Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

FRIAR

in The Valiant Scot — W., J.

Metadata

PlayThe Valiant Scot
AuthorW., J.
Year (catalogued)1637
First performance1626
Decade1630s
GenreHistory
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyUnknown
Speech prefix(es)Fri. | Fryer.
Words204
Characters1105
Typicality0.43 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA14599
BritDrama no.2189
ClusterCluster 10 — Mourners, mothers & doleful voices

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

Heaven shield Many a tall wood oak been felled Ere Wallace stoop, heed Gentrid saw Theke sword shall keep in much awe, Fell Sotherne folk, many a cry, Fray cradled barns, ever he shall fly, Nurse's sighs, and mother's tears Shall swell the clouds, till thy awn blood, Prove false thilk Crag shall never lig dead. Nea marry, stay a wheane, Dip not thy winyard in the weambe Of Lavercks town, for giffe thou gange, Thouse weark thy lives friend much wrang, Thouse come back seafe, but bairn I fear, I'm never blinck upon thee mere, Kneel till thy Sier his benuson crave, Next duty been till dig her grave, Kiss, kiss thy Peg, for well a near, Thase amorous twins shall never kiss mare, Till in death's arms they kiss, thilk state Stands writ in heaven and sealed by fate. My religion. Revenge Religion. Whare dost gang? Thouse not lest and Long, Twa wolves will suike thy Blood, by the third night, I charge thy sawle meet mine, thy death is dight. Bruce been thy bane, Give on thou gang luck not turn back again, Wallace beweere, me thinks it thee should irk, Mare needs hast thou to serve God in the Kirk.

Plot summary

Plot — The Valiant Scot
PLOT Scotland is under English rule. An attempt is made to dispossess Old Wallace of his office and lands; but Old Wallace partially circumvents it by transferring ownership of the land to his son. King Edward plans to make war on France, and appoints Bruce his general. Scotland is left in the charge of Queen Elinor and a panel of commissioners. Young Selby, son of one of the commissioners, abducts Peggy Graham, intending to marry her by force. Wallace intervenes and kills Young Selby in a duel. Commissioner Selby arrests Peggy and threatens her with execution for the murder. Wallace gives himself up, and Peggy is released. His own execution is forestalled when the Queen orders him brought to court for interrogation. He escapes en route, marries Peggy, and becomes a rebel. Friar Gertrid prophesies that he will be victorious until betrayed by his own blood. The English capture Peggy, Gertrid, and Old Wallace, and Selby has them killed. King Edward sends Wallace an ultimatum: if he will surrender and beg for mercy, he may be spared. Wallace sends an alternative ultimatum back: if Edward will admit himself to be a tyrant, he may be spared. Upon discovering that one of the ambassadors, the Queen’s nephew, has no diplomatic accreditation, he puts the young man to death. He then cuts out an ambassador’s tongue and blinds another, and accompanies them back to King Edward disguised as a lame soldier. The English plan to entice Wallace into a trap, and send another messenger to invite him to a parley; but the stratagem fails because the man appointed to escort the messenger to the Scottish camp is the lame soldier — Wallace himself. Wallace sails to seek help from France, but his ship is wrecked. On the shore, he meets first Bolt, from whom he forcibly takes possession of a washed-up chest of provisions, then Selby, who is now banished from England and penurious, and regrets the execution of Old Wallace. Wallace decides not to take revenge, but while he is away fetching food, another of the fallen commissioners turns up and kills Selby in an argument. Bolt returns and kills the murderer, taking him for Wallace. He is presented to King Edward and rewarded, but later discredited when Wallace turns out to be alive. The Scots prepare to fight, but Wallace is offended to be placed in the rearguard, and withdraws his services. He watches the battle from a hill, and finally intervenes after the Scottish general is killed. On the battlefield he meets Bruce, the rightful…