in Cynthia's Revenge, or Maenander's Ecstasy — Stephens, John
Metadata
Play
Cynthia's Revenge, or Maenander's Ecstasy
Author
Stephens, John
Year (catalogued)
1613
First performance
1613
Decade
1610s
Genre
Tragedy
Play type
Closet
Speech prefix(es)
HYP. | HIP. | HIP: | H • .
Words
382
Characters
2388
Typicality
0.29 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A12954
BritDrama no.
1710
Cluster
Cluster 22 — Ghosts, curses & horror voices
Important excerpts
Passages from this character's speech that contain the most distinguishing words for Cluster 22 (broom, tiff, loathsome, snakes, hercles, dismal…). Matches are highlighted.
Menander ) does detect His viperous-reproachful perfidy, Composed of pregnant infidelity: To mischief his endeavour's daily bent, I ever thought he was malevolent: Of crimes detected (blame us if thou wilt) Despairing apprehensions, argue gilded: He did alike despair: which proceeds From the confusion of abortive deeds: I do enforce,
Full speech
But sorrow in excess (dread soon igne) Begets a weak distraction of the brain. Breeds a contempt of mundane diligence, Neglects profession, violates the law Of solace, and abhors congruity, Gives careless reigns to sick security, Turns nature to a living lethargy. What Spartan Lady will oppose the King? If deer temptation, if enticement smile, Your edict which pronounced her deity, Sole-potent over feminine degrees, Which did confine her awe celestial: To that unable sex, seems trivial: These accidents do cancel your design, They disallow your obstinate decree, They do advance forgotten Majesty: Oh now reform delusion: terror speaks, Cinthia is Goddess over humane sex. Abstain (Distressed King) from blasphemy; beware Judgements more strict may follow; these but scare. Manifest proof ( Menander ) does detect His viperous-reproachful perfidy, Composed of pregnant infidelity: To mischief his endeavour's daily bent, I ever thought he was malevolent: Of crimes detected (blame us if thou wilt) Despairing apprehensions, argue gilded: He did alike despair: which proceeds From the confusion of abortive deeds: I do enforce, that Cinthia hath done well, She gives good warning to prevent a hell: These weaker medicines do but search the wound, Least rotten members perish; to confound And ulcerous limb, is worse then scarify; But rather then lose all: what remedy? To Cinthia's, revenge o this apply: Your love to that dissembler was extreme And all extremes beget extremities. Maenander lives, the luckless cause of all; His life alone procures the kingdoms fallen: Who did discover it? Shadows may walk indeed. You are not Metaphysical. Age must decline, life's comfort will decay. Though all things perish; let religion stay. Draw the damned villain forth, And let him swallow sulphur; flaming pitch, Or else be roasted pitiless alive. Let him be quartered. May then the Traitor sleep in tortures bed. What can exceed these miracles of age, Whose actions might again revive the stage? A Common council must protect the State, Till mad Menander have atoned his fate: Till Cinthia her punishment release And give Manander leave to rule in peace. My daughter? unexpected happiness! Give me then leave, sweet ravishment, to see Her glad espousal celebrated once, By which, but some conjecture may arise, To see the royal issue of her womb; And Il'e go lodge in my forefathers tomb.
Plot summary
Plot — Cynthia's Revenge, or Maenander's Ecstasy
PLOT The King of Sparta has decreed that henceforth only women need to worship Cynthia, goddess of change; men are to be exempt. Cynthia takes revenge. The King dies, but his son Menander begins his reign by confirming the edict and marrying Favorina, daughter of a senior counsellor. Malindo plots with Cassius, Governor of Epirus, to murder Menander and the peers as they watch a play, but Malindo’s letter falls into the hands of the playwright Perillus, who writes a special prologue to warn Menander. Malindo is beheaded, the Spartan army mobilized, and Cassius repelled. Malindo’s estate is given to Amilcar, son of the new favourite, Pheudippe, who is himself allowed to marry Lucilla, Menander’s sister. Reading Lucan tempts Pheudippe to aspire to be King, and these thoughts are reinforced by the invisible influence of Malindo’s ghost. Against his better judgement, Pheudippe confides in Lucilla, encouraging her jealousy that Favorina has supplanted her as the top woman at court. Their plan has three heads: Pheudippe will corrupt Laelio, Captain of the Guard, to assassinate Menander; Amilcar will kill Favorina; and they will secure control of the corn supply in order to starve the people into submission. Amilcar has his own agenda, however. He is sexually attracted to Favorina, tells her about the plot in confidence, and invites her to help him circumvent it: he will abduct her with her assistance and procure someone to confess to her murder and implicate Lucilla; once Lucilla has been executed, Favorina will come out of hiding. What Favorina doesn’t know is that Amilcar also intends to rape her. Famine strikes Sparta. Pheudippe is accused of causing it by hoarding corn, but he persuades Menander that this was provident anticipation of the inevitable. Vindicated, Pheudippe invites Menander to a banquet at his house, where he is to be killed; but in the event the loyal Laelio kills Pheudippe himself. Menander is outraged and will not believe Laelio’s story of Pheudippe’s treason. News arrives that Favorina has been murdered, and Menander rails against Cynthia. Realizing she will have to continue her vengeance, the goddess drives him mad. The old statesman Euphorbus puts on an antic disposition to keep him company. Amilcar tells Favorina that Menander is dead and advises her to remain in hiding, but she resists his attempts to seduce her. Pheudippe’s ghost haunts Menander, identifies his surviving accomplices, and reveals that Favorina is still alive, but the…