Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

HANS

in Northward Ho — Dekker, Thomas; Webster, John

Metadata

PlayNorthward Ho
AuthorDekker, Thomas; Webster, John
Year (catalogued)1607
First performance1605
Decade1600s
GenreComedy
Play typeBoys Professional
CompanyChildren of Paul's (second)
Speech prefix(es)Hans. | H • ns | Han.
Words296
Characters1488
Typicality0.29 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA20098
BritDrama no.1483
ClusterCluster 16 — Errand servants & brief parts

Important excerpts

Passages from this character's speech that contain the most distinguishing words for Cluster 16 (nat, ningle, chould, numps, terry, dery…). Matches are highlighted.

now upon de vater: Oh mine schoo men uro, we shall dance lanteera, teera, and sing Ick brinks to you min here, van: —what man is that uro. Gotts Sacrament! your vader! why seyghen you niet so to me! mine heart 'tis mine all great desire, to call you mine vader ta for Ick love dis schonen uro your dochterkin. Ick bedanck you:
so to me! mine heart 'tis mine all great desire, to call you mine vader ta for Ick love dis schonen uro your dochterkin. Ick bedanck you: Ick heb so ghe founden vader. Must nom been Hans van Belch. Yau, yau, 'tis so, 'tis so, de drunken man is alteet re menber me. Yau vader: Ick heb de skip swim now upon de vater if you endouty,
endouty, go up in de little Skip that go so, and been pulled up to Wapping, Ick sal bear you on my back, and hang you about min neck into min groet Skip. Yau, yau, min vader heb schonen husen in Aus burgh groet mine hear is mine vaders brother, mine vader heb land, and been full of see, that is beasts, cattle Min vader been be grotest
el derman vane City, gets sacrament, what is de clock? Ick met stay. A watch. Ached: yaw 'tis ached. Gotts sacrament, Ick niet heb it any more. Ick bedanck you vader. Exit.

Full speech

Dar is warrant you, and warrant you: een, twea, dry, vier, and vive skilling, drinks Skellum vysie freeze: nempt, dats v drink gelded. How is't met you, how is't bro? ur lick? Datt is good, dott is good: Ick can neat stay long: for Ick h been skip come now upon de vater: Oh mine schoo men uro, we shall dance lanteera, teera, and sing Ick brinks to you min here, van: —what man is that uro. Gotts Sacrament! your vader! why seyghen you niet so to me! mine heart 'tis mine all great desire, to call you mine vader ta for Ick love dis schonen uro your dochterkin. Ick bedanck you: Ick heb so ghe founden vader. Must nom been Hans van Belch. Yau, yau, 'tis so, 'tis so, de drunken man is alteet re menber me. Yau vader: Ick heb de skip swim now upon de vater if you endouty, go up in de little Skip that go so, and been pulled up to Wapping, Ick sal bear you on my back, and hang you about min neck into min groet Skip. Yau, yau, min vader heb schonen husen in Aus burgh groet mine hear is mine vaders brother, mine vader heb land, and been full of see, that is beasts, cattle Min vader been be grotest fooker in all Ausbrough. Seghen you so, dor it to. Yaw uro, and you make me de gheck, de groet fool, you heb mine gelded to: war is it? What honds foot is that Dorrothy. Yaw yaw, fooker is en groet min here he's en el derman vane City, gets sacrament, what is de clock? Ick met stay. A watch. Ached: yaw 'tis ached. Gotts sacrament, Ick niet heb it any more. Ick bedanck you vader. Exit.

Plot summary

Plot — Northward Ho
Luke Greenshield has failed to seduce Moll Mayberry in her husband’s absence; now he dines with Mayberry at Ware and describes how he slept with an unnamed wife, showing him her wedding ring. Mayberry grows jealous and hurries back to London to confront Moll, but is satisfied by her explanation that the ring was stolen. Seeking revenge, he has her play up to Greenshield’s advances on his next visit to the house. Greenshield arranges lodgings at one of Mayberry’s houses for himself and Kate, a young woman whom he introduces as his sister, but who is actually his wife. The servants are soon aware that they are sleeping together, and also that Kate has a habit of sleep- walking around the house and ending up in Featherstone’s bedroom; actually she is shamming with a view to visiting Featherstone, her lover. ===== PAGE 241 ===== 1605 Meanwhile, Philip is arrested for debt after spending lavishly on the prostitute Doll. His father Bellamont grudgingly pays up and he is released; the price of Philip’s freedom is to have to listen to some moralistic exhortation. In response, he conspires with Doll (who has a tendency to swindle her clients out of money and valuables by way of love-gifts). She poses as a wealthy lady who wants to hire Bellamont to write some verses; Philip then introduces her as the girlfriend whom Bellamont criticized. Doll is smitten with the old man and visits him at home; but when she arrives, he is engaged with Captain Jenkins, Doll’s client, who also wants to buy his poetical talents to write a love poem for her. Jenkins hides during Bellamont’s meeting with Doll, and hears her ease her conscience by confessing that she is a common whore; he proceeds to blacken her name among her other lovers. Doll blames Bellamont and swears vengeance. The characters now gravitate back northward to Ware. Featherstone plans an assignation there with Kate, using a ruse to get Greenshield out of London. Mayberry encourages Greenshield to think that Moll is also going there for sexual purposes, and they follow together, accompanied by Bellamont, Philip, and others. Bellamont proposes that they enliven the journey by playing practical jokes on one another, and he is the first victim when they stop off at Bedlam and the young men try to have him committed as a lunatic. On arrival at Ware, the old men trick Greenshield into offering Mayberry the disguised Kate for a night’s pleasure. Greenshield also learns that Featherstone has been sleeping with Kate;…