Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

SUPERVACUO

in The Revenger's Tragedy — Middleton, Thomas

Metadata

PlayThe Revenger's Tragedy
AuthorMiddleton, Thomas
Year (catalogued)1607
First performance1606
Decade1600s
GenreTragedy
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyKing's Men
Speech prefix(es)Super. | Sup. | Superv.
Words607
Characters3301
Typicality0.45 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA13843
BritDrama no.1520
ClusterCluster 21 — Old fathers & plain counsel

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

Farewell, be mesry. We must needs confess, Some father would have entered into hate, So deadly pointed, that before his eyes, He would would seen the execution found, Without corrupted favour? Then lets set by the Judges And fallen to the Officers, 'tis but mistaking The Duke our father's meaning, and where he named, Ere many days, 'tis but forgetting that And, have him die i'th morning. Nay, And he were once puff out, here is a pin. Should quickly prick your bladder. We may with safety do't, and live and feed, The Duchess-sons are too proud to bleed, But you know, The Dukes command must be obeyed. I you may thank my policy for that. Why wast not my invention brother, To slip the Judges, and in lesser compass, Did not I draw the model of his death, Advising you to sudden officers, And een extemporal execution. Since it is my endue, I'll published, but I'll have't in spite of you. How now, whats he? Desired news. He died most valiantly then, we're glad to hear it. Then did he pray deer heart, Although you understood him not. In health! I villain, where's this head now? You had a trick, you had a wile forsooth. He shall not live, his hair shall not grow much longer? in this time of Revels tricks may be set a foot, seest thou yond new Moon, it shall outlive the new Duke by much, this hand shall dispossess him, then we're mighty. A mask is treasons licence, that built upon? 'Tis murders best face when a vizard's on. Murdered! Weel sweat in pleading. Set on, I'll not be far behind you brother. In a Son, o Monstrous. Brother, let my opinion sway you once, I speak it for the best, to have him die: Surest and soonest, if the signet come, Unto the judges hands, why then his doom, Will be deferred till sittings and Court-days: Juries and further,—Faiths are bought and sold, Oaths in these days are but the skin of gold. Let me alone to grind him. Already ifath, Oh sir, destruction hies, And that is least Impudent, soonest die, Commend us to the scaffold in our tears. Things fallen our so fit. You thought ont too, ssoote slander not your thoughts With glorious untruth, I know it from you. I, it shall be as easy for you to be Duke, As to be honest, and that's never i'faith. I am content to that. A trick, prithee what is't? Prithee what wile? Would, would, excellent. I have thought,—Now for your self. How died he pray? He cursed us? lass good soul. Faith we spared no tongue, unto my Lord the Duke. Oh how we pleaded. Hell and torments. Plagues. Darkness. Fell it out so accursedly? Villain I'll brain thee with it, The Devil overtake thee? Oh prodigious to our bloods. Did we make our tears Women for thee? Bring warrant for thy death. Woult let the Bastard shame us? Now when I see it. Seen and known, The Nobler she's, the baser is she grown. A Bastard, the Dukes Bastard, Shame heaped on shame. Come stay not here, lets after, and prevent, Or else the isle sin faster then weel repent. Learn of our mother lets dissemble to, I am glad he's vanished; so I hope are you? Notest thou that Spurio brother. He's the next heir—yet this true reason gathers, None can possess that dispossess their father's: Be merciful;— Sfoot how now Brother? Oh my good Lord, I know the fault's too weighty, And full of general loathing; too inhuman, Rather by all men's voices worthy death.

Plot summary

Plot — The Revenger's Tragedy
Nine years ago, the DUKE poisoned Gl@fiana when she refused to submit to his sexual advances; Windies has preserved her skull. HippOlit6 is given the task of recruiting a pander for the Duke’s son [iisstinioso, and brings Mimdiee, his brother, to court in disguise. The object of seduction turns out to be their sister, @AStiZa. Vindice undertakes the task, incognito as the pander (Piato’; he is delighted at Castiza’s outraged rejection, but less pleased at their mother’s venal readiness to countenance a liaison between her daughter and the heir apparent. ‘Piato’ reports this limited success back to Lussurioso. The Prince changes his initial plans to visit Castiza that night when he learns of a chance to catch his bastard brother Spud in bed with the DweHessl However, Spurio has changed his plans too, in the expectation of catching Lussurioso in the act of raping Castiza; so when Lussurioso bursts in on the Duchess with his sword drawn, it is the Duke who is with her, and he is arrested. Two of the Duchess’s sons plead insincerely for their stepbrother’s release, and put their pleas into reverse when the Duke, recognizing their malice, agrees to pardon him. Finally, without their knowledge, he sends order for Lussurioso to be freed. Meanwhile, the Duchess’s younger son, Jaimi6r has raped Ammtonio'siwifé at a recent court masque. He is tried and convicted for the crime, but the Duke defers sentencing until a later date. The victim poisons herself in shame; and a group of lords, including Hippolito, decide to take the law into their own hands should the Duke grant a reprieve. AlbiHOS6 and Sipenvaeuo use the Duke’s signet to order Lussurioso’s immediate execution, not knowing that he has already been released; in consequence it is Jiii6r who is beheaded. His brothers receive the severed head and are busy congratulating themselves on their stratagem when [bussurioss arrives, with his head still on. The Duke engages ‘Piato’ to get him a girl in secret. Waimedice arranges the assignation at a place where the Duchess and Spurid have agreed to meet. The ‘lady’ is also not what the Duke expects: Gléfianasiskull The Duke kisses the skull and is poisoned by it; the last thing he sees is the Duchess and Spurio together. Later, the brothers violently force their mother to repent; (Castiza then tests her by pretending to agree to sex with Lussurioso. Dissatisfied with ‘Piato’, IGSSii0sS6 asks Hippolito to bring his brother Vindice to court as a replacement; his first…