Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

AUTHORITY

in The Tide Tarrieth No Man — Wapull, George

Metadata

PlayThe Tide Tarrieth No Man
AuthorWapull, George
Year (catalogued)1576
First performance1576
Decade1570s
GenreMoral
Play typeInterlude
Speech prefix(es)Authori. | Autho. | • uthori. | ••• hour.
Words344
Characters1916
Typicality0.39 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA14715
BritDrama no.597
ClusterCluster 18 — Chronicle statesmen & prelates

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

¶Then will we handle him kindly thou shalt see. Therefore see that from us he escape not out. ¶Ah crafty caitiff, why dissemblest thou so? Dost thou think that us thou mayest so blind, Thy contagious doings we right well do know, And eake thy property, nature and kind. Thou art and encorager to all kinds of vice, The Aged to avarice, and greedy desire, The younger sort lack none of thine advice, To all such acts as the Devil does require. ¶Draw near Correction and thine office do, Take here this caitiff unto the Jail. ¶Oh Faithful few, doubt not but as we, Are able Christianities estate to reform: So his reformation in short time thou shall see, For we for his estate do lament and mourn. Of our selves we are not able to compass this thing, But by this sword of Gods power, which to us is : Wherefore Faithful few, have thou no doubting, But we thereunto do gladly consent. For to Socrates saying, some respect we have, W oh sayeth a city is not to be praised, For he greatness or buildings, gorgeous and brave, But for the good inhabitants, which therein are placed. So we account those countries but ill, Which vicious persons does maintain and nourish, Although they have all things at their will, And although in treasure they abundantly flourish. ¶Upon thy self, joust judgement thou dost give, Juvenal sayeth, Cities are well governed, Whereas such rebels are now suffered to live, But after their deserts, are justly punished. ¶Thou shalt know what thou art, or hence we depart, Faithful few upon him lay hold. ¶Oh Christianity unto us draw near, That we thy abused estate may redress. And as freely as this power unto us is lent, Here we now by force of the same: To Thee faytfull few do here condiscent, That thou Christianities estate shalt frame. In such good form, fashion, and shape, As the same shall not be turned again: But shall continue in a Godly rate, From henceforth evermore to remain.

Plot summary

Plot — The Tide Tarrieth No Man
Courage advises a variety of characters to embrace short-term gain, since the tide waits for nobody: he encourages Greediness to ignore spiritual advice, helps No Good Neighbourhood to acquire a neighbour's house unjustly through bribery, recommends Willingto-Win-Worship to get into debt rather than leave the court and his ambitions, and advises Wantonness to get married against her mother's wishes. The results are bad: Willing-to-Win-Worship finds himself worse off than before; Greediness's tenant, No-GoodNeighbourhood's rival, is evicted and left homeless in his old age; Greediness oppress~:s his debtors, one of whom is arrested at a sermon; and Wantonness marries Wastefulness. Christianity is corrupted by riches and policy, and Greediness dies in despair. Despair encourages Wastefulness, who has spent all his money, to commit suicide, but Faithful Few saves him through prayer. Finally Authority intervenes, Courage is arrested by Correction, and Christianity is reformed.