LEPIDO

Gwaltef has vowed to choose a wife. On the day of decision, he goes hunting instead, but leads his companions to the low-born (GHiSSil] whom he has been wooing in secret. D@WFe6) Grissil’s brother, comes home from university in poverty, but he and his father become courtiers after Gwalter and Grissil are married. Grissil becomes pregnant. Gwalter’s subjects object to his marrying beneath him. Though obsessively uxorious, he is determined to test her patience, and attempts to humiliate her by making her tie a servant’s shoe; she complies without protest. He then banishes her family from court; again she accepts this patiently. She gives birth to a twin son and daughter, and Gwalter has the babies taken away from her: they are sent to PaWia to be looked after by his brother, and Grissil is expelled from court. She ===== PAGE 196 ===== GRISSIL, Janicola’s daughter, Laureo’s sister: later Gwalter’s wife and mother of Prince Gwalter and the Princess; also called Lady Grissil returns to her father’s house, and Gwalter sends Fan to tell her she will never see her children again; he watches the conversation in disguise, and BABULO, Janicola’s man; formerly a traveller ‘accidentally’ drops a piece of gold to ensure that Master LAUREO, a poor young scholar; Janicola’s son, she will not starve. In the sub-plot, Eiiul6 and Siff{Oweni are rivals for Grissil’s brother; later uncle of Grissil’s children Two LapIgs attending Gwalter (sc.2, non-speaking) the Welsh widow GwWénthian, while others compete for - Gwalter’s sister, Jiilia. Emulo challenges Sir Owen toa = ATTENDANTS on Gwalter (sc.2, 5, non-speaking) duel, but then tries to back out of it; his later account of the duel is met with disbelief. Sir Owen marries Gwenthian, and she turns out to be a shrew. He asks Gwaltéf for advice on how to tame her, and is told to cut six osier twigs; Gwalter takes three and Sir Owen SIR OWEN ap Meredith, a Welsh knight; later keeps the others. Later, when Gwalter visits Sir Owen for dinner, GWénthiaW ruins the occasion: she has Gwenthian’s husband and Gwalter’s kinsman; also called Sir Meredith and Sir Owen Meredith allowed beggars to eat all the food, and turns up dressed in rags as a protest after Sir Owen tore the Lady GWENTHIAN, a Welsh widow, Gwalter’s kinswoman by marriage; later Sir Owen’s wife rebato she had bought. Gwalt@r spreads rumours that he plans to marry ONOPHRIO, a gentleman and a bachelor; also called Onophry again, and summons Grissil and her family to attend…