in The Famous History of Sir Thomas Wyatt — Dekker, Thomas; Webster, John; Heywood, Thomas (?); Chettle, Henry (?)
Metadata
Play
The Famous History of Sir Thomas Wyatt
Author
Dekker, Thomas; Webster, John; Heywood, Thomas (?); Chettle, Henry (?)
Year (catalogued)
1607
First performance
1602
Decade
1600s
Genre
History
Play type
Adult Professional
Company
Worcester's Men
Speech prefix(es)
Tre: | Tre. | Trea.
Words
223
Characters
1189
Typicality
0.30 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A20096
BritDrama no.
1369a
Cluster
Cluster 2 — Allegory, Nature & pageant voices
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
What ho Porter! open the gate. Then will I fly this fearful counsel board, Ex it Tre. Why you idle fellow, am I not sent upon the Queens affairs, commanded by the Lords? and know you not that I am Treasurer? come open the Gate, do you know not what. I thank thee, and will warrant thee from death. Is my Horse ready? My Lord, the business of these troublous times, Binding us all, still to respect the good of common weal: Yet does it not debar private regard of us & of our own The general weal is treasured in your breast, And all my ablest powers have been employed To stir them there, yet have I born a partly, Laying the commons troubles next my heart, My oversight in parting without leave: Was no contempt, but only for and hour. To order home affairs, that none of mine, In these nice times should unto faction climb. Troth to be plain, I am not pleased, That two such princely Maids lineally descended, From our royal King, and by his testimony, Confirmed heir, if that their Brother dying Issules, And one that never dreamt, it never desired The rule of Sovereignty, But with virgins tears hath oft bewailed her misery, Should politicly by us be named a Queen. My Lords I am not,
Plot summary
Plot — The Famous History of Sir Thomas Wyatt
The King of England is dying. Northumberland and Suffolk conspire to disinherit his sister, Mary, in favour of Suffolk’s daughter, the reluctant Lady Jane Grey. When news arrives of the King’s death, they have her proclaimed Queen. Sir Thomas Wyatt, refusing to be a party to this, leaves court, and brings the news to Mary, who is living in frugal retirement. Northumberland and Suffolk raise an army against Mary, but Wyatt and the Lord Treasurer speak in the Council for a legal succession in accordance with the will of King Henry VIII. Mary is proclaimed Queen in London, and Lady Jane and her husband Guildford Dudley are arrested. Northumberland is ordered to discharge his troops and come to court, and is arrested. Suffolk is on the run. His servant, Holmes, brings him food, but also brings the Sheriff to arrest him. Holmes is paid well, but later strangles himself in remorse. Queen Mary begins to make fiscal arrangements, and reneges on her promise not to make any alteration in state religion: she plans to restore the Roman Catholic church. She also plans to marry Philip of Spain, contrary to the laws established by her father. Northumberland is executed. Disgusted at the prospect of Spanish infiltration, Wyatt raises rebellion in Kent. Part of Norfolk’s army defects to Wyatt on nationalist grounds, but when Pembroke bars the gates of London against him, his supporters slink away and he is arrested. Jane and Guildford are tried, and declare their innocence; Guildford notes that the commissioners were originally supporters of Northumberland in his attempt to influence the succession, and accuses them of hypocrisy. Though several commissioners want to seek clemency, the Bishop of Winchester sentences them to traitors’ deaths. Wyatt is taken to execution. Jane and Guildford are to die together; Jane is beheaded first. Guildford faints as he is taken away, but recovers to see her severed head, and is taken to the block.