in The Miseries of Enforced Marriage — Wilkins, George
Metadata
Play
The Miseries of Enforced Marriage
Author
Wilkins, George
Year (catalogued)
1607
First performance
1606
Decade
1600s
Genre
Tragedy
Play type
Adult Professional
Company
King's Men
Speech prefix(es)
Kat. | Ka. | Kath. | Wife. | Ca.
Words
237
Characters
1234
Typicality
0.52 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A15352
BritDrama no.
1521
Cluster
Cluster 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
Dear husband. Sir your distressed wife, and these your children. Were we not married sir? Thus am I left Like Sea-tost-Marriners, My Fortune's being no more then my distress, Upon what shore soever I am driven, Be it good or bade, I must account it heaven, Though married, I am reputed not a wife, Neglected of my Husband, scorned, despised, And though my love and true obedience Lies prostrate to his beck, his heedless eye, Receives my services unworthily. I know no cause, nor will be cause of none, But hope for better days when bade be gone, You are my guide, whither must I, Butler? Towards Wakefield where thy master weel attend, When things are at the worst, 'tis hopt theyle mend. When griefs before one, who'd go on to grief, Idem rather turn me back to find some comfort. Oh me. It, nor, shall be my fault. Heaven bear me witness. One me pour all your wrath, but not on them. Husband. Oh me, what shall become of me? Oh me. Husband. Husband. We kneel, forget, and say if you but love us, You gave us grief for future happiness. All is but grief, and I am armed for it. Oh my deer husband? And look Sir heeres my husbands hand in mine, And I rejoice in him, and he in me. Given me a dowry too. Oh me, that am no cause of it.
Plot summary
Plot — The Miseries of Enforced Marriage
The ward William Scarborow betroths himself to Clare Harcop, but on his return to London he is forced to marry Katherine, the niece of his guardian, Lord Falconbridge. He is rewarded with control of his own’ and his younger brothers’ property. He writes to tell Clare the news of his unwelcome marriage; upon receiving the letter, she dies (possibly by suicide). ===== PAGE 337 ===== 1606 Scarborow takes her death badly: he blames his wife, and becomes prodigal. Ilford fakes his own arrest for debt in order to induce Scarborow to guarantee the supposed loan, thereby defrauding him of his money. This still leaves him with the patrimony of his younger brothers, Thomas and John; but he spends it, and drunkenly assaults his friends and kinsmen. The brothers and the honest family servant Butler are forced into theft to keep themselves from starvation. They steal £300 from Harcop, Clare’s father, which they use to make their sister appear to be a rich woman. Butler tricks Ilford into marrying her, but on learning that she is penniless her new husband throws her out; Butler offers to support her out of his meagre wages. Thomas confronts and fights with his elder brother, but saves his life when they are attacked by Ilford. Now penitent, Thomas declares his intention to confess to Harcop that he and John stole the money, even though it will mean hanging for them both. John falls out with him over this, but they are reconciled by Butler. Dr Baxter, who married Scarborow to Katherine, talks him into repentance. On his deathbed, Lord Falconbridge also repents and leaves the Scarborow brothers double their original wealth in restitution, along with a dowry for their sister.