Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

PARTHENOPHILL

in The Whore of Babylon — Dekker, Thomas

Metadata

PlayThe Whore of Babylon
AuthorDekker, Thomas
Year (catalogued)1607
First performance1606
Decade1600s
GenreAllegorical History
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyPrince Henry's Men
Speech prefix(es)Parth. | Parth | Parthe. | Parth: | Path.
Words443
Characters2399
Typicality0.20 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA20092
BritDrama no.1500
ClusterCluster 8 — Martial kings & Roman gravity

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

Bright Empress, Queen of maids To us your Lords, amid your Fairy shades: Three Princes (so themselves they style) are come, From whence, they'll us not learn, and do entreat Fair, and a free access. The splendour of your glories, which a far Shines (as they say, and justly say) as brightly As here at hand, hither them draws, protesting All faith and service to you, and requesting That they the tribute of their loves may pay, At your most sacred feet. They in a Fairy mask, the argument Of this their duty, gladly would present. Ed. Campion. Campeius: Deeply learned. Here then die our suit. I hope heel prove none such. Which (as a doom divine) I shall fulfil. All Hope's (for this) are gone, ome planet stands in opposition. Now to the business, We have one foot. These to the Shepherds on our Fairy downs To warn them not to sleep, but with sweet Lays And Jolly pipings driven into fat pastures Their goodly flocks: Wolves are abroad say, Fly. It may be the rumor That thus spreads over him, flows out of hate. This scaly Serpent Is thrown (as he deserves) upon the Sword Of Justice; and to make these tidings twins, I bring this happy news, Campeius, (A Snake that in my bosom once I warmed:) The man for whom—. This Owl, that did not love your sacred light, Stole over the Seas by darkness, and was held In Babylon a bird of noble flight: They turned him to a Goshawk, feathered him Armed him with talents, & then gave him bells, And hither charged him fly, he did: and soared Over all your goodliest woods, and thickest groves, Enticing birds that had the skill in song, To learn harsh notes: and those that failed in voice, He taught to peck the tender blossoms off, To spoil the leafy trees, and with sharp bills To mangle all the Golden ears of corn. But now he's tan'e. Old grandams that on crutches bear up age, Full nimbly buckled Armours on their sons, And when it on, she clapped him on his back, And spoke thus, run my boy, fight till th'art dead, Thy blood can never be more bravely shed. Your good deeds (matchless Fairy) Like the Sun, (Rising but only in this poyn of heaven, Spread through the world, So that a Prince (made wretched, By his unhappy father, that lies slain By barbarous swords, and in his gory wounds, Drowns all the Hope's of his posterity) Hither, is Like and orphan come (from far) To get relief and remedy gainst those, That would defeat him of his portion.

Plot summary

Plot — The Whore of Babylon
WitaHid becomes Queen of Fairyland and restores respect to Truth and her book; friars, cardinals, and other ecclesiastical figures are expelled from the kingdom. All this infuriates theiBmpressioriBabylony who had banished Truth to the wilderness, claiming her to be an impostor. She sends three Kings to Fairyland to seduce Titania, while Cardinalg@omoG sends agents to convert the populace at grass roots level. The Kings woo Titania with a masque, but, advised by her fairy lords, she rejects them. Two of the Kings leave Fairyland, but the third, Satyrane} stays on to plot against her; one of his stratagems entails a magical attack via a wax effigy, but the conjurer is caught burying it in a dunghill and arrested. Titania pardons her physician, DejParidelly who has ~ been sentenced to death on a charge of attempted murder, but he secretly resents being beholden to her. He secures her permission to travel abroad, where he is recruited as an agent of Babylon. She refuses to receive the malcontented scholar @amMipeiis at court. He encounters Satyrane, who sympathizes with his annoyance at Fairyland’s treatment of academics, assures him that they are better used overseas, and persuades him to defect to Babylon. Since marriage overtures have failed, the Empress’s policy turns to assassination. She receives Campeius and the physician Ropus and sends them back to Fairyland. Traitors emerge out of the earth, summoned by Falsehood posing as Truth, but all are identified and arrested: Titania spots one whom her lords have overlooked, and Ropus is found out when he gives her a medication which turns out to be poison. Campeius too is captured. Meanwhile Paridell is also persuaded to undertake the murder, but he insists on having written authority for it from Cardinal Como. Como points out to the Empress that, even if Titania is killed, her successor will be just as hostile to Babylon. An even more aggressive policy is required, to lay waste the entire kingdom with an Armada. Paridell returns to Fairyland and tells Titania that he has acted as a double agent to discover Babylon’s plots; but he confides his true intentions to a kinsman. She grants him a private audience, and, after a struggle with his conscience, he draws his dagger and is caught in the act, betrayed by his kinsman. Meanwhile, the Armada ===== PAGE 297 ===== 1606 is under sail. Titania lays plans for the defence of Fairyland, and reviews the troops. After a sea battle, the Babylonian fleet is vanquished,…