in The Bloody Banquet — Dekker, Thomas; Middleton, Thomas
Metadata
Play
The Bloody Banquet
Author
Dekker, Thomas; Middleton, Thomas
Year (catalogued)
1639
First performance
1639
Decade
1630s
Genre
Tragedy
Play type
Boys Professional
Company
Queen Anne's Men (?)
Speech prefix(es)
Amp. | Am.
Words
502
Characters
2569
Typicality
0.53 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A19755
BritDrama no.
1624
Cluster
Cluster 18 — Chronicle statesmen & prelates
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
Strange alteration! will the King my Father Go to his grave a Ruffian and a Treacher? In his grey heirs turn Tyrant to his friends? Wasting his penitential times in plots, Acting more sins than he hath tears to we ̄ epe for them? O he's my protested servant, your sole Rival. You'll make ̄ a hight Suitour of him anon? It called him Lord. In faith my Lord I'll have this Jewel. I have sworn my Lord. I swear. My Lord, what is the matter? Well, we obey. I my Lord? Your Highness knew me once, your most obedient Daughter. No, my Lord? Your Grace hath been injuriously informed, I never received pledge. O pardon me ̄ my Lord, I had forgotten, here it's, That is the same, and all that ere was his. I gave it you my Lord. Tymethes. I know not that my Lord. What have I herd? it dares not be but true Tymethes taken in adulterate trains, And with the Queen my mother? now I hate him, As beauty abhors years, or Usurers charity; He does appear unto my eye a Leaper Full of sin ̄ S black infection, foul Adultery: Cursed be the hour in which I first did grace him, And let Mazeres starve in my disdain That hath so long observed me with true love, Whose loyalty in this approves the same. My love? my Lord I should say, but would say my love. Rise deer Mazeres, in our favours rise, So far am I from censure to reprove thee That in my hate to him I choose and love thee. Man hath no better partly. I wish that at first sighed the hadst forced his end. Exit. My Lord Mazeres led Unto his death? Cursed be the mouth that doomed him, and for e ̄ we ̄ r Blasted the hand that parts him from his life. Was there none fit to practice Tyranny on But whom our heart elected? misery of love! I must not live to think oft. Have you warrant for't Brother? O me, my soul will out, some wine there hoa! Dying men Prophesy, faith 'tis our last end; Now I must tell you brother, that I hate you, In that you hive betrayed my loved Mazeres. His deed was loyal, his discovery just, He brought to light a monster and his lust. Peace, peace, There is a Champion fights for me unseen, I need not fear thy thereats. Why law you now such gear will never thrive ̄ with you. 'Tis lower in thy breast the poison lies. 'Tis for Mazeres. That man can never be safe that divides love. She die. Why fortune hath the least continued ̄ manned over love, She cannot drive Tymethes from himself, And 'tis Tymethes, not his painted glories, My soul in her accomplished wish desires. It will prove deer to both; so, give it me; now leave us. I'm ̄ setting forth Mazeres, here Zenarchus. I shall be after this.
Plot summary
Plot — The Bloody Banquet
Although peace between Lydia and Lycia is guaranteed by an exchange of hostages, the King of Lycia persuades the Lydian hostage, Lapyrus, to betray his country. When hostilities resume, Lydia solicits military assistance from Armatrites, King of Cilicia, who repels the invaders - but then seizes the Lydian throne. The Queen flees with her infant children into the forest, where Lapyrus rescues her from the advances of two soldiers. In remorse for his treachery, he gives her the opportunity to kill him, but she cannot bring herself to do it. He becomes her protector, and goes in search of food, but falls into a wolf-trap. One of the babies dies of starvation. The old King of Lydia rescues Lapyrus from the pit, but the Queen has gone when Lapyrus shows the King where he left her. Armatrites’ son, Zenarchus, promises Tymethes, the heir of Lydia, that he will give back the kingdom when he succeeds to the throne. Tymethes falls in love with Zenarchus’ sister, Amphridote, who has been promised in marriage to the court favourite Mazeres. Zenarchus and Tymethes visit the young Queen of Cilicia, whom Armatrites has jealously locked up in a castle. She conceives a passion for Tymethes, and bribes her keeper Roxano to arrange an assignation, with the proviso that Tymethes must not know her identity lest he boast of his conquest; but Mazeres also bribes Roxano to kill Tymethes, and his gold seems to weigh the heavier. Tymethes keeps the appointment, is taken to the Queen with a hood over his head, and is feasted, then seduced. With Roxano’s help, Mazeres poses as one of the masked waiters; he attempts to poison Tymethes’ wine, ===== PAGE 92 ===== but the wine is spilt by accident. Though enjoined not to inquire into the lady’s identity, Tymethes purloins her ring in the hope of learning who she is. Mazeres and Armatrites secretly watch a liaison between Tymethes and Amphridote. She begs the ring from Tymethes, and is given it on condition that she keeps it safe. When the King confronts his daughter, he recognizes his wife’s ring, and Mazeres explains how Tymethes came by it. Amphridote is horrified, switches her affections to Mazeres, and swears revenge. On his ‘hext darkling visit to his lover, Tymethes brings a light and learns that she is the Queen; she shoots him dead. ‘When Armatrites arrives, she claims that she was defending herself against a rapist, but the King will not believe her; her punishment will be to banquet on Tymethes’ flesh. Armatrites learns from…