Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

INNOCENTIO

in May Day — Chapman, George

Metadata

PlayMay Day
AuthorChapman, George
Year (catalogued)1611
First performance1602
Decade1610s
GenreComedy
Play typeBoys Professional
CompanyChildren of the Queen's Revels
TheaterBlackfriars;Indoor Professional
Speech prefix(es)Innoc. | Inno. | Inn.
Words1025
Characters5185
Typicality0.30 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA18415
BritDrama no.1439
ClusterCluster 11 — Tosspots & tavern railers

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

Well said Signior Angelo, gossaue me you speak Like a true Cozen indeed, does he not Quint? Farewell sweet Mistress. It's a plaguy good wag Quint. is't not? Save me, it's true, it's a hard thing must please'em in sadness. Nay sweet Quint : then how shall I be a Liefte nant? Sfut Quint, wee'll want no money man, I'll make my row of houses fly first. True, or while I am beyond Sea, some sleepy wench may set fire ith bedstraw. Just, or there may be conjuring, and the wind may down with'em. Nay, they shall walk, thats certain, I'll turn they into money. Wil't i'faith Quint? gossaue me 'tis done. Well, I desire no more, so you'll remember me for my Lieftenantship. If you have a company Captain. And I by heaven I swear. But Captain, did not you say that you would enter me at and Ordinary, that I might learn to converse? I but how should I behave my self? Nay Captain if I come first in I shall see no bo die. Is that? faith and I need not learn that, I have that by nature I thank God. Sfut, that I am I hope, I am sure my father has been twice Warden on's company. Let me alone for that Captain I warrant you. True. By heaven not I, I'll freeze to death first. As gossaue me, and thats my fault; for if I be in once, I shall lose all I have about me. Not much, some twenty mark or twenty pound in gold. That will be all one, for when thats lost I shall never leave till I get the rest from you: for I know thou wilt let me have it if I ask it. Prithee do not then, as gossaue me and you do: How make you this in Latin boy? My father is and honest Taylor. No? why so Sir? Why is it false English? By my life, a rare jest. Right as a line, i'faith. But where shall we have them Captain? Good Captain be gone. 'Slight I think I have pepperd him, but it his own seeking you know. Here it is sir: Signior Giovenelli, it is not ignorant unto you, that even now you crossed me over the coxcomb. And that openly, or else it would never have grieved me. And moreover, very unreverendly to call me gull, and ass to my face: And therefore, though I held it good discretion in me to wink at the blow, not seeing to take notice of it. Yet know that I will have satisfaction from you. And desire you to send me word, whither you will maintain it or no, hoping that you will not offer that discourtesy to do me wrong, and stand to it when you have done. And as for the words, in that you called me gull, and Ass to my face, resolve me by letter (for I do not think fit we should meet) first whither you spoke any such words or no: and secondly by whom you meant'em. And it by me (as I think you durst not) confess you are sorry for'hem: and if I have offended you, I heartily ask you forgiveness. And so farewell. Is he content I should drink to him? Why then Ancient good luck t'ee. I hope by this time she remembers her promise sir. Exeunt Leo. and Lio. Marry Captain y'aue left him casting the recko ning ith'chimney. Oh God Captain that I could dance so. Is't possible Captain, and me thinks it stands a lit tle. Come Captain, lets enter, I long to see my Mi stris, I warrant she's a heavy Gentlewoman for your ab sense. I herd no body. Oh me, hee'll draw upon his own shadow in this humour, if it take the wall of him. Follow him Fannio, look he do no harm for God sake. Name of God, what's there to do? (Enter Quintil. and Lorenzo.) Alas poor Snail, what didst thou make here? Search him Captain and see, if he have stolen nothing. Good Captain pardon him, since he has done nothing but swept your chimney worse then my Mistress would have it swept, he will do it better another time. But shall not my Mistress your wife be at that show? What were these Captain? By the meskin me thought they were so indeed. What should she be? Faith it's good we mist'em, she was some stale punk I warrant her. Why no Captain, wives take all the faith from their husbands. And that makes they do so many good works as they do. 'Slight Captain take this and take all. Gods me, I'll to her and kiss her. No, no, I'll kiss her with my mask and all. I am for you i'faith Captain & you go to consult once. Did we so Captain? Cry you mercy good Captain, I remember I am your Lieutenant. Shall we Captain, bith mass then lets never have other company in deed. Thank you good Captain, but do you think that war is nought sir? Why then sir take heed what you say, for it's dange rous speaking against any thing that is nought, I can tell you. Take heed then good Captain, there be some prick cared in elligencers conveyed into some wall or other about us. Yet you're reasonable well Captain. Hold you still there Captain. No I'll be sworn Captain. No Captain, thus far, I go we. Oh how it stirs my stomach? Thats my place. Would we might fallen to the fight once. Oh my heart bleeds. But shall that wench be her father's son and heir Captain? Did you see the play to day I pray? Do you so forsooth? where is he pray? Thats true indeed, cry mercy forsooth, do you know me through my mask? Thats true indeed, but yet I thought I'de try you. (Enter Lodo ico.) They dance. God's ight sir you are no handkerchief are you? Before God Captain I care not if I have. No fighting good Captain, to the feast for Gods sake.

Plot summary

Plot — May Day
It is May morning. In accordance with the season, old Lorenzo is planning an amorous, adulterous adventure with Francischina, and approaches her kinsman Angelo to act as go-between. Francischina’s husband too is going out with his gull, Innocentio, who is to observe gentlemanly behaviour at an ordinary. Lodovico makes doubly sure of his absence by introducing him to an admirer, Giovanelli, and they go to a tavern together. He is implicated in a second plot which in turn requires Lorenzo to be away from his home: Lorenzo’s daughter Aemilia, whom he plans to marry against her will to Gasparo, loves Aurelio, and Lodovico has promised to bring him to her at the house’s rear terrace. Meanwhile, Leonoro conspires with Temperance to win the love of Lucretia, Aurelio’s cousin. Nothing goes entirely according to plan. Lorenzo comes to Francischina disguised as a chimney-sweep, so that he can enter the house without risk to her honour, but Lodovico lets his friends in on the secret and they tease him on the way; later Angelo pretends to be Quintiliano coming home early, and frightens Lorenzo into hiding. Aurelio’s assignation with Aemilia turns out to involve more than talking when Lodovico provides a rope ladder and he climbs up onto the terrace, which gives access to her bedroom. Lodovico waits below, muffled in his cloak, and Temperance mistakes him for Leonoro; she invites him in just as the real Leonoro arrives and is taken to Lucretia’s chamber. When he gets into bed with her, however, the liaison ends with fighting when he discovers ‘her’ to be a cross- dressed man. Meanwhile Quintiliano cozens Giovanelli of his money and then returns home drunk to find Lorenzo, still disguised, hiding in his coal-house. Lorenzo goes home in turn and discovers Aurelio and Aemilia together; Angelo helps Aurelio escape while Lorenzo is changing out of his disguise before fetching the Provost to administer justice, then substitutes Francischina in Aurelio’s clothes so that Lorenzo will infer that he misunderstood an innocent jest. Everyone goes to the May night show at Honorio’s house, which includes a masque. Leonoro and Quintiliano have the page Lionel cross-dress as a woman with a view to tricking Innocentio into chatting her up. Leonoro confronts Lodovico over his liaison with ‘Lucretia’, and he explains what happened. In fact ‘she’ is really Lucretio, whose father was a Sicilian exile and close friend of Aurelio’s family. ‘Lionel’ turns out to be Lucretio’s fiancée…