in Master Arden of Faversham in Kent — Anonymous; Kyd, Thomas (?); Shakespeare, William (?); Watson, Thomas (?)
Metadata
Play
Master Arden of Faversham in Kent
Author
Anonymous; Kyd, Thomas (?); Shakespeare, William (?); Watson, Thomas (?)
Year (catalogued)
1592
First performance
1591
Decade
1590s
Genre
Tragedy
Play type
Adult Professional
Company
Pembroke's Men (?)
Speech prefix(es)
Brad.
Words
464
Characters
2310
Typicality
0.29 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A20951
BritDrama no.
846
Cluster
Cluster 11 — Tosspots & tavern railers
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
See you them that coms yonder M. Green? The one I know not, but he seems a knave, Choesly for bearing the other company: For such a slave, so vile a roge as he, Lives not again upon the earth, Black-will is his name I tell you M. Green, At Bulloine he and I were fellow soldiers, Where he played such pranks, As all the Camp feared him for his villainy: I warrant you he bears so bade a mind, That for a crown heel murder any man. Oh Will times are changed, no fellows now, Though we were once together in the field, Yet thy friend to do thee any good I can. I Will, those days are passed with me. To London Will, about a piece of service, Wherein happily thou mayest pleasure me. Of late Lord Cheiny lost some plate, Which one did bring, and sold it at my shop, Saying he served sir Antony Cook, A search was made, the plate was found with me, And I am bound to answer at the size, Now Lord Cheiny solemnly bowen, If law will serve him, he'll hang me for his plate, Now I am going to London upon hope, To find the fellow, now Will I know Thou art acpuainted with such companions, A lean faced writhen knave, Hawk nosed, and very hollow eyed, With mighty furrows in his stormy brows, Long hair down his shoulders curled, His Chin was bore, but on his upper lip, A mutchado, which he wound about his ear, A watchet satin doublet all to torn, The inner side did bear the greater show, A pair of thread bore Velvet hose seam rend, A wosted stockin rend above the shoe, A livery cloak, but all the lace was of, It bade, but yet it served to hide the plate, Who I pray thee good Will, Why then let Lord Cheiny seek Jack Fit ̄ forth For I'll back and tell him, who robbed him of his plate, This cheers my heart M. Green, I'll leave you, For I must to the I'll of Sheppy with speed, That will I M. Green, and so farewell. Here Will, theres a Crown for thy good news. I have little news but heres a letter. That M. Green importuned me to give you: Now now M. Arden? what ail you weep? Faith friend Michael and thou sayest true, Therefore I pray thee lights forth, and lends a link M. Arden you are now going to God, And I am by the law condemned to die. About a letter I brought from M. Grèene, I pray you M. Arden speak the truth, Was I ever privy to your intent or no? My blood be on his head that gave the sentence,
Plot summary
Plot — Master Arden of Faversham in Kent
lige Arden is having an affair with M@sbBy, which makes her husband jealous and melancholy. The lovers proliferate murder plots against him: both offer marriage to SHi8Zh Mosby as an inducement, but to different accomplices, Michaelland GlakKe the painter. Clarke supplies a poison, but when Arden feels ill upon eating the contaminated broth, Alice throws it on the ground. Alice meets GFSeHe, who has a grudge against Arden in connection with land ownership, and gives him money to hire murderers. He engages BIAEKIWil) and ShakeBap, and they follow A¥d@h to London, where he is visiting his friend BFaHKIB. Greene writes an incriminating letter to Alice, which is carried, innocently, by Bradshaw. An attempt on Arden’s life in St Paul’s churchyard fails when a shop front is let down and bonks Black Will on the head; Arden escapes, knowing nothing of the danger. The murderers conspire with Michael to gain access to Franklin’s house at night, but Arden finds the door unlocked: the murderers are shut out and Michael reproved for negligence. The killers next pursue Arden to Rainham Down, where he meets Lord Ghee and is invited to dinner the following day. Cheyne recognizes and distracts Black Will, so Arden escapes again. His luck still holds the next day: following him on his way to Lord Cheyne’s house, Black Will and Shakebag lose their way in the fog and Shakebag falls into the marsh. Meanwhile, Mosby and Alice have a falling-out, but are reconciled, and Clarke supplies a poisoned crucifix for use if all else fails. DickKURESAE is another landowner who has fallen victim to Arden’s business dealings. He appeals to Arden and is rebuffed with threats, so he curses the disputed plot of land and wishes Arden ill luck from it. ===== PAGE 10 ===== Arden catches Mosby kissing Alice; Mosby and Shakebag are wounded in the ensuing fight. Alice persuades her husband that it was only a practical joke, and he is induced to apologise. The reconciliation is sealed with a supper in Arden’s house, at which Mosby, Alice, and Shakebag stab him to death. The blood cannot be washed off the floor, and when the body is taken outside, a snowfall shows the line of footsteps back to the house; moreover, Michael fails to dispose of the murder weapon, and rushes from the house are found on the body. When the Mayor and his officers arrive at the house, the murderers are detected. Black Will and Shakebag escape and later meet violent deaths. Alice, Mosby, Michael, and Susan are executed; so…