in Caesar and Pompey (The Wars of Caesar and Pompey) — Chapman, George
Metadata
Play
Caesar and Pompey (The Wars of Caesar and Pompey)
Author
Chapman, George
Year (catalogued)
1631
First performance
1605
Decade
1630s
Genre
Tragedy
Play type
Adult Professional (?); Unacted (?)
Company
Unacted (?)
Speech prefix(es)
Dem.
Words
403
Characters
2149
Typicality
0.36 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A18425
BritDrama no.
1499
Cluster
Cluster 0 — Clowns, beggars & street sellers
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
Oh it ill neglected. What sudden Shade is this? observe my Lords, The night, me thinks, comes on before her hour. Since gods rule all, who any thing would mend. Not after, Sir, (I herd) but ere it ended. He comes yet safe. Your safety and own honour did deserve Respect passed all their value's; Oh my Lord Would you? No; I'll not rub the wound. The misery is, The gods for any error in a man (Which they might rectify, and should; because That man maintained the right) should suffer wrong To be thus insolent, thus graced, thus blessed? You're clear, my Lord. Oh no, my Lord. See your Princess, Sir, come thus far from the City in her coach, to encounter your promised coming About this time in your last letters. With us, madam? I, madam, and all the world beside. And our portions little. Augurs, madam? yes a kind of Augurs, alias Wizards, that go up and down the world, teaching How to turn ill to good. I, madam, you have no work for us, have you? No ill to turn good, I mean? What's he? Wherein is he great? Then he's great in others. Take him without his Addition (great) what is he then? Not your husband then? Not in his right; but in your comforts he is. What's his wrong? And that's ill. You're come to the use of our Profession, madam, Would you have that ill turned good? that Sorrow turned comfort? We profess not that knowledge, madam: Suppose he were. Yowl suppose him good. Then must you needs suppose him wronged; for All goodness is wronged in this world. Ill fortune, affliction. If I think him good (madam) I must. Unless he Be worldly good, and then, either he is ill, or has ill: Since, as no sugar is without poison: so is no worldly Good without ill. Even naturally nourished in it, Like a Household thief, which is the worst of all thieves. He's too great to be truly good; for worldly greatness Is the chief worldly goodness; and all worldly goodness ( I proved before) has ill in it: which true good has not. But great Rulers are Like Carpenters that wear their Rules at their backs still: and therefore to make good your True good in him, y'ad better suppose him little, or mean. For in the mean only is the true good.
Plot summary
Plot — Caesar and Pompey (The Wars of Caesar and Pompey)
The armies of Caesar and Pompey are both dangerously close to Italy: Pompey’s has been summoned by the Senate, fearful of Caesar’s ambition, and this provoked Caesar to bring up his own forces. The Senate meets to discuss the issue. Caesar’s agents unsuccessfully try to keep out his incorruptible enemy, Cato. Caesar arranges for a motion to be put to allow Pompey’s army to enter Italy, as a pretext to allow his to do the same; but this meets with the opposition of Cato. A quarrel erupts between Caesar and Pompey, and the Senate orders Caesar to disband his army, whilst requiring Pompey to mobilize in defence of the state. Civil war ensues. Fearing that the war will put a stop to his long criminal career, Fronto tries to hang himself. The devil Ophioneus prevents him and offers him a senior position in the priesthood in return for his service. Fronto declines ecclesiastical preferment, but is content to accept a more secular office. Pompey flees Rome to avoid an early battle. His ally Vibius is taken prisoner after a daring exploit goes wrong; Caesar salutes his bravery and sends him back to Pompey with an offer of peace. Pompey’s troops are gathering: Brutus joins him, despite bearing him a grudge, and so do the kings of five of Rome’s satellite states. Meanwhile the convergence of Caesar’s forces is hindered by Pompey’s navy, until it is dispersed by a tempest. Vibius brings Caesar’s offer of peace, but Brutus persuades Pompey that it must be a trap. Pompey prepares for his last stand at Pharsalus, but his men are uncertain: all omens point to Caesar’s victory. The portents are fulfilled: Pompey is routed in the battle. He flees in disguise to join his wife, who initially doesn’t recognize him; he reveals himself only after he has made sure of her stoic acceptance of the defeat. He is murdered by agents of the King of Egypt. Brutus surrenders to Caesar, who hastens to rendezvous with Cato, but Cato decides to kill himself rather than submit to tyranny. His household tries to stop him by hiding his sword, but he insists, and disembowels himself before Caesar arrives. Caesar is disgusted when Pompey’s assassins present him with his enemy’s head, and he orders them tortured. He also has a fine tomb built for Cato.