Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

CYTHERIS

in Poetaster, or The Arraignment — Jonson, Ben

Metadata

PlayPoetaster, or The Arraignment
AuthorJonson, Ben
Year (catalogued)1602
First performance1601
Decade1600s
GenreComedy
Play typeBoys Professional
CompanyChildren of the Chapel (second)
TheaterBlackfriars;Indoor Professional
Speech prefix(es)Cyth. | Cith. | Cytheris. | Pall.
Words447
Characters2419
Typicality0.37 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idB14290
BritDrama no.1296
ClusterCluster 1 — Wives, widows & intimate counsel

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

Welcome kind cousin. What, are they come? Come, let us go meet them Chloë. Not a whit Chloë, they all think you politic, and witty; wise women choose not husbands for the Eye, Merit, or Birth; but wealth, and Sovereignty. This is the perfectest love, lives after death. No; this is Hermogenes; as humorous as a Poet though: he is a Musician. That he can excellently; did you never hear him? I know not. Friend, Mistress Chloe would feign hear Hermogenes sing: are you interested in him? We await you, sir. But Mistress Chloë asks, if you have not a God to spare, for this Gentleman. I; he. Gentlemen, shall we pray your companies a long? I pardon, and praise you for it, Sir; and I beseech your Ex cellence, receive her beauty's into your Knowledge and Favour. To both which, you and all my friends, are very well come Plautia. Well enough? excellent well, sweet Oh Hercules! Why, you shall see them flock a bout you with their puff wings, and ask you, where you bought your Lawn? and what you paid for it? Who starches you? and entreat you to help them to some pure Laundresses, out of the City. Doubt not of that: you shall have kisses from them, go pit-pat, pit-pat, pit-pat, upon your Lips, as thick as stones out of slings, at the assault of a City. And then your the of that you cannot your head (if you would) in three Winter's after. Faith, impudently enough, Mistress Chloë, & well enough. Carry not too much under-thought betwixt your self and them; nor your City mannerly word (forsooth) use it not too often in any Case; but plain I, Madam; and No, Madam: Nor never say, your Lordship, nor your Honour; but, you, and you my Lord, and my Lady: the other, they count too simple, and minsitiue. And though they desire to kiss Heaven with their Titles, yet they will count them fools that give them too humbly. Oh sweet Mistress Chloë! A Heavenly Banquet, Gallus? But sweet Gallus, pray you, resolve me, why you give that heavenly praise, to this earthly Banquet? A fiction indeed Chloë, and fit, for the fit of a Poet. Suppose that no fiction: yet, where are your Would bilities to make us two Goddesses, at your Feast? Tut; never fear, Chloë: your Husband will be left without in the Lobby, or the great Chamber; when you shall be put in, i'the Closet, by this Lord, and by that Lady. Nay, play Cousin; it wants but such a voice, and hand, to grace it, as yours is. pray you play, if you love me. Peace Momus.

Plot summary

Plot — Poetaster, or The Arraignment
Ovid’s father wants him to be a lawyer, but he prefers poetry. He attends an assignation of poets and their loves at Albius’ house. Crispinus, wishing to cuckold the jeweller, observes how taken his wife Chloé is with poets, and determines to become a poet himself. He forces his company on Horace, who escapes when an apothecary tries to arrest Crispinus for debt. Tucca intervenes to save him, and arranges for him to contribute to the controversial play satirizing poets which the players, anxious to attract audiences after a poor winter’s playing season, have hired Demetrius to write. Julia hosts a drunken banquet at court for the poets and ladies, who all dress as gods and goddesses, hiring appropriate props from the players, including a crown and sceptre. Lupus hears about this and, mistakenly believing that treason is plotted, brings the Emperor to interrupt the banquet. Appalled at the poets’ impiety and abuse of their talents, and at his daughter’s wantonness, Augustus banishes Ovid and imprisons Julia. A poetry reading by Virgil is interrupted by Lupus, who thinks he has detected more treason, and is exposed as a fool. Crispinus and Demetrius are tried for defamation of Horace and found guilty. Horace gives Crispinus a purge, and he vomits his obscure vocabulary. 1601 B-Text After the play has finished, two critics visit the author in his study and debate the play’s origins and the controversy over its personal satire; the author proposes that his next play will be a tragedy.