Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

BENEDICT

in 1 The Honest Whore (1 The Converted Courtesan) (The Patient Man and the Honest Whore) — Dekker, Thomas; Middleton, Thomas

Metadata

Play1 The Honest Whore (1 The Converted Courtesan) (The Patient Man and the Honest Whore)
AuthorDekker, Thomas; Middleton, Thomas
Year (catalogued)1604
First performance1604
Decade1600s
GenreComedy
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyPrince Henry's Men
Speech prefix(es)Doctor | Doc. | Do • . | Do.
Words715
Characters3775
Typicality0.39 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA20062
BritDrama no.1431
ClusterCluster 19 — Grieving nobles & tragicomic sufferers

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

Here my Lord. Just at the hour my Lord. Now it works: The vital spirits that by a sleepy charm Were bound up fast, and threw and icy rust On her exterior parts, now gin to break: Trouble her not my Lord. Lady. Trust me you did sweet Lady. Most certain Lady. Doubtless my Lord it does It may my Lord. And you may have your wish say but the word, And 'tis a strong Spell to rip up his grave: I have good knowledge with Hipolito, He calls me friend, I'll creep into his bosom, And sting him there to death poison can doo't. It shall be done, although the fact be fowl. I sent for him my Lord: at last he came, And did receive all speech that went from me, As gilded pills made to prolong his health: My credit with him wrought it: for, some men. Swallow even empty hooks, Like fools. that fear No drowning where 'tis deepest, Cause 'tis clear: In th'end we sat and eat: a health I drank To Infaelices sweet departed soul, (This train I knew would take.) He fell with such devotion on his knees, To pledge the same. That had he been inflamed with zeal of prayer, He could not power't out with more reverence. About my neck he hung, wept on my cheek, Kissed it, and swore, he would adore my lips, Because they brought forth Infaelices name. The cup he lifs up high, and thus he said, Here noble maid: drinks, and was poisoned. And died my Lord. Thanks gracious Lord: My honoured Lord: I do beseech your grace to bury deep, This bloody act of mine. You throw and angry forehead on my face, But be you pleased, backward thus for to look, That for your good, this evil I undertook, And only for your love. Nor let it stand against me as a bar, To thrust me from your presence: nor believe (As Princes have quick thoughts,) that now my finger Being deept in blood, I will not spare the hand, But that for gold (as what can gold not do?) I may be hi'rde to work the Like on you, 'Tis from my heart as far. leave me. Enter Hipolito. Come you must doff this black: die that pale cheek, Into his own colour; go: Attire your self Fresh as a bridegroom, when he meets his bride, The Duke has done much treason to thy love, 'Tis now revealed, 'tis now to be revenged, Be merry honoured friend, thy Lady lives. Infaelice, She's reuiude; Reuiude: alack! death never had the heart, To take breath from her. By that love, Which I have ever born you, what I speak Is truth: the maiden lives: that funeral, Dukes tears, the morning, was all counterfeit, A sleepy draught cozened the world and you, I was his minister and then chambered up, To stop discovery. He cannot hope so certainly for bliss: As he believes that I have poisoned you, He wode me toot, I yielded, and confirmed him, In his most bloody thoughts. Her did he closely coach to Bergamo, And thither? You shall to her, but not to Bergamo, How passion makes you fly beyond your self. Much of that weary journey I'ha cut off, For she by letters hath intelligence, Of your supposed death, her own interment, And all those plots, which that false Duke, (her father) Has wrought against you: And sheele meet you. Nay see: how covetous are your desires, Eam ely to morrow morn. At Bethlehem monastery: are you pleased now? Weel steal away, this night in some disguise, Father Anselmo, a most euerend Friar, Expects our coming, before whom weel lay, Reasons so strong, that he shall yield, in bonds, O holy wedlock, to tie both your hands. Let all your joys then die in misbelief, I will reveal no more. Weel hence this night, much must be done, much said But if the Doctor fail not in his charms, Your Lady shall ere morning fill these arms. Is't so: nay then Duke, your stale principle With one as stale, the Doctor thus shall quit, He falls himself that digs another's pit, How now: where is he? will he meet me: Oh my most noble friend.

Plot summary

Plot — 1 The Honest Whore (1 The Converted Courtesan) (The Patient Man and the Honest Whore)
Count Hippolito attempts to make a scene at the funeral of the Duke’s daughter, Infelice, but is restrained. In fact, Infelice is not dead: the Duke administered a sleeping draught to prevent her from marrying Hippolito. When she wakes, he tells her Hippolito is dead and sends her away to Bergamo, then accepts Dr Benedict’s offer to poison Hippolito. Bellafront the courtesan falls in love with Hippolito when his friend and her client Matheo brings him to meet her. He mistrusts her protestation that, for him, she will become honest, and speaks harshly against whores. But she fulfils her promise: dismisses her pander Roger (who quickly finds alternative employment) and sends away her former clients, including Matheo. On a Monday, she goes to visit Hippolito, disguised as a page; she finds him in solemn meditation (since Infelice supposedly died on a Monday), and he rejects her again. Dr Benedict tells the Duke that he has been poisoned, and is banished for it; but in fact he has done no such thing, and tells Hippolito that Infelice is not only alive, but waiting at the madhouse to marry him. Meanwhile, Fustigo returns to Milan to find that his sister has married Candido, a man apparently incapable of anger. This is demonstrated in a wager between three gentlemen who try to make him lose his temper: first Castruccio poses as a customer and makes unreasonable demands, which Candido meets even though it means spoiling a piece of cloth; then Fluello steals a beaker from the household, for which Candido has them arrested, but then genially invites them to dinner. Viola also wants to make her husband angry, and has Fustigo pose as a swaggerer and attempt to seduce her. When he tries, however, Candido’s apprentices take it upon themselves to beat him while their master is away, and Candido’s equanimity remains intact. Viola continues to behave provocatively: she refuses Candido the key to fetch his gown for a senate meeting, so he goes wearing a carpet instead; she has George dress in his clothes and 1604 pose as him on his return, but Candido’s good-natured response is to dress himself as an apprentice; and he even looks on the bright side of a beating administered by ruffians hired by Fustigo to avenge his injury. Finally Viola has him committed to the madhouse, but soon changes her mind and petitions the Duke for his release. The Duke hears of Infelice’s plans, goes to the madhouse, and, while they wait to interrupt the marriage that afternoon, pass the time…