Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

3 CHORUS

in Tancred and Gismund (Gismond of Salerne) — Wilmot, Robert; Hatton, Christopher; Noel, Henry; Al., G.; Stafford, Roderick

Metadata

PlayTancred and Gismund (Gismond of Salerne)
AuthorWilmot, Robert; Hatton, Christopher; Noel, Henry; Al., G.; Stafford, Roderick
Year (catalogued)1591
First performance1567
Decade1590s
GenreTragedy
Play typeInns of Court
Theaterbefore the Court;
Speech prefix(es)Chor. 3 | Chor. 3. | Cho. 3.
Words454
Characters2446
Typicality0.28 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA15498
BritDrama no.467
ClusterCluster 7 — Pedants, satyrs & Latin wit

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

Look what the cruel sisters once decreed The thunderer himself cannot remove: They are the Ladies of our destiny, To work beneath, what is conspire above, But happy he that ends this mortal life, By speedy death, who is not forced to see, The many cares, nor feel the sundry griefs Which we sustain, in woe and misery. Here Fortune rules, who when she list to play, Whirleth her wheel, and brings the high full low, To morrow takes, what she hath given to day, To show she can advance, and over throw. Not Euripus unquiet flood so oft Ebbs in a day, and flows too and from, As Fortune's change, plucks down that was alo to, And mingleth joy, with interchange of w . The stout daughter of Cato Bratus wife, Portia When she had herd his death, did not desire Longer to live: and lacking use of knife, (A most strange thing) ended her life by fire, And at hot burning coals: Oh worthy dame! Oh virtues worthy of eternal praise! The flood of Lethe cannot wash out thy fame, To others great reproach, shame, and dispraise. The flying Heart, the Goat and fomie Boar, By hill, by dale, in heat, in frost, in snow, She recks not, but laboureth evermore. Love seeks not her, ne knoweth where her to find, Whilst Paris kept his herd on Ida down Cupid never sought him out, for he is blind. But when he left the field to live in town, He fell into his snare, and brought that brand From Greece to Troy, which after set on fire Strong Ilium, and all the Phryges land: "Such are the fruits of love, such is his hire. Remember thou in virtue serve therefore Thy chased Lady: beware thou do not love As whilom Venus did the fair Adonne, But as Diana loved the Amazons son. Through whose request the gods to him alone Restored new life: the twine that was undone Was by the sisters twisted up again. The love of virtue in thy Ladies looks, The love of virtue in her learned talk, This love yields matter for eternal books. This love intiseth him abroad to walk, There to invent and write new rondelaies Of learned conceit, her fancies to allure To vain delights, such humours he alleys, And sings of virtue and her garments pure. We humbly pray thee to forbear these words So full of terror to our maiden hearts: 'The dread of things unknown breeds the suspect 'Of greater dread, until the worst be known. Tell therefore what hath chanced, and whereunto This bloody cup thou holdest in thy hand. Fear wilauoyd the sting of infamy. Think on the king. Your father.

Plot summary

Plot — Tancred and Gismund (Gismond of Salerne)
Irked at the disdain now shown for his name, @iajpit! plans a demonstration of his power by making the recently widowed @ismi@md fall in love. Mamered comforts Gismond, promising that he can be both father and husband to her. Gismond feels the need to make the most of her youth, and confides in [GEBGe her wish to marry again. Lucrece broaches the matter with Tancred, but, seeing her as the only comfort of his old age, he is reluctant to give his consent. Cupid inflames Gismond with lust for Guishard. She sends him a letter inside a hollow cane, which tells him a secret route to her bedroom: it is built above a cave accessible from outside the palace. Meanwhile, MGgaeFA, sent by RIG in response to a petition from Gismond’s dead husband, inflames Tancred with anger. He enters her bedroom to find it empty, then sees her and Guishard emerging from under the floor, and remains in hiding there while they have sex. Afterwards he has Guishard arrested as he emerges from the cave, imprisoned in a dungeon, and strangled. Guishard’s heart is cut out and sent to Gismond in a golden cup. She takes poison and asks to be buried in the same grave as Guishard. Tancred grieves for the loss of his daughter and resolves to kill himself.