Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

BEHEMOTH

in Bussy D'Ambois

Metadata

PlayBussy D'Ambois
Year (catalogued)1607
First performance1607
Decade1600s
GenreHistory;Foreign History
Play typeBoys Professional;Professional
CompanyChildren of Paul's (second)
TheaterPaul's;Indoor Professional
Speech prefix(es)Beh. | Sp.
Words344
Characters1848
Typicality0.36 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA18403
BritDrama no.1428
ClusterCluster 20 — Conjurers, witches & physicians

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

What would the holy Friar? Why calledest thou me to this accursed light? To these light purposes? I am Emperor Of that inscrutable darkness, where are hid All deepest truths, and secrets never seen, All which I know, and command Legions Of knowing spirits that can do more than these. Any of this my guard that circle me In these blue fires, and out of whose dim fumes Vast murmurs use to break, and from their sounds Articulate voices; can do ten parts more Than open such sleight truths, as you require. I will: Cartophylax: thou that properly Hast in thy power all papers so inscribde: Glide through all bars to it and fetch that paper. Both them and the Guise Are now together. The spirit will strait return: and then I'll show thee: See he is come; why broughtest thou not the paper? This is your slackness, not t'nuoke our powers When first your acts, set forth to their effects; Yet shall you see it, and themselves: behold They come here & the Earl now holds the paper. Ent. Mons. Gui. Mont. No, she lives. All I can say Being called thus late, is brief, and darkly this: If D'Ambois mistress, stay not her white hand With his forced blood he shall remain untouched: So father, shall your self, but by your self: To make this Augury plainer: when the voice Of D'Ambois shall invoke me I will rise, Shining in greater light: and show him all That will betide you all; mean time be wise, And let him curb his rage, with policy. Descendit cum suis: Thus to observe my vow of apparition, In greater light: and explicate thy fate: I come; and tell thee that if thou obey The summons that thy mistress next will send thee, Her hand shall be thy death. Soon as I set again, where late I rose. No, and yet lives not. He did. I must not tell thee. Fate. The Guise and Monsieur. If thou yield, To her next summons, you're fair warned: farewell. Exit.

Plot summary

Plot — Bussy D'Ambois
Monsieur is heir presumptive to the French crown: only his brother's life stands between him and the throne. He seeks to engage the services of the poor, discontented, and ambitious soldier Bussy D'Amboise, and sends Maffé to him with money. Maffé tries to fob off Bussy with a smaller sum, intending to pocket the difference; but Bussy takes offence and assaults Maffé. Monsieur introduces Bussy to court as an attendant on the King, but many courtiers regard him as an upstart, especially the Duke of Guise, who considers him inappropriately familiar with his Duchess. A fight breaks out between Bussy and a group of courtiers; only Bussy escapes alive, and Monsieur procures a royal pardon for him. Monsieur attempts to seduce Tamyra, but she is more interested in Bussy and engages her confessor, Friar Comolet, to act as go-between. While her husband, Montsoreau, is away overnight, she has an assignation with Bussy. Unbeknown to them, this is witnessed by Tamyra's maid, Pero, who tells Montsoreau what she has seen. Monsieur is jealous of Bussy's intimacy with Tamyra, but his higher plans take precedence - until Bussy declares that he will serve him in any way except by killing the King. Monsieur and Guise conspire to inform Montsoreau of Tamyra's adultery. In order to discover what they know and what they intend, Comolet conjures the spirit Behemoth, who is unable to procure the letter containing Guise's information, but declares that Tamyra is the greatest danger to Bussy and promises to tell more when invoked by him. At Guise's suggestion, Montsoreau tries to force Tamyra to write to Bussy inviting him to another assignation - which will, in reality, be a trap. He wounds and tortures her, and finally she writes the letter in her own blood. Comolet drops dead, and his ghost warns Bussy of violence to come. Bussy seeks further information from Behemoth,who tells him that the Friar is dead and Tamyra's letter will be fatal; but when Montsoreau delivers the letter disguised as Comolet, Bussy disbelieves the spirit and keeps his date with Tamyra. Most of the murderers are scared off by Comolet's ghost, but one remains, and Bussy kills him. Montsoreau returns with the assassins and Bussy is killed. Tamyra is ordered out of the house, her marriage to Montsoreau irretrievably broken.