in The White Devil (Vittoria Corombona) — Webster, John
Metadata
Play
The White Devil (Vittoria Corombona)
Author
Webster, John
Year (catalogued)
1612
First performance
1612
Decade
1610s
Genre
Tragedy
Play type
Adult Professional
Company
Queen Anne's Men
Speech prefix(es)
ZAN.
Words
359
Characters
1911
Typicality
0.34 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A14875
BritDrama no.
1689
Cluster
Cluster 12 — Wooers, gallants & courtly love-talk
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
See now they close. That is my Countryman, a goodly person; When he's at leisure I'll discourse with him In our own language. I your love to me rather cools then heats. Believe it! A little painting and gay clothes, Make you loath me. You remember your oaths. She's good for nothing but to make her maids, Catch cold a nights; they dare not use a bedstaff, For fear of her light fingers. He comes. Hence petty thought of my disgrace, I near loved my complexion till now, Cause I may boldly say without a blush, I love you. Alas! poor maids get more lovers then husbands, Yet you may mistake my wealth. For, as when Ambassadors are sent to congratulate Princes, there's commonly sent along with them a rich present; so that though the Prince Like not the Ambassadors person nor words, yet he likes well of the present meant. So I may come to you in the same manner, & be better loved for my dowry then my virtue. Do, I'll now detain you no longer. At your better leisure I'll tell you things shall startle your blood. Nor blame me that this passion I reveal; Lovers die inward that their flames conceal. Oh he's desperate For your own safety give him gentle language. Yes Madame. Help, help. Gentle Madam Seem to consent, only persuade him teach The way to death; let him die first. How Madam! Do you think that I'll outlive you? Especially when my best self Flamineo Goes the same voyage. Only by all my love let me entreat you; Since it is most necessary none of us Do violence on our selves; let you or I Be her sad taster, teach her how to die. To most assured damnation. Thou art caught And reme ̄ ber What villainies thou hast acted. Yes, and driven a stake Through thy body; for we'll give it out, Thou didst this violence upon thy self. I have blood As read as either of theirs; wilt drink some? It's good for the falling sickness: I am proud Death cannot altar my complexion, For I shall near look pale.
Plot summary
Plot — The White Devil (Vittoria Corombona)
Count Lodovico is banished from Rome after a career of drunkenness, riot, and murder; but, he comments, not all malefactors fall foul of the law, for the Duke of ===== PAGE 257 ===== 1612 Bracciano seems to be getting away with his designs against the honour of Vittoria Corombona. In this, Bracciano is abetted by Vittoria’s brother Flaminio, who persuades her husband Camillo that their sleeping apart will make her more amorous. Vittoria tells Bracciano of a dream which seems to suggest the murder of Camillo and the Duchess Isabella; but the liaison is forestalled by the intervention of Vittoria’s mother, Cornelia. Flaminio inveighs against Cornelia for compromising his chances of preferment. Isabella comes to Rome to effect a reconciliation with her husband. Cardinal Monticelso and the Great Duke of Florence also put pressure on him to fulfil his responsibilities, both marital and political. In a private interview with Isabella, Bracciano vows never again to sleep with her, but she tries to limit the political damage by making the same vow herself in public. Florence and Monticelso plan to tempt Bracciano into adultery by getting Camillo out of Rome on public business, but Bracciano plots murder: Isabella is killed when she kisses a poisoned picture of Bracciano, and Flaminio breaks Camillo’s neck. Vittoria is arrested and arraigned before an ecclesiastical court; unable to prove her complicity in Camillo’s murder, it convicts her of adultery and commits her to a house of convertites. Flaminio feigns madness to evade interrogation. Lodovico witnesses Isabella’s murder. He returns to Rome illegally to bring Florence the news, but his pardon is signed after the event. He and Flaminio meet and quarrel. Florence borrows from Monticelso a list of villains, in order to select an agent of vengeance. By writing a letter feigning love for Vittoria, he induces Bracciano to contrive her escape from the house of convertites, disguised as a page. Monticelso is elected Pope; his first act is to excommunicate Bracciano and Vittoria. Florence sends Lodovico to Padua to assassinate Bracciano, and by trickery makes it appear that Monticelso supports the conspiracy. Bracciano marries Vittoria and accepts into his court Mulinassar, a Moorish soldier, who is actually Florence in disguise. Marcello challenges Flaminio toa duel over the latter’s liaison with Zanche the Moor, but Flaminio kills him without ceremony. Instead of a pardon, Bracciano grants him only a daily lease of…