Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

HAMMERSHIN

in The Rival Friends — Hausted, Peter

Metadata

PlayThe Rival Friends
AuthorHausted, Peter
Year (catalogued)1632
First performance1632
Decade1630s
GenreComedy
Play typeUniversity
Theaterbefore the Court;at University;
Speech prefix(es)Ham. | Hamm.
Words384
Characters1830
Typicality0.45 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA72254
BritDrama no.2364
ClusterCluster 23 — Gulls, fops & laughing-stocks

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

When will he come towards me? I do honour the very shadow of your shoe strings. What say you Sir? And I say Sir, that it is better to borrow then to take upon trust, and never pay, as many such gallants as you do. Indeed Sir, I think it be time for you to seek out for a new one, for I think your old one will trust you no longer. Think you so sir? No indeed, to tell you the truth, I borrowed them of a Bachelor of our house, mine own lie in limbo at a Bar bers shop for Tobacco. Nay, I would have been at him, but that I was afraid— They say many of they are very desperate fellows. Nay sir, I would have you to know, that I am neither afraid of him, nor his sword: but I would not willingly die yet, if I could help it. Yes, I have the key of my study door in my pocket. Shall I, in faith? shall I? Never go, and so I will: I'll teach him to abuse any of our cloth again. Exit Ham. He whispers him. Wu'd I might never stir Mr. Mongrel, if I care a pin for a hundred such, and Inns oth' Court man quoth a? never go, I think they learn nothing there, but how to swagger, and be proud. Meaning me Sir? Because he has God a good suit of clothes upon his back (I'll be hanged if they be paid for yet) and a ring in is band string, to play withal when he wants discourse, he thinks he may carry the ball on is toe before him, and that no man must dare to meet him. Come, you're a fool; the Gentleman's of worth, and our friend. None at all Sir, I've read it in Magirus, Cozen Must grell, come hither quickly — Oh the Lord! what will become of us? Any where good Sir. Here's hardly room enough for my self. Anteros, Anteros, is the coast clear yet? Anteros. Who have we here? does his ghost walk? You have abused me Sir, and go to the fence School with me if you dare, or else wr stle a fallen with me. And am wholly your's cap a pea.

Plot summary

Plot — The Rival Friends
With Placenta’s help, Constantina disguises herself as a boy and leaves her father’s house in search of her missing love, Cleopes; she leaves a former boy-actor in her place. The friends Neander and Lucius both love Pandora, but she cannot decide between them. Each asks old Lively to help him win her love, not for himself but for his friend. Favouring Lucius, Lively plans to arrange a bogus wedding that will remove Neander from the rivalry, leaving Pandora for Lucius, without being subsequently binding. The ‘boy’ whom Lively selects to pose as Neander’s bride is actually Constantina; but he allows the wedding to go ahead even after discovering her identity. Meanwhile Placenta advises Pandora to make her lovers jealous by pretending interest in someone else, so she woos the page Endymion. When she learns that Neander is married, and when Lucius claims to be a eunuch, she transfers her affections to Endymion in earnest. It emerges that Lucius has jilted Endymion’s sister Isabella, who subsequently disappeared. Constantina is brought in apparently dead, killed by Neander, and her brother Love-All recognizes her. In fact, she is only injured, and revives, calling for Cleopes. Neander admits that he is Cleopes: he had wooed her, but became more interested in Pandora, and feigned a voyage overseas; he then returned with a new identity to pursue Pandora. Love-All wants to know who was pretending to be his sister while Constantina has been out of the house; the ‘boy’ is brought in, and is recognized as the absent Isabella. Lucius agrees to marry her, waiving a dowry, and Pandora is allowed to marry Endymion. In one sub-plot, Lively’s house, a parsonage, will revert to the church upon his death. Pandora’s father, Justice Hook, has the living in his gift, and has promised it to whoever marries his other daughter, the deformed Ursely. Suitors flock to Hook’s house, but Lively intends to outlive them. While Hook is interviewing the candidates, Lively feigns death and names Hook his heir, but comes back to life when Hook rushes off to take possession of the property. Ursely herself wants to marry the misogynistic Anteros, and Anteros overhears Hook acceding to her wishes. To win the compliance of Anteros’ father Terpander, Hook surrenders a mortgage on his lands, which Anteros destroys. Placenta then reveals that the marriage cannot take place: Ursely is Anteros’ sister, given up at birth by her mother to simulate the results of a phantom pregnancy to Hook’s wife.…