in 1 The Honest Whore (1 The Converted Courtesan) (The Patient Man and the Honest Whore) — Dekker, Thomas; Middleton, Thomas
Metadata
Play
1 The Honest Whore (1 The Converted Courtesan) (The Patient Man and the Honest Whore)
Author
Dekker, Thomas; Middleton, Thomas
Year (catalogued)
1604
First performance
1604
Decade
1600s
Genre
Comedy
Play type
Adult Professional
Company
Prince Henry's Men
Speech prefix(es)
Ser.
Words
464
Characters
2327
Typicality
0.41 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A20062
BritDrama no.
1431
Cluster
Cluster 3 — Citizens, tradesfolk & neighbors
Important excerpts
Passages from this character's speech that contain the most distinguishing words for Cluster 3 (numps, numpes, blastfield, wares, parson, nidden…). Matches are highlighted.
for their Lords; but rather help to make them away: Now to my door-keeping, I hope to pick something out of it. Exit. Heres a person would speak with you Sir. A parson sir would speak with you. Vicar? no sir, has too good a face to be a Vicar yet, a youth, a very youth. If it be a woman, mary-bones and Potato pies keep me for
Full speech
So, this is Monday morning, and now must I to my housewifry: would I had been created a Shoemaker; for all the gentle craft are gentlemen every Monday by their Copy, & scorn (then) to work one true stitch. My M. means sure to turn me into a student; for here's my book, here my desk, here my light; this my close chamber, and here my Punk: so that this dull drowsy first day of the week, makes me half a Priest, half a Chandler, half a painter, half a Sexton, I & half a Bawd: for (all this day) my office is to do nothing but keep the door. To prove it, look you, this good-face & yonder gentleman (so soon as ever my back's turned) will be nought together. Enter Hipolito. Close sir, as the fist of a Courtier that hath stood in three reigns. If they do, my Lord, I'll pierce some of them. What will your Lordship have to breakfast? What to dinner? The one of them, my Lord, will fill you too full of wind, the other wet you too much. What to supper? Indeed thats harder to come by then ever was Ostend. I'll make away my self presently, which few Sir vaunts will do for their Lords; but rather help to make them away: Now to my door-keeping, I hope to pick something out of it. Exit. Heres a person would speak with you Sir. A parson sir would speak with you. Vicar? no sir, has too good a face to be a Vicar yet, a youth, a very youth. If it be a woman, mary-bones and Potato pies keep me for meddling with her, for the thing has God the breeches, 'tis a male-varlet sure my Lord, for a woman's tailor nore measured him. He says he's signior Mathaeos man, but I know he lies. Cause has never a beard: 'tis his boy I think sir, who soere paid for his nursing. Call you my Lord? Lord bless us, where? he's not cloven my Lord that I can see: beside the devil goes more Like a Gentleman than a Page: good my Lord Boon couragio. Not damned I hope for putting in a woman to a Lord. Alas my Lord, I shall never be able to thrust her hence without help: come Mermaid you must to Sea again. Why then hell's broke lose. Exit. No more knaves my Lord that wear smocks: heres a letter from doctor Benedict ; I would not enter his man, though he had hairs at his mouth, for fear he should be a woman, for some women have beards, marry they are half witches, Slid you are a sweet youth to wear a codpiece, and have no pins to stick vpont.
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…