in The Contention between Liberality and Prodigality — Anonymous
Metadata
Play
The Contention between Liberality and Prodigality
Author
Anonymous
Year (catalogued)
1602
First performance
1601
Decade
1600s
Genre
Moral
Play type
Boys Professional
Company
Children of the Chapel (second)
Theater
before the Court;
Speech prefix(es)
Equity. | Equit.
Words
176
Characters
995
Typicality
0.47 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A19182
BritDrama no.
1276
Cluster
Cluster 2 — Allegory, Nature & pageant voices
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
Madam, have patience, dame Virtue must sustain, Until the heavenly powers do otherwise ordain. We see it oft, we sorrow much, and heartily lament, That of himself, man should not have a better government. Madam, 'tis true: Where reason rules, there is the golden mean. And Will again to fancy yields, Which twain be special guides, That train a man to tread ill paths, Where ease and pleasure bides. That is the cause from Virtues , Men fancy still refrains. They feel, no doubt: but yet such pains Come not before the end. Grieve not for that, evil tasted once, turns him to good again. Do so, deer Madam, I beseech you most heartily, And recreate your self before you go hence, with some sweet melody. Madam, to that shall Like you best, we willingly obey. By murder and robbery? It shall be done, Madam. That Prodigality is guilty of the fact, no doubt, And therefore for furtherance of Justice effectually, My Lord the Judge comes to fit upon him presently: Wherein we crave your assistance.
Plot summary
Plot — The Contention between Liberality and Prodigality
Fortune rules the world even though her gifts are unreliable, whereas Virtue rewards genuine merit. The roisterer Prodigality and the miser Tenacity both sue to Fortune for the custody of her son Money, and this is granted to Prodigality. Meanwhile, various suitors approach Liberality, Virtue’s steward: the good are rewarded and the impatient told to wait and accrue desert. Prodigality falls into bad company and loses everything: Money has to pay all the bills, grows lean, and goes home to his mother. He is then granted to Tenacity, is kept indoors and grows fat for lack of exercise. Prodigality turns to burglary to steal back Money, but Fortune puts a halter around his neck as he is climbing into the house; he is saved from hanging when the rope snaps. He fatally assaults Tenacity, finds Money, and offers medical treatment for his obesity. Pursued by a hue and cry, he is arrested for robbery and murder. Money is given into the safe keeping of Liberality, and Prodigality is indicted and sentenced to death. He admits that his situation is the result of a bad life and over-reliance on Fortune. The court petitions Queen Elizabeth, in the audience, for a reprieve.