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)
Post.
Words
171
Characters
888
Typicality
0.52 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A19182
BritDrama no.
1276
Cluster
Cluster 16 — Errand servants & brief parts
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
Why sir, you have to go but six small mile. The way is fair, the moon shines very bright, Best now go on, and then rest for all night. 'Tis but a paltry Inn, there's no good cheer: Yet shall you pay for all things passing deer. Well, Sir, a Gods name then, do what you please? Ho, who's at home? rip, rap. hostler, chamberlain, tapster. Ho, take in Gentlemen. rip, rap. knave, slave, host, hostis, ho. What, is there none that answers? Tout a la mort? Sir, you must make entrance at some other port: For heres no passage. Not a word more: he is fast asleep again, I fear: what ho? Gentlemen: seest thou not? Now a bots on him and his wife both for me. How now, sirrah, what lack you? Lodging? there is none: all is full. Taken up by Gentlemen long ago. Asinus super asinum, volitate and furcas. Look forth and see, a lubber, fat, great, and tall, Upon a tired ass, bore, short, and small.
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.