Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

BEECH

in Two Lamentable Tragedies — Yarington, Robert

Metadata

PlayTwo Lamentable Tragedies
AuthorYarington, Robert
Year (catalogued)1601
First performance1594
Decade1600s
GenreTragedy
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyUnknown
Speech prefix(es)Beech. | Be • c • . | Be • ch.
Words332
Characters1688
Typicality0.67 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA15814
BritDrama no.1015
ClusterCluster 3 — Citizens, tradesfolk & neighbors

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

He's so indeed, his conversation, Is full of honest harmless courtesy: I dare presume, if that he be within, He'll serve us well, and keep us company, See where he is, go in, isle follow you. Strive courtesy: Nay strain no courtesy you shall go before. We thank you for it, and we think no less, Now fill two cans of your old strongest bear: That make so many lose their little wits, And make indentures as they go along. He's none of those, but bears and honest mind, And shames to utter what he cannot prove. But here he comes, is that the best you have, Then drink to us. Heres to you sir. Your poor estate, nay neighbour say not so, For God be thanked you are well to live. Thanks be to God I live contentedly, And yet I cannot boast of mighty wealth: But yet Gods blessings have been infinite, And far beyond my expectations, My shop is stored, I am not much in debt; And here I speak it where I may be bold, I have a score of pounds to help my need, If God should stretch his hand to visit me, With sickness, or such Like adversity. Nay pray sir forbear, I'll pay this reckoning for it is but small. Neighbour farewell. Exit Beech and neigh. I master Merry it were better read, Then meditate on idle fantasies. Know you their names? I'll cut a piece of Cheese to drink withal. I now I am, boy look you tend the shop, If any ask, come for me to the Bull: I wonder who they are that ask for me. I pray you tell them that I cannot come, 'Tis supper time, and many will resort, For beware at this time, above all other times; 'Tis Friday night beside, and Bartholmew eve, Therefore good neighbour make my joust excuse. I am unwilling, but I do not care, And if I go to see to e company.

Plot summary

Plot — Two Lamentable Tragedies
MOmicide is frustrated at finding the town so virtuous, but AWaige recommends two men as suitable agents of violence. [Filth overhears them and introduces the stories. In one plot, MRGM@SIMERY, who would like to be richer, notices how well off B&BGh is. He lures Beech to his inn and murders him there with a hammer. The other members of his household quickly discover what has happened; his man MWilli@fhs leaves his service rather than condone the crime, but nevertheless agrees to keep it a secret. Merry is concerned that BEGeh’sIBSy may know too much, and murders him too. Thinking there are thieves in Beech’s shop, a Maid gives the alarm, and the dying boy is found with the hammer still embedded in his head. Beech comes under suspicion. Merry wants to get the other body out of his inn before it starts to putrefy, and chops it up to facilitate disposal. The various parts of the body are found around London; the torso is in an identifiable sack, but when a house-to-house search is instigated, its vendor fails to recognize M@PySisister as the woman who bought it. Merry begins to feel secure, but the melancholy Williams finally reveals the secret after close questioning by a friend. Merry and his sister are arrested and hanged; Williams is allowed benefit of clergy. In the other plot, ——- —f% die, leaving him in the custody of his uncle, , who will inherit everything should the boy die. Fallerio plans murder, but when his son All@H8o will not co-operate, he hires two ruffans instead. The assassins are to escort Pertillo to university at Padua, and kill him on the way; Allenso follows in secret to see that his cousin is safe. In the event one of the ruffians proves to have a conscience, and tries unsuccessfully to buy off his colleague. Perfillo dies, and the two murderers then kill one another. The bodies are found by the Dike, and Allenso is arrested; the virtuous rufhan survives just long enough to exonerate him and name Fallerio as the guilty man. Allenso brings home the news of Pertillo’s murder, which causes his mother to drop dead. Suicidally guilt-stricken, Allenso disguises himself as his father in order to be executed in his place. He is convicted, but Fallerio follows him to court and admits the truth. Both father and son are sentenced to death. Truth insists that Homicide and Avarice will never get away with their crimes in Eliza’s realm, but they leave the stage threatening more covetousness and murder to come.