Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

AMBUSH

in Westward Ho — Dekker, Thomas; Webster, John

Metadata

PlayWestward Ho
AuthorDekker, Thomas; Webster, John
Year (catalogued)1607
First performance1604
Decade1600s
GenreComedy
Play typeBoys Professional
CompanyChildren of Paul's (second)
Speech prefix(es)Amb. | Amb:
Words301
Characters1525
Typicality0.41 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA20100
BritDrama no.1450
ClusterCluster 21 — Old fathers & plain counsel

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

I hold my life the black-beard her husband whissels for her. Who I, I carry fire & sword that fight for me, hear, and hear. I know most of the knaves about London, and most of the Thieves to, I thank God and good intelligence. Pew; I have been a Broker already; for I was first a Puritan, then a Ban querout, then a Broker, then a Fencer, and then Sergeant, were not these Trades would make a man honest? peace the door opens, wheel about yeoman Clutch. Sir I arrest you? Come will you be quiet sir? Thats a trick sir, you would procure a rescue. Come will you march. I have had many a man by the back sir. No sir, the Masters side. Come sir, I must use you kindly the Gentleman's Wife that hath arrested you. She says you are her Ants son. She takes on so pitifully for your Arresting, it much against her will (good Gentlewoma ̄ ) that this affliction lighted up on you. You shall not go to prison. Not so Sir: but you shall be prisoner in my house: I do not think but that your Cousin will visit you there i'th morning, and take order for you. Welcome good mistress Tenterhook. Well 'tis good security. Welcome Gallants. I am come si to know your pleasure. No sir, but he sent for money. Do your worst, for I have good security & I care not, be sides it was his cousin your wines pleasure that he should go along with her. Why sir two Diamonds here. That I will sir. Duns the Mouse. Of your wife Sir if Ime and honest man. Forth coming Sir though your money is not, your credi ter has hem. Oh Lord I sir as melancholic &c.

Plot summary

Plot — Westward Ho
Through the bawd Birdlime, an earl is trying to corrupt Mistress Justiniano, but despite her husband’s jealous suspicions she has so far resisted his advances and remained chaste. He pretends bankruptcy, and tells her he is going abroad; but in fact he remains in London disguised as a writing teacher, Parenthesis. Meanwhile his wife, feeling the force of her poverty, is tempted by the Earl The wives of three citizens, Tenterhook, Wafer, and Honeysuckle, have a tavern assignation (arranged by ‘Parenthesis’) with Sir Gosling Glow-worm and friends; there they plan a journey westward by boat for a sexual night out in Brentford, with the wives’ absence explained by a ruse. ‘Parenthesis’ agrees to report that they have gone to visit Wafer’s sick child, and does so disguised as a collier. Mistress Tenterhook arranges for her kinsman Monopoly to be arrested for an unpaid debt to her husband, then bribes the arresting officer to free him so that he can join the party going to Brentford. ‘While their wives are away, the three citizens all try fo visit the same prostitute; Birdlime tries to juggle 1604 them, but they discover each other’s identities. Justiniano reveals himself and tells them where their wives really are, then takes his wife’s place, cross- dressed, at her assignation with the Earl. Discovering the substitution, the Earl thinks he has been visited by a succubus. Justiniano pretends he has poisoned his wife and shows the dead body; this is only a ruse, but the Earl is duly struck with conscience. At Brentford, the wives resist the gallants’ plans to seduce them, and Sir Gosling Glow-worm induces the local fiddlers to disturb the neighbourhood with bawdy songs. When the husbands arrive expecting to catch their wives in the act of adultery, they find them chaste. Monopoly’s debt is discharged through Justiniano’s intervention, and Sir Gosling attacked by outraged locals. The party returns home to London.