Naples harming Rosinda, and vice versa. The war ends with a marriage treaty: Cesario accepts Rosinda and apologises for wounding Horatio. In the sub-plot, Pazzorello is afraid of battle, and accepts Didimo’s offer of magical protection against injury. He meets with a witch—actually Rosinda’s waiting-woman in disguise—and, after he has handed over all his money, he is blindfolded for the magical ceremony. Didimo assaults him, telling him that each blow adds to his invulnerability. With his courage reinforced, he picks a fight with a soldier, and comes off worst—because, Didimo explains, the weapons used against him were not included in…