Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

WIFE

in The Isle of Gulls — Day, John

Metadata

PlayThe Isle of Gulls
AuthorDay, John
Year (catalogued)1606
First performance1606
Decade1600s
GenreComedy
Play typeBoys Professional
CompanyChildren of the Queen's Revels
TheaterBlackfriars;Indoor Professional
Speech prefix(es)wife. | wife, | wife | Wife: | Wife | wife:
Words263
Characters1303
Typicality0.26 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA19976
BritDrama no.1491
ClusterCluster 10 — Mourners, mothers & doleful voices

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

whose there a gods name, lord for his mercy is the woman mad. Jesus for thy mercy sake madam, what do I want. I beseech you madam do but hear me. your husband, I saw him not as I am and honest woman. Lady I protest I do not know him, my hus band: Pray Madam would patience: what should your husband do here Madam they are no honest men that bring these tales to you And my deer head, alas sweet love, what makest thou her. And while I ran to Manasses, thinking to take my husband & his wife in the manner, I left Hipolita in my daughters chamber Will your lordship believe me now: nay and I sait your wor ship may swert, though I have but a (poor as to say) hold of mine own I hope the spirits have more denomination over me, then to make it a common slaughter house of carnality where every Jack may command flesh for his money, Why may not a gentlewoman scold in a good case: though I may not scold I may tell em roundly ont I hope, and isle not be mealely mouthed I warrant em, will you bear me company to the chapel madam? your daughter isle slit her nose by this light and she were ten ladies, it not for nothing my husband said he should meet her this enening at Adonis chapel, but and I come to the godspeed ont, isle tell em ont soundly? Assures I am a sinner to God madam, that sames he. dorus.

Plot summary

Plot — The Isle of Gulls
Three members of the audience ask the Prologue about the play they are to see, The Isle of Gulls. They prove to have irreconcilable tastes in drama: one wants satire, one bawdy, and one bombast, but all eventually agree to give the play a chance. Concerned about his daughters’ unsuitable suitors, Basilius retires with them for a year to an uninhabited, fortified island, leaving his brother to rule Arcadia in his stead. A proclamation challenges royal would-be suitors to win the princesses by stealth. This attracts Julio and Amintor to the island, alerted by Basilius’ unworthy favourite Dametas; and also Lysander and Demetrius, respectively disguised as Zelmane, an Amazon, and Dorus, a woodman. ‘Zelmane’ becomes Violetta’s companion, and Demetrius enters Dametas’ service. Dametas arranges an opportunity for Julio and Amintor to rape the princesses by isolating them during a hunt. They kidnap the girls, but ‘Zelmane’ and ‘Dorus’ rescue them. ‘Dorus’ is rewarded with an appointment as Hippolita’s attendant, but the incident also casts doubt on ‘Zelmane’s’ gender, so Lysander loses his access to Violetta. Basilius and Gynecia are both enamoured of Lysander (each believing him to be a different sex), and each persuades him to accept the other’s advances for sport. Meanwhile Dametas’ daughter Mopsa falls in love with ‘Dorus’. Amintor and Julio continue to have ill success: they pose as envoys from Basilius’ brother, appealing for him to deal with an outbreak of abuses, corruption, and crime, but they are denied their promised reward by the avaricious Dametas. ‘Dorus’ gets rid of Dametas and his family by sending each of them on a wild-goose chase: Dametas to find buried treasure, his jealous wife Miso to Dametas’ supposed mistress, and Mopsa to the chapel in Adonis’ bower where a priest will marry them. ‘Zelmane’ similarly disposes of Basilius and Gynecia by arranging assignations with each at the same chapel, with the priest Manasses standing in for the Amazon. This frees Lysander and Demetrius to elope with the princesses; but their plans are overheard by Amintor and Julio, whom they then employ to smuggle the girls off the island. Digging for the gold, Dametas finds only a scornful poem directing him to Adonis’ bower, and he curses 1606 poets. Everyone meets up at the bower, and the knot of identity confusion is unravelled. Lysander and Demetrius present themselves to Basilius as his new sons-in-law; but Amintor and Julio have double- crossed them and kept…