Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

WINIFRED

in Law Tricks — Day, John

Metadata

PlayLaw Tricks
AuthorDay, John
Year (catalogued)1608
First performance1604
Decade1600s
GenreComedy
Play typeBoys Professional
CompanyChildren of the Queen's Revels
Speech prefix(es)Wi. | Win. | Wen.
Words398
Characters1964
Typicality0.15 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA19977
BritDrama no.1436
ClusterCluster 20 — Conjurers, witches & physicians

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

You are, I urged it, and she confessed to me that the very first night she saw you she dreamt on you, and wished you in her bed, and her bed in the amid of the River. Yes for sooth, Yes in her dream. Believe it my Lord she does, martie you must think I drew her and drew her, and wrought her and wrought her, till I made her as pliant and, trac table as wax, marry with all, she is as constant as Lu cretia, and will not for a thousand pounds, till she hath the law of her side. Her intent right, she intends to make a Gull of the Prince, and and absolute Goose of you. The Prince. And Julio. That way the vault, from thence the private door, as I stood Centinel at the further end of the Vault, they being unacquainted with the turnings, came g oping and feeling, as commonly men will do especially in a strange place, and as I am true sinner, had I not spied the Diamo ̄ worser on his finger (twin, to this a my conscience) they had been upon me in the dark ere I had be aware of them. And Julio. As God mend me Prince you smell bawdy. The curl of his hair. Not so much but a seal Ring. A mere senseless stone. Thank you my Lord, and your business stand this way at midnight, isle let you in by this token, and take this from ̄ me, when you come again, bring the Lady a Diamond, or some pretty & foolish stone, for I Can ̄ tell you these same paltry stones are in high request amongst Ladies, especially such old mowsers as I have been in my time, & as I say when you come, be not a shamed to knock, and if I come not knock lustily, and again, and never give over knocking till you hear my hem, did you never know Wins hem? Have I? I'faith sir I, few Gallants ith the town that are of any standing at all, but are acquainted with my hem, but come close my Lord, close, & besure the next time you come you do not forget to knock lusti lie, Faith ordinary household news, yonders a well-faced Gentleman craves a may change a word with you. Horatio. Madam, my Lord.

Plot summary

Plot — Law Tricks
Prince Polymetes arrives home with news that his sister Emilia has disappeared after an attack by the Turks on her temple; grieving at the news, Duke Ferneze goes to seek her, leaving Polymetes as his deputy. Meanwhile Emilia has escaped from the galleys by feigning lunacy, and now arrives in Genoa. She adopts an alias in order to test her brother, whom she has never met. His interest in her is not very brotherly: he loses his bookish tendencies and grows prodigal, spending public money on her. He arranges for her to lodge with his uncle, Count Lurdo, in order to facilitate access. Lurdo, who has just divorced his wife, the Countess, for alleged unchastity, tries to seduce Emilia with a view to getting his hands on the money Polymetes is spending on her. Meanwhile, Horatio fails in his efforts to seduce Lurdo’s ex-wife, the Countess, and takes her steadfastness in chastity badly. ===== PAGE 127 ===== 1604 He and Lurdo plot to get rid of her by poison, administered by Horatio. Ferneze returns in disguise with news of his own _death, and Polymetes makes plans to squander his inheritance. Then Ferneze returns in his own person, and Polymetes has to reassume his original studious persona. The Countess is buried, and the penitent Horatio visits her tomb; his page, who swapped the poison for a sleeping potion, is also there to take charge of her when she wakes, and scares Horatio by pretending to be her ghost. Polymetes pretends that his dissolute behaviour was just an act to test Lurdo, and tries to win his father’s favour by using magic to bring back Emilia; in fact it is a ruse with the cross-dressed Joculo, which. deceives Ferneze until the real Emilia exposes it by close questioning. Polymetes then conjures up the supposed ghost of the Countess, who accuses Horatio of her murder. The plot comes out and Horatio and Lurdo are sentenced to be buried alive, until it becomes clear that the Countess is alive and wants her husband back. Horatio is banished from the court and Joculo praised for turning tragedy into comedy.