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Plot summaries for the 173 plays represented
Albion Knight
Anonymous · 1537 · Moral
[The start of the play is lost.] Justice and Injury argue about the latter’s clothing. Albion wishes them both to be his friends. [A lacuna in the text follows.) There is ===== PAGE 429 ===== 1565 dispute over a statute to be passed to establish justice in the land. Injury plans to foment a civil war, and Division helps him by sending spies to stir up suspicion and mistrust in Parliament and among the various estates of the realm. A marriage is planned between Albion and Plenty, but Division goes to tempt Albion away from political rectitude and into hedonism. [The rest of the play is lost.}
Ralph Roister Doister
Udall, Nicholas · 1552 · Comedy
Ralph Roister Doister seeks Matthew Merrygreek’s help in wooing Dame Custance, who is already affianced to Gawyn Goodluck. They send her a letter using her nurse, Madge Mumblecrust, as a go-between, but Dame Custance will not read it. They also send her a ring, but Tibet the maid gets into trouble for accepting it. Merrygreek tells Ralph that Dame Custance has not only rejected him but disparaged his manhood; Ralph despairs, but is persuaded to try again. Dame Custance is persuaded in turn to hear the love-letter read aloud, but Merrygreek reads it without regard for the punctuation, and reverses its meaning: it seems to promise her an unpleasant married life. His hopes dashed, Ralph seeks revenge on the scrivener who composed the letter, but the fault is shown to lie with the reader of it. Ralph continues to press his suit, and arouses the suspicions of Gawyn Goodluck’s servant. Ralph and Custance prepare to use force against one another, and Merrygreek admits that he was only helping Ralph for fun. When the men and women do battle, he hits Ralph while pretending to attack Dame Custance. Ralph has the worst of it, and retreats in disarray. Gawyn Goodluck hears of his fiancée’s apparent disloyalty, but accepts Tristram Trusty’s word as to what really happened. He makes his peace with Ralph, despite Dame Custance’s doubts.
Troas (Seneca's Sixth Tragedy)
Heywood, Jasper, trans.; Seneca, Lucius Annaeus · 1559 · Tragedy
After a ten-year war, Troy has fallen: King Priam had been murdered, the city burned, the women taken into slavery; but Queen Hecuba’s age means that none of the Greek conquerors are interested in her. Achilles’ ghost returns from the dead, demanding the blood of Hecuba’s daughter Polyxena in revenge for his own treacherous murder by Paris. Until she is sacrificed on his tomb, he will not allow the Greek fleet to sail home. Agamemnon is doubtful about this, but Pyrrhus reminds him that he was willing to sacrifice his own daughter to get the fleet to Troy, and Calchas confirms that the price of returning to Greece is the same as the price of leaving it: a virgin’s death. The ghost of Hector appears to Andromache in a dream and warns her to flee from Troy with their son: Calchas has demanded his blood as well as Polyxena’s. She hides the boy in Hector’s tomb, and tells Ulysses he is dead; but Ulysses insists on removing Hector’s ashes if the Greeks cannot have their sacrifice. Andromache produces the child, and Ulysses has him thrown to his death from a tower. Helen is sent to prepare Polyxena to marry Pyrrhus, but she tells Hecuba and Andromache that the Greeks intend a sacrifice, not a wedding. Pyrrhus leads Polyxena away and kills her. A messenger describes the two deaths. Not knowing whom she should grieve for most — husband, daughter, or nephew — Hecuba wishes for death. The women, Hecuba included, are taken away to live in slavery in Greece.
Appius and Virginia
B., R. · 1564 · Tragedy
Virginius is thankful for his good wife and virtuous daughter. Judge Appius falls in love with Virginia. Instigated by the vice Haphazard, he induces Claudius to help him in a scheme to get her. Claudius lays perjured testimony that Virginia is his own daughter, stolen by Virginius when she was a baby. Appius rules that she must be placed in his own custody until the matter is resolved; once she is under his roof, he will be able to seduce or rape her. Summoned by Appius, Virginia asks for death rather than dishonour, and her father beheads her; he is about to kill himself too when Comfort prevents him. He brings her head to Appius, who calls on Justice and Reward to execute him, but on arrival they accuse Appius himself. He commits suicide in prison. Claudius has his death sentence commuted to banishment at Virginius’ request. Haphazard is hanged. Virginius and the virtues celebrate the memory of his daughter’s chastity.
Agamemnon (Seneca's Eighth Tragedy)
Studley, John, trans.; Seneca, Lucius Annaeus · 1566 · Tragedy
The ghost of Thyestes describes his crimes and foretells the death of Agamemnon. During her husband’s long absence at the Trojan war, Clytemnestra has had an affair with Aegisthus; but now Agamemnon is coming home. She tells Aegisthus her doubts about their liaison, but when he proposes suicide, she agrees to join him in finding another way to dispose of their problems. Agamemnon arrives after a stormy crossing from Troy, bringing Cassandra with him as a prisoner. She foretells his murder by Clytemnestra, which duly comes to pass. Clytemnestra wants to kill her children 1566 too, but Orestes has escaped, and Aegisthus is reluctant to behead Electra; instead she is imprisoned in a distant dungeon. Cassandra exults in the overthrow of Troy’s conqueror, and predicts Clytemnestra’s downfall. She is beheaded, but Orestes survives to avenge his father’s death.
Octavia (Seneca's Ninth Tragedy)
Nuce, Thomas, trans.; Pseudo-Seneca · 1566 · Tragedy
PLOT With her mother executed, her father murdered, and her brother poisoned, Octavia is in a perilous state. Her husband, the Emperor Nero, has had his mother Agrippina murdered; after she survived an orchestrated shipwreck, a soldier was sent to kill her more directly. Now he has got Poppaea. Octavia is timid, pregnant and wants a divorce in order to marry Poppaea and legitimate her bastard. Octavia wants to take revenge on him for her brother’s death, but her nurse advises her to become pregnant herself and produce an heir who will restore the dynasty. Recalled from exile to serve at court, Seneca laments the fortune which has put him in harm’s way. He tries to encourage Nero to rule virtuously, but Nero finds his advice tiresome and plans to expedite his marriage to Poppaea. Agrippina’s ghost curses the nuptial and predicts Nero’s death. Poppaea’s wedding night is disturbed by a nightmare in which the ghost showed her a vision of her first husband’s death at Nero’s hands. The Roman people revolt in support of Octavia, invade the palace, and destroy images of Poppaea. After putting down the rebellion, Nero orders Octavia into exile, and makes arrangements for her to be murdered on arrival. Octavia leaves Rome, knowing she is going to her death.
Medea (Seneca's Seventh Tragedy)
Studley, John, trans.; Seneca, Lucius Annaeus · 1566 · Tragedy
For Jason’s sake, Medea has betrayed her father, killed her brother, and abandoned her country; she has also caused the death of his enemy, Pelias. But now he has divorced her and is about to marry the daughter of King Creon. She calls on the gods for revenge, and asks her feminine pity and fear to be taken from her. The wedding takes place, and Medea plans to burn the palace in vengeance. Creon banishes her, ignoring her insistence on having a proper trial, but allows her the rest of the day to say goodbye to her two children. Jason points out to her that Creon would have had her executed without his intervention: her presence in Corinth is causing diplomatic difficulties with the son of Pelias. Noting the intensity of Jason’s love for their children, she sees a way of avenging herself. Medea prepares a poison and calls on Hecate. She wounds herself to provide an oblation of her own blood, and impregnates a gown with the poison, then sends the children to present it to the bride as a wedding gift. The poison takes fiery effect and the palace is burned to the ground; Creon and his daughter are immolated with it. Medea exults in the atrocities she has committed, and, after initial hesitation, takes her revenge on Jason by killing one of her sons. When she shows him the body, Jason tries persuade her to spare the other, but she kills the boy in his presence, then escapes in a flying chariot drawn by dragons.
The Tide Tarrieth No Man
Wapull, George · 1576 · Moral
Courage advises a variety of characters to embrace short-term gain, since the tide waits for nobody: he encourages Greediness to ignore spiritual advice, helps No Good Neighbourhood to acquire a neighbour's house unjustly through bribery, recommends Willingto-Win-Worship to get into debt rather than leave the court and his ambitions, and advises Wantonness to get married against her mother's wishes. The results are bad: Willing-to-Win-Worship finds himself worse off than before; Greediness's tenant, No-GoodNeighbourhood's rival, is evicted and left homeless in his old age; Greediness oppress~:s his debtors, one of whom is arrested at a sermon; and Wantonness marries Wastefulness. Christianity is corrupted by riches and policy, and Greediness dies in despair. Despair encourages Wastefulness, who has spent all his money, to commit suicide, but Faithful Few saves him through prayer. Finally Authority intervenes, Courage is arrested by Correction, and Christianity is reformed.
2 Promos and Cassandra
Whetstone, George · 1578 · Comedy · Unacted
Alerted by the raped @assandra, King @6nihGs is coming to Gyula to investigate the activities of his deputy, Lord Promos. PHalaX has to organize the city’s dramatic welcome at short notice. The King makes his royal entry, but refuses the town’s gift of a purse. Sir WIFIES is appointed and proclaimed as the ombudsman to investigate allegations of official corruption, pending a hearing before the King. The complaints flood in, and promoters take the opportunity to extort money with the threat of arrest. At the hearing, Phallax is accused of extortion, and confesses; his goods are seized and he is forced to resign his office, but his admission saves him from other punishment. Then Cassandra discloses Promos’s treachery in raping her and murdering her brother. Promos confesses, and the King sentences him to death, but requires him to marry Cassandra first. Vice is suppressed in Gyula: Baila the courtesan is arrested and carted, and Phallax leaves town in search of easier pickings. AaTuBIG has been living in the forest. Told of recent events by John A@roynes, he returns to the town in disguise, where he witnesses Cassandra’s pleas for her new husband’s life. Promos is led to execution, but is reprieved when Andrugio reveals himself to the King. Promos and Andrugio are pardoned, and Andrugio required to marry P6lifia. Promos is restored to office, with a warning to act justly and beware his subordinates’ corruption.
Fedele and Fortunia (Two Italian Gentlemen)
Munday, Anthony, trans. (?); Pasqualigo, Luigi · 1584 · Comedy · Children of the Chapel (first) (Oxford's Boys) · before the Court;
Bedelé and Bortunid, rivals for the affections of WWictoria, are both melancholy for love. Victoria once favoured Fedele, who still loves her; but he has been away, and she now loves Fortunio instead. A third would-be suitor is @aptain§@rmekstenée, whom Fortunio has asked for help. Fedele in turn is loved by Mirginia, his original love whom he jilted when he fell for Victoria. Victoria seeks M@@USA’s magical help to compel Fortunio’s love. Both Fedele and Crackstone see her going to raise spirits at night. They throw candles into a tomb, but Crackstone has hidden inside it; his emergence convinces them that they have raised the devil, and they run away, leaving behind a wax image which was to be used in the spell. Crackstone sends the incriminating image to Fedele, who confronts Victoria and tells Fortunio everything. Victoria engages Crackstone to kill Fedele. Meanwhile P@danté has been promoting Fedele’s cause through Victoria’s maid, Alttilia, and has fallen in love with her. He visits Victoria’s house disguised as a beggar. Fedele shows this to Fortunio, convincing him that Victoria has a lover. Attilia leaks the murder plot to Pedante, who tells Fedele. Crackstone pretends to kill Fedele, fighting with the air, with the intention of telling Victoria that he is dead and marrying her before she discovers the truth. However, Fedele catches him in a net, and Victoria mocks him and pours urine over him. Crackstone swears revenge, and Pedante offers to help; but for his part…
Alphonsus, King of Aragon
Greene, Robert · 1587 · Romance · Queen Elizabeth's Men (?)
Twenty years before the action, Alphonsus’ branch of the royal family of Aragon was dispossessed of the crown through the Duke of Milan’s treachery, and banished, along with their supporters. Now, a generation later, the usurping King is making war on Naples. Alphonsus poses as a common soldier and is recruited to King Belinus’ defending army; he makes the condition that he will unconditionally own anything he wins by fighting. In battle he kills the usurping King of Aragon, and King Belinus grudgingly gives him the crown; he then claims sovereignty over Naples. After rescuing a follower from beheading by Belinus, he conquers Italy and crowns his followers. Albinius, his oldest ally, is made King of Aragon in his place, while he pursues Belinus, who has fled to the court of the Great Turk Amurack. Amurack promises Belinus military help, and summons armies from throughout his wide dominions. Encouraged by the anxious Empress Fausta, the enchantress Medea seeks supernatural information about the coming wars, and it comes in a vision to the sleeping Amurack: defeat, captivity, then release through Alphonsus’ love for his daughter Iphigina, and the expulsion of paganism. When Fausta speaks against this, she and Iphigina are banished from the court; encouraged by Medea to accept the inevitable, they go to gather their Amazon troops. The prophecy is also overheard by the god Muhammad, who withdraws his support from Amurack, but encourages his pagan allies to attack Alphonsus; when…
Endymion, the Man in the Moon
Lyly, John · 1588 · Comedy · Children of Paul's (first) · before the Court;
Endymion is obsessed with his love for GyHEHI, the moon, and neglects Méllisj who is infatuated with him. She plots to force him to love her, but the enchantress Dipsas is unable to induce love magically. She can, however, make Endymion sleep away his youth, and, with Bag@a’s assistance, casts a spell to that effect. Meanwhile the comic braggart Sir GpHaS falls in love with Dipsas and sleeps too. When Tellus is rude about Endymion, Cynthia banishes her to weave in a desert castle. There she uses her feminine attractiveness to induce her keeper, GGESITES, to move Endymion from where he sleeps, but he is unable to lift the sleeping body. He is pinched asleep by fairies, who magically spot his face and hands. S@mielé is sentenced to a year’s silence as punishment for her spiteful speaking. Cynthia sends courtiers around the world in search of a remedy for Endymion, but the wise men who come are unable to help. However, Eiimenideés finds a magic fountain which will supply any wished-for remedy ifa true lover weeps into it and sees the bottom. Eumenides passes the fidelity test and has to choose whether to satisfy his unrequited love for Semele or wake up Endymion. He chooses Endymion, and is shown in a cryptic prophecy that the sleeper will wake when Cynthia kisses him. It works: Endymion awakes, now an old man, and tells his dreams. Sir Tophas also awakes, seemingly more youthful. Neither gets the girl: Cynthia is chaste and unattainable, while Dipsas turns out to be married to…
The Wars of Cyrus, King of Persia
Anonymous · 1588 · Tragedy · Children of the Chapel (first) (Oxford's Boys)
Cyrus has conquered the rulers of Lydia, Arabia, and Assyria, and now he divides the spoils with his men, accepting none for himself. Unwilling to serve the new King of Assyria, who murdered his son, Gobryas defects to Cyrus and is given a command in his army. Panthea is taken captive: the Persians propose to present her to Cyrus, but she is faithful to her husband, Abradatas, and Cyrus refuses the temptation to love her. Appointed Panthea’s keeper, Araspas falls in love with her. When she rejects him, he resorts to magic; but the charm fails, and she reports him to Cyrus. Antiochus, the new King of Assyria, seeks revenge on Cyrus for his father’s death, and sends Ctesiphon as a feigned defector to the Persian camp. He also has vengeful designs on Gobryas’ daughter, Alexandra, but she swaps clothes with her page Libanio, who persuades Antiochus to hold ‘her’ hostage while ‘her page’ goes to persuade Gobryas to return. However, these plans go awry: Ctesiphon is so impressed with Cyrus that he renounces Antiochus’ sovereignty, confesses his former King’s plot, and offers to kill him; and when Dinon attempts to seduce the false Alexandra, ‘she’ sings him to sleep, kills him, and absconds to the Persian camp. Gobryas randomly selects a Persian husband for his daughter using the custom of blindfold turf-throwing; the clod lands on Hystaspas. Cyrus sends Ctesiphon back to Antiochus with a letter purportedly offering peace terms; in fact, it tells the Assyrian king of Ctesiphon’s…
A Looking Glass for London and England
Lodge, Thomas; Greene, Robert · 1588 · Biblical Moral · Derby's (Strange's) Men
Triumphant over the King of Jerusalem, the Assyrian king Rasni declares himself divine and marries his sister, Remilia; a viceroy who objects is banished and the flatterer Radagon given his place. Inordinately proud of her beauty, Remilia is struck by lightning. Rasni is unable to revive her, and buries her in state; but is encouraged by Radagon to think of the living rather than the dead, and to take Alvida, wife of the King of Paphlagonia. When her husband objects to the adulterous liaison, she poisons him. Alvida continues to be unfaithful: her ambition attracts her to Rasni, but her sexual appetite favours the Viceroy of Cilicia, so she takes both. Thrasybulus and Alcon are both cheated by a usurer to whom they are trying to repay money: he keeps them talking beyond the due hour and then secures possession of Thrasybulus’ farm and Alcon’s cow as a penalty for non-payment. They attempt to sue him, but he bribes both the judge and their lawyer, and they lose their cases. Alcon appeals to Radagon, his son, to help his starving family, but Radagon is too proud to acknowledge his parent, and Rasni has him ejected from the court. Radagon’s mother curses him, and: he is swallowed by subterranean fire. Thrasybulus ard ===== PAGE 473 ===== 1589 Alcon turn to begging and theft in their destitution, and try to pawn stolen clothes to the usurer. Adam, a smith’s man, goes off with some ruffians to get drunk. After a drunken quarrel over a woman, one of them is killed. Rasni finds…
The Wounds of Civil War, or Marius and Scilla
Lodge, Thomas · 1588 · Tragedy · Admiral's (Nottingham's) Men
King Mithridates has defied Roman power in Asia Minor, and the consul Sulla has been selected by lot to take reprisals. But Sulla lingers with the army in Capua, and the Senate votes to transfer the command to Marius, a more experienced soldier. Sulla invades the Senate with his troops and threatens to uphold his rights with violence. The senators take sides, and a civil war follows. Sulla is victorious; Marius takes refuge at Minturnum. Sulla proscribes Marius and his allies as traitors, and leads the army to Asia Minor. Marius is warned that his hosts plot his murder, but accepts his fate and goes to sleep. The assassin, Pedro, is unable to go through with the killing, so the magistrates simply ask Marius to leave town. He flees to Africa, and lives in the mountains on a diet of roots. Marius’ son comes to recall him to Rome: the new consul, Cinna, is sympathetic to him. But Sulla returns victorious from the east, and attempts to prevent his rival from entering Italy. Nevertheless Marius reaches Rome, and begins to settle old scores with violence. Cinna deposes and murders his fellow consul Octavius, Marius’ enemy, and Marius is appointed to fill the vacancy. Sulla is proscribed and his property confiscated, and Marius sends his son to engage Sulla’s army in battle. Sulla’s wife and daughter are arrested as they attempt to leave Rome; Marius threatens them with death, but then sends them honourably back to Sulla. Marius dies in office. After a bloody battle, Sulla enters…
Midas
Lyly, John · 1589 · Comedy · Children of Paul's (first) · before the Court;
Offered anything he wishes by way of reward for entertaining Baéehus) KingiMidas seeks advice. Two of his lords suggest that he request love and empire respectively; the third proposes gold, which can buy both, so Midas asks that everything he touches should turn to gold. The gift proves to be an inconvenience, turning Midas’s food and even his beard to gold. (A BaBE steals the golden beard from the FSyalibarber, but the barber gets his own back by giving him toothache.) Regretting his folly and his imperialistic designs on other nations, Midas seeks a remedy from the oracle, and washes off the golden touch in a nearby river. On the way home, Midas goes hunting in the woods, gets lost, and encounters Ajpoll6 and Pan ‘The two gods are in dispute over which is the best musician; Midas is asked to judge, and, perversely, chooses Pan. Apollo gives him ass’s ears in reprisal, and he becomes reclusive while rumours spread; even the reeds whisper about his ears. Meanwhile his empire begins to disintegrate and he is unable to achieve his overriding objective, the conquest of Lesbos. Finally he seeks a remedy from the oracle of Apollo, and also proclaims that any further talk about his ass’s ears will cost the speaker his own. The pages inveigle Motto the barber into flouting the edict, and thereby force him to return the golden beard. Midas makes his obeisance at Apollo’s oracle, and is ordered to give up his imperial ambitions; in particular, his ears will only get longer if he…
Friar Bacon and Friar Bongay
Greene, Robert · 1589 · Comedy · Queen Elizabeth's Men
Primce Bdwafd is in love with the country wench Margarety and he orders Bay to woo her on his behalf. He does so, but she falls for him rather than the Prince. Meanwhile BRiamlBaeoH is questioned by his academic superiors, who suspect him of practising black magic. He explains his plans to make a brazen head which will lecture in philosophy, and to surround England with a defensive wall of brass. The one sceptic, DEIBOTGER, is shown up when Bacon uses his powers to reveal that he sneaks off at night to play cards at a tavern when he should be reading. Prineejkdward and Ralphithelfeal swap clothes and identities when visiting Bacon, but he sees through the deception with ease. Bacon shows Edward events at Suffolk through a magic mirror: Daey is wooing Margaret for himself, and they are to be married by FriamBungay; but Bacon magically strikes Bungay dumb, then brings him to Oxford for dinner. Edward rides to Suffolk to confront Lacy, but Margaret’s determination reconciles him to the situation: even if he tries to remove the obstacle by killing Lacy, she will never love him and will kill herself to be with Lacy. Prince Edward’s future wife, Elifi@f of Castile, arrives in England with a group of foreign potentates. The Emperor of Germany has brought along Wandérmast} a famous magician, to compete with England’s best scholars at Oxford. Vandermast’s first opponent in magic is BriamBuiigay, who conjures up a golden tree. Vandermast summons Hercules to pull it down, but Hercules…
The Jew of Malta
Marlowe, Christopher · 1589 · Tragedy · Unknown · before the Court;Phoenix/Cockpit;Whitehall;Indoor Professional
For ten years, Malta has failed to pay tribute to the Turks; now Séliml(@alymath comes to collect the arrears, but grants Bémeze, the Governor, a month to find the money. Ferneze requires the island’s Jews to contribute half their assets towards the sum, on pain of forcible conversion; but Bafabas, a wealthy merchant with trading links all over the east, refuses either to pay or to become a Christian. His entire estate is seized and his house converted to a nunnery. Unbeknown to the authorities, there is a cache of money and jewels hidden in the house; Barabas has his daughter, Abigail, become a nun in order to get access to it. After retrieving the gold, she leaves the convent, and Barabas buys a new house. The Spanish Vice-Admiral, Martin(§@elgposcs} arrives in Malta after routing the Turkish navy. He is granted permission to sell his prisoners as slaves on the island, even though this will be provocative to the Turks; Ferneze decides to keep the gold he levied to pay the tribute, and count on Spanish aid in the war that will follow. Barabas visits the slave market and buys [fiamiore; they swap stories about their exploits in villainy. A Turkish pasha comes to collect the tribute money, but Ferneze refuses to pay. War looms. Mathias and WEdGwiek both love Abigail. Barabas asks her to encourage Lodowick, even though she prefers Mathias; he doesn’t want her to marry either, but particularly wants to destroy Lodowick to get revenge on Ferneze, his father. He tells Mathias of…
George a Green, the Pinner of Wakefield
Greene, Robert (?) · 1590 · Romance · Sussex's Men
(helEarlSfKendal, inspired by a prophecy that he and e KinglfiSeets will meet in London and defeat the KingofEngland, musters his troops and communicates with King James. THENMEHIOPOrKShize, of his treason, refuse to victual his army. When Sir Nicholas Maniniering threatens the people of Wakefield, GGrge- aeGreehe tears up his commission and makes him eat the seals. Infuriated, Kendal plans revenge: he and his allies go to Wakefield in disguise, but George impounds their horses. Kendal tries to entice George to: join him in rebellion, insisting that he seeks social justice rather than power. Encouraged by George, he visits a hermit to hear his fortunes; but the hermit is actually George himself in disguise, and the visit a ruse to get Kendal and his henchmen alone. George fights them, takes Kendal prisoner, and hands him over to the authorities. King James brings troops into England, but is distracted by his passion for JARGMANBaHEy, whose husband is away. When she refuses him, he besieges her castle. The aged war veteran Milsgrave, who refuses to hand over the responsibility of arms to his n Gay, arrives and raises the siege. James is taken prisoner, and both he and Kendal are brought before King Edward. Kendal is imprisoned and Edward visits the north to meet George. Willy liberates George’s love, B@HGHS, from Grime her father by visiting her disguised as a woman and swapping clothes with her. The lovers are reunited, leaving Willy still at Grime’s house. However, Bettris…
Mucedorus (and Amadine)
Anonymous · 1590 · Romance · Unknown
The princess Almadifle and her fiancé S@pasto are attacked by a bear as they walk in the forest. Segasto runs away, but the shepherd MuG@d@Fus saves Amadine’s life by killing the bear. Envious of the honour promised to Mucedorus, Segasto suborns the war hero (PEMielio to murder him, but in the event 1591 Mucedorus kills Tremelio instead. Charged with murder, Mucedorus pleads self-defence but is sentenced to death. Amadine produces the bear’s head in his defence, and the King rescinds the sentence. Segasto sends Mucedorus a false message that he has been banished from the court. Amadine, who has transferred her affections to Mucedorus, asks to go with him, and they arrange a rendezvous; but Mucedorus is delayed, and Amadine is accosted by the cannibal BRémi®. Struck by her beauty, he decides not to eat her, but instead makes her his queen and lives with her in the woods. Mucedorus evades his pursuers by disguising himself as a hermit, but is attacked by Bremo. Not knowing his identity, Amadine pleads for his life, and Bremo allows him to join them in their woodland ménage. When Bremo tries to teach his guest to fight, however, Mucedorus seizes the opportunity to kill him, then reveals his identity to Amadine. The couple are found by M@USe, Segasto’s servant, and they are taken back to court. Amadine insists that she will marry Mucedorus notwithstanding his lowly status, whereupon he reveals that he is actually of royal birth: he came to Aragon in disguise to woo her. On…
1 Henry the Sixth
Nashe, Thomas; Marlowe, Christopher; Shakespeare, William; Anonymous · 1590 · History · Derby's (Strange's) Men
King Henry Vis dead, and England's French lands are lost. After a military setback, the French accept the offered aid of Joan Pucelle , who claims supernatural powers from the Virgin Mary; but they also release Talbot in an exchange of prisoners. With Joan 's help the French recapture the occupied town of Orleans, but the English take it back in a night attack led by Talbot. The Countess of Auvergne invites Talbot to visit her. intending treachery, but he second-guesses her and brings soldiers with him. In England, feuds brew between Gloucester and Winchester, and between Richard Plantagenet and the Duke of Somerset, whose supporters show their allegiance by picking different coloured roses. Richard , who has been deprived of his titles through the attainder of his father, learns from the imprisoned and dying Mortimer that he has a claim to the throne . King Henry restores him to his inheritance, creating him Duke of York. Joan takes Rouen by a ruse , but Talbot recaptures it the same day; she then persuades England's ally Burgundy to join the French. After King Henry's coronation in Paris, York is left in command of Prance, but personal tension between him and Somerset means that troop reinforcements arrive late; in consequence, Talbot is defeated, surviving only long enough to learn that his son has perished in battle. Joan conjures devils, but they will not help her: she is captured by York and burned at the stake. The French and English agree a peace which will entail…
The Old Wives Tale
Peele, George · 1590 · Romance · Queen Elizabeth's Men
PLOT Lost in the woods, three pages encounter Clunch the smith, and accept the hospitality of his cottage. One of them goes to bed with him while his wife, Madge, tells the others a tale. Delia, the daughter of the King of Thessaly, has been abducted by the sorcerer Sacrapant, who can only be killed by a dead man, and whose power depends on a light in a glass which can only be broken by a woman who is neither wife, widow, nor maid. Delia's two brothers come to England in search of her, and meet Erestus. They give him alms and he prophesies to them. He too is a victim of Sacrapant, who has transformed him into an old man by day and a bear by night, and driven his betrothed lady, Venelia, out of her mind. The brothers enter Sacrapant's domain, but are imprisoned by Furies and set to work digging for gold. Delia, forgetting her identity under the influence of a potion, is appointed as their overseer. Others are also searching for Delia. One is the wandering knight Eumenides, another the braggart Huanebango; the former gives generous alms to Erestus, but the latter refuses. Eumenides happens upon a fight between Wiggen and the parish officials, who are refusing to bury Wiggen's dead brother Jack; Eumenides resolves the dispute by giving all his remaining money to pay for the funeral. Huanebango attempts to force his way into Sacrapant's cell, and is ejected by the Furies; Sacrapant strikes him deaf and Corebus blind. Lampriscus has two daughters, one ugly in looks and the other…
The True Chronicle of King Leir (King Lear and his Three Daughters)
Anonymous · 1590 · History · Queen Elizabeth's Men (?)
King Lear deems it a good moment to marry off his three daughters: with his wife recently dead, they no longer have a mother to direct them. His plan is to retire and divide the kingdom between them as their dowries, and to marry them to neighbouring kings in order to forestall foreign aggression. Cordella, however, is determined to marry for love rather than for diplomatic convenience, so Lear plans to circumvent her by laying on a test: the daughters will make a public declaration of how much they love their father, and he will then ask Cordella to show that love by complying with his wishes over her marriage. Scaliger warns the other daughters, Goneril and Regan, of what Lear has in mind, and misleads them into believing that their shares of the kingdom will reflect the extent of their declared love. Jealous of their younger sister’s beauty and renown, they flatter Lear so that Cordella’s simple statement of due filial love pales in comparison. Lear gives the kingdom wholly to them, summons the Kings of Cornwall and Cambria to be their husbands, and assigns them their shares by lot. Against the advice of the good counsellor Perillus, Lear banishes Cordella from court, and she plans to make her living working as a seamstress. By chance, she meets the King of France, who has come to Britain disguised in search of a wife, and he takes her back to France as his Queen. Lear goes to live with Cornwall and Goneril, but annoys her with his criticisms of her extravagance. Scaliger…
The True Tragedy of Richard the Third
Anonymous · 1591 · Tragedy; History · Queen Elizabeth's Men
Twenty-two years ago, the House of York seized the throne from Henry VI. Since then, RiéHard has sought to clear his path to the crown by murdering the deposed M@firy and his own brother, @IMFenee. The dying BGWardli] tries to make peace between Lord Hastings and Marquess Dorsét, and appoints Richard as Lord Protector during his son’s minority. As the new King travels to London for his coronation, Richard allies himself with his former enemy, BUCKingham. and Dorset and other noblemen flee the kingdom. Travelling to London with the new King, RIVERS is left behind to negotiate with Richard and Buckingham. Richard arranges to have him locked in his room at the inn where he is staying, and arrests him; he then catches up with the King and arrests the rest of the Queen’s family, despite the King’s protests. The QG@8H and her other children take sanctuary, but the Duke of WGrk is removed to the Tower to keep the King ===== PAGE 490 ===== company. Richard has the arrested men executed without trial. The King and York are declared bastards and the crown offered to Richard. Edward IV’s death is bad news for Mistress SHGFé, too: she loses all her influence at court and has to face the prospect of an enemy in power. Accused of plotting with her to bewitch the King and Buckingham with a view to seizing power, Lord Hastings is arrested and executed. Mistress Shore’s property is confiscated and Londoners ordered not to give her food or shelter; even those she helped in earlier times are…
1 The Troublesome Reign of King John
Anonymous (?) · 1591 · History · Queen Elizabeth's Men
Jel becomes King of England; but young Prince (Athi son of his elder brother, also has title to the throne, and his claim is supported by Philip of France. John refuses to give up his kingdom and prepares to invade France. Before he goes, he has to settle a dispute between the brothers Falconbridge: the younger brother RObéft alleges the bastardy of the elder, PHilip} thereby establishing Philip as the natural, if illegitimate, son of King Richard and Robert as rightful heir of Falconbridge. Philip is impelled to accept royal parentage, the better to pursue his ambitions, and he joins King John’s expedition to France. The Kings of England and France confront one another outside the English-held town of Angers. When the citizens refuse to yield to either John or Arthur until one or the other is proven the rightful King, the bastard suggests that the warring kings should join forces against the town, and cement the alliance with a marriage between fh@§Daphin and John’s niece, Blai@He (even though he covets Blanche for himself). John and King Philip agree terms: Blanche’s dowry is to include a substantial part of England’s French possessions, and King Philip transfers his support from Arthur to John. Seeking vengeance for his father, King Richard, the bastard challenges Allisttid to a duel, but Austria will not accept even when John creates the bastard a duke. Cardinal Pandulphiéxcommunicates John for his interference in ecclesiastical affairs. John refuses to submit to papal…
Orlando Furioso
Greene, Robert · 1591 · Romance · Queen Elizabeth's Men (on tour); Admiral's (Nottingham's) Men (in London) · before the Court;
From all over the world, princes have come to Africa to woo |Amgeliga, the successful suitor will become her father Marsilis’ heir. Given a free choice, Angelica opts for OFlaHdG) offending his higher-ranking rivals. They plan to seize Angelica and despoil Africa, but Orlando lays siege to R@@aimant's castle and sacks it. Rodamant and Brandimart flee. _ . Ambitious for love and power, Sa@rapalit woos Angelica, but she loves only Orlando. Planning to make Orlando jealous, he hangs love poems on the trees in a grove where Orlando walks; his man disguises himself as a shepherd and tells Orlando that Angelica is in love with Orlando is driven out of his mind, and dismembers fi@lShepherd’, mistaking him for Medor. M@arSiiWS banishes Angelica, but his former enemy Manidmieard receives gracious treatment and becomes his companion. Convinced that both Medor and Angelica are dead, Orlando madly plans to pursue them to hell to continue his revenge. He recruits an army of rustics and kills SERS in battle. He meets Angelica, but does not know her. His page presents him with a false ABeliea - in reality a cross-dressed clown - whom he beats. Having heard of Orlando’s lunacy, the twelve peers of France come to seek reprisals against ey and are greeted by Marsilius. makes war on Marsilius. The vitbeli Melis8A cures Orlando’s madness and sends him to fight. Sacrapant is defeated in single combat by Orlando, disguised as a common soldier; he confesses Angelica’s innocence before he dies.…
Mother Bombie
Lyly, John · 1591 · Comedy · Children of Paul's (first)
Menmiphio and Stellig each has a fool for his only child, — a son and a daughter respectively, but both have managed to conceal the fact from the neighbours. Each plans to marry his offspring to the other’s without disclosing the heir’s mental debility, and each tasks his servant to make the arrangements. Meanwhile, @amidiliis and [ivid are in love with one another, but their parents disapprove, wanting them to marry wealth instead: Candius is made to woo Stellio’s daughter Sil@mla, and Livia is intended for Memphio’s son Al@GiiS] The four fathers’ boy servants conspire to frustrate these various . marital plans, and go off to drink at the tavern. Candius meets Silena as she sneaks out to hear her fortune, and offers to read her palm. He is momentarily struck by her beauty, but quickly discovers that she is an idiot, a legitimate impediment to marriage. Mother Bomibié tells Silena’s fortune in cryptic terms: she is not the child of her parents. The fortune teller is also consulted by the siblings M@eStiiS and Sérénaj] who have developed an incestuous passion for one another; Mother Bombie tells them that they shall be married and each will displace a fool. The boys arrange for Candius and Livia to swap apparel with the two idiots, and they are married in disguise, with their own fathers as witnesses. Accius and Silena court one another in disguise, but their marriage prospects take a turn for the worse after each father identifies the other’s child as a fool. DE@Rilio is…
King John
Shakespeare, William · 1591 · History · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men
The Plantagenets have a dynastic dispute: J@lih is de facto King of England, but Alptiillir, the young son of his dead elder brother, has a better claim in primogeniture; France takes Arthur’s side. John is asked to adjudicate in another case of . disputed inheritance: Robert Falé@nbridge claims that his elder brother BHiliip is a bastard, begotten in his father’s absence by the dead King Richard. John rules for Philip’s legitimacy irrespective of parentage, since he was conceived in wedlock; but Philip decides to be a king’s son rather than a knight’s heir, cedes his brother the family lands, and joins John’s court. John meets the Kinglofibrance outside the town of Angers, which claims loyalty to the English crown but is holding out against both claimants until the issue is decided. England and France decide to defer their differences until they have subjugated Angers, but the citizens save themselves by suggesting an Anglo- French marriage between DOUISNEHEMDapHin and John’s niece BI@HEHE; France expediently transfers its support from Arthur to John. After the wedding, the papal legate Pandulph excommunicates John for his interference in ecclesiastical affairs, and declares his assassination legitimate. The French revert to support for Arthur, leaving Blanche with a conflict of interests. Arthur is captured in battle and taken back to England ===== PAGE 337 ===== 1596 in MWbert’s custody; John instructs Hubert to arrange the boy’s death. Anticipating this outcome, Pandulph…
Edward the First
Peele, George · 1591 · History · Unknown
Edwardilongshanks returns from the crusades to find that in his absence both his father and his son have 1591 died, and that he is now King of England. He makes provision to house his wounded veterans, and all the nobility contribute handsomely. His @W@8n asks him to defer the coronation to give her time to send to Spain for the latest fashions. MEW was planning to take advantage of Edward’s absence to secure his power in Wales. A Welshliprophet encourages him with the assertion that he will mount higher than all his kin. Now he intends reprisals against Edward for the detention of his betrothed wife, DA@VMEI@HGr, daughter of an English rebel. His brother DaWid, a spy in the English court, proposes getting himself captured by the Welsh in order to create a pretext for an exchange of prisoners. The plan goes awry when the Welsh soldiers agree to make peace with the English, on condition that Edward does not impose direct rule from England. Llewelyn and his entourage pose as Robin Hood, and waylay passers-by in the forest. M@riimiér, who loves Lady Eleanor, goes to Wales and joins in the masquerade by assuming the identity of the potter from the Robin Hood story; but this means he gets a thrashing. To comply with the Welsh demand for a Welsh-born prince, Edward summons the pregnant Queen to Wales, where she gives birth to a son: Edward, Prince of Wales. The loyal Welsh present the child with a frieze mantle, but the Queen takes offence at the homespun fabric. Edward promises…
Jack Straw
Anonymous · 1591 · History · Unknown
MHENKING is gathering taxes to finance war in France. After a EARN@OM@Gfr attempts an intimate physical examination of JaeRMStawSMdaughter to establish whether or HOMISHEMISNSIEMEnSughtoNbeMliazble forltaxatiomjastraw loses his temper and kills him. ParSOHMBAll speaks out against social abuses and inequality, inciting the men of Kent to rise in rebellion under Straw and MW&@HllTyi@F; they are joined by men of Essex, and send their demands to the King through Sir J@HBMIMG@EHGh, holding his family hostage. The King agrees to meet them at Greenwich, but breaks the appointment when he sees their disorderly conduct. The rebels advance on London, freeing prisoners, burning legal documents, despoiling their fellow countrymen, and murdering immigrants who cannot speak English properly. The King makes a second attempt to parley, meets the rebels at Smithfield, and hears their grievances. The issue of a general pardon induces the Essex men to go home, but the Kentish rebels remain in arms under Tyler and Straw. At the third encounter with the King, Straw demands a courtier’s sword, and the BOFaIMA¥ar of London stabs him. The rebellion is put down, but the King is reluctant to order mass executions; only the ringleaders, Tyler and Ball, are to die. The Lord Mayor is rewarded with a knighthood.
Edward the Second
Marlowe, Christopher · 1592 · History · Pembroke's Men
GavestGn, banished by KangpyBdwardl is recalled to England on the accession of BdWardllll. His presence exacerbates tension between the King and barons, but Edward gives him multiple offices of state. Together they assault the BiSHOplomi@oventry, whose title also goes to Gaveston. The nobles and church contrive the minion’s banishment, but QWeenilsabella, neglected by Edward, arranges his reprieve in the hope of winning favour. King and barons make their peace and Lord MOrtimier, leaving for war in Scotland, advises his nephew to tolerate Edward’s love for Gaveston. The King’s preoccupation with his minion leads him to neglect public affairs, jeopardizing the political and economic stability of the crown: the unpaid army mutinies, rebellion breaks out in Ireland, and English territory is invaded by both Scotland and France. Lord Mortimer is taken prisoner in Scotland, but Edward refuses to ransom him. The barons, now joined by Edward’s brother, the B@gi§6fK@nt, increase the pressure to banish Gaveston again, while Edward begins to suspect Isabella of adultery with the younger Mortimer. Gaveston is captured by the barons. Edward asks to see him one last time; P@mibrOke agrees to conduct Gaveston there and back, but the minion is captured and killed en route by WaRWIEK’s treachery. Isabella and the Prince go to parley with the French King over the invasion of Normandy. The barons demand the removal of the Sp@me@r family, whom Edward has advanced, and battle ensues. The King…
Doctor Faustus
Marlowe, Christopher; Anonymous (?) · 1592 · Tragedy · Unknown
DrFaustls is dissatisfied with the limited rewards and power offered by traditional academic disciplines, including logic, medicine, law, and divinity, and instead turns to magic. He conjures up a devil, Mephistopheles. Partly confident that this act has already damned him, and partly out of disbelief in Hell, Faustus proposes a bargain: 24 years of guaranteed life and pleasure, with Mephistopheles as his servant, in exchange for his soul. Mephistopheles secures Lucifer’s agreement, and Faustus writes out a deed of gift in his own blood; Mephistopheles distracts him from his doubts with a show of Ganeinglaevils. Faustus’ first request is for a wife, but Mephistopheles brings him a cross-dressed devil and persuades him to embrace promiscuity rather than marriage. He discourses with Mephistopheles about astronomy, but the devil refuses to answer his theological questions. When Faustus seems ready to repent, DWGifEH arrives and distracts him with a show of Hi@§S@VenuDeadly Sins. Faustus journeys into space in a chariot drawn by dragons, to study astronomy at close quarters. He next ===== PAGE 422 ===== travels to Rome, where Mephistopheles makes him invisible. At a papal banquet, he snatches the Pope’s food and boxes his ears; the clerics take him for a ghost and attempt an exorcism. RObin steals one of Faustus’ magic books and attempts to impose his will on Rafe. He conjures up Mephistopheles, who is not pleased to be summoned all the way from Constantinople, and turns Robin…
The Massacre at Paris
Marlowe, Christopher · 1593 · Tragedy · Derby's (Strange's) Men
The King of France marries his sister to the Protestant King of [NaVare. King @iailés has guaranteed the safety of the visiting Navarre party, but an apothecary suborned by the Duke of Gillie poisons the old Queen. Less successful is a plot to shoot the Aldmiral of France, another Protestant: he is only wounded in the arm. Though King Charles promises to find the would-be assassin and sets a guard on the Admiral, the guard captain betrays him and admits Guise’s men. The Admiral’s murder initiates a massacre of the Protestants in Paris, including the scholar RAMUS. HenrylofvAnjou, heir to the throne, participates but later denies his involvement. Anjou is elected King of Poland, but accepts only on condition that he may return to France to claim the French crown in the event of the King’s death. Charles does not support the massacre, but dies. The Queen Mother recalls Anjou from Poland, expecting him to be a more pliable king. Navarre, now the next in line to the throne, takes the opportunity to leave France. Obsessed with his minions, King Henry fulfils his mother’s expectations: power now rests with her and Guise. They use it to make war on Navarre, but Joyeuse, one of the King’s minions, is appointed general of the army, and he loses the battle. Navarre plans a Protestant alliance with England to liberate his country. Guise learns that his wife is having an affair with Maugiron, another minion. After the King mocks him as a cuckold, Guise has Maugiron murdered. King Henry…
Cleopatra
Daniel, Samuel · 1593 · Tragedy
Antony is dead, but Cleopatra still lives, holed up in her monument. She wants to join her lover in death, but is restrained by fear of how her children will be treated afterwards. Egypt has been conquered by Caesar, who visits the defeated Queen; she asks for mercy and hands over an inventory of her treasure, but her secretary Seleucus betrays her by notifying Caesar that she has kept some items back. Attempting to get her son Caesario out of Egypt, she entrusts him to his tutor Rhodon; but Rhodon is bribed by Caesar’s agents and hands the boy over to be killed by the Romans. Charmed by her beauty, Dolabella warns Cleopatra that Caesar intends to display her in his triumph, so she procures two asps and kills herself with them. ‘ —— ° ; 1593 B-Text In this version, more is told of the death of Antony before the start of the action: how Cleopatra sent him a false report of her death, which precipitated his attempted suicide, and how he was hoisted up into the monument to die. Cleopatra’s wish to kill herself is initially kept secret: she is first seen making arrangements to send Caesario to India, intending that he should one day return to supplant Caesar as the ruler of the Roman Empire.
Titus Andronicus
Shakespeare, William; Peele, George · 1594 · Tragedy · Pembroke's Men (?)
The brothers Saturninus and Bassianus are rival candidates for the Roman emperorship. ‘Titus ===== PAGE 181 ===== 1592 Andronicus is recalled from the war against the Goths, to be a further candidate. He returns in triumph with the Goth Queen Tamora a captive, but many of his sons dead. He allows his surviving sons to kill Tamora’s eldest son, Alarbus, as a sacrifice. Refusing the crown, he offers his support to Saturninus, who is duly elected; Titus hands over the prisoners to him and agrees to his request to marry Lavinia. Lavinia, however, is betrothed to Bassianus, and Titus’ family intervene on her behalf. Titus kills his son Mutius in reprisal; his brothers bury him despite their father’s opposition. Saturninus marries Tamora _ instead. Though she wants vengeance on Titus and Rome, she decides to bide her time until her husband is more politically secure. The Andronici and the royal family go hunting. Tamora has an assignation in the woods with Aaron, but is discovered by Bassianus and Lavinia. Tamora’s sons, Chiron and Demetrius, kill Bassianus and throw his body into a pit. Aaron frames Titus’ sons Martius and Quintus for the murder, using a forged letter and hidden gold. Chiron and Demetrius rape Lavinia, and silence her by cutting off her hands and tongue. She is found in the woods by her uncle, Marcus. - Titus watches his sons taken to execution; Lucius is banished for attempting to rescue them; Marcus brings mutilated Lavinia to her father. Aaron offers . Titus…
A Knack to Know an Honest Man
Anonymous · 1594 · Tragicomedy · Admiral's (Nottingham's) Men
Sempronio has attempted to commit adultery with Lelio’s wife, so Lelio fights and wounds him in a duel. The affray is witnessed by three shepherds, who pursue him as a murderer, leaving Sempronio dying. He is found by an old hermit, Philip, who attempts to heal his wounds. His uncle, Servio, appeals to the Duke of Venice for justice against Lelio - though, glad to inherit Sempronio’s estate, he is motivated more by malice than moral outrage. The Duke pronounces Lelio guilty of murder and sentences him to death in his absence; his estate is confiscated, but his wife and daughter are allowed to keep his house. The Duke m ===== PAGE 250 ===== further puts a price on his head and orders that nobody should succour him on pain of banishment. Lelio’s father-in-law Brishio helps him to escape from Venice, but Servio sees him being winched into the ship. Brishio is arrested and banished, and his sons, Zepherius and Orphinio, are left destitute. Philip revives Sempronio, whose near-death experience has made him chaste and ascetic. Philip disguises him as an old man, and he swears not to reveal his true identity until the hermit permits it. He assumes the alias Penitent Experience, and meets Fortunio and Marchetto, who are discussing their interest in Lelio’s family and estate: Fortunio wants the love of Lelio’s daughter, Lucida, but Marchetto is more interested in the money. Sempronio tells them that both gold and beauty are evanescent, and offers to show them how to recognize an…
Locrine, the Eldest Son of King Brutus
S., W. (?) · 1594 · Tragedy · Unknown
Brutus, the conqueror of Britain, is dying. He gives his eldest son Locrine the crown and betrothes him to Gwendoline, and assigns his other sons, Camber and Albanact, the south and north respectively. His funeral is swiftly followed by Locrine’s royal wedding. Strumbo is in love with Dorothy, and persuades her to marry him. However, he is impressed into Albanact’s army when the Scythians invade northern Britain, and Dorothy is killed when the Scythians burn his house with her inside. The Scythians win the battle, and Albanact takes his own life rather than submit. To avenge his death, Locrine, Camber, and the peers give battle and defeat the Scythians. Humber’s wife Estrild is captured by Locrine’s soldiers, and Locrine is attracted to her. Strumbo is caught having sex with Margery. Initially he refuses to marry her, but is forced to agree after she beats him up. He encounters the defeated and starving Humber, but the ghost of Albanact stops him from feeding the Scythian. Humber eventually drowns himself. Locrine is unable to put away Gwendoline and install Estrild as his queen because Gwendoline’s father, Corineus, proves inconveniently long-lived despite being wounded in the battle with the Scythians. Locrine hides her in an underground pleasure- chamber and visits her in secret; they have a child, Sabren. After Corineus finally dies, Gwendoline goes to Cornwall to arrange the funeral, and Locrine takes the opportunity to bring Estrild out of hiding. Gwendoline and her…
Two Lamentable Tragedies
Yarington, Robert · 1594 · Tragedy · Unknown
MOmicide is frustrated at finding the town so virtuous, but AWaige recommends two men as suitable agents of violence. [Filth overhears them and introduces the stories. In one plot, MRGM@SIMERY, who would like to be richer, notices how well off B&BGh is. He lures Beech to his inn and murders him there with a hammer. The other members of his household quickly discover what has happened; his man MWilli@fhs leaves his service rather than condone the crime, but nevertheless agrees to keep it a secret. Merry is concerned that BEGeh’sIBSy may know too much, and murders him too. Thinking there are thieves in Beech’s shop, a Maid gives the alarm, and the dying boy is found with the hammer still embedded in his head. Beech comes under suspicion. Merry wants to get the other body out of his inn before it starts to putrefy, and chops it up to facilitate disposal. The various parts of the body are found around London; the torso is in an identifiable sack, but when a house-to-house search is instigated, its vendor fails to recognize M@PySisister as the woman who bought it. Merry begins to feel secure, but the melancholy Williams finally reveals the secret after close questioning by a friend. Merry and his sister are arrested and hanged; Williams is allowed benefit of clergy. In the other plot, ——- —f% die, leaving him in the custody of his uncle, , who will inherit everything should the boy die. Fallerio plans murder, but when his son All@H8o will not co-operate, he hires two ruffans…
The Love of David and Fair Bathsheba
Peele, George · 1594 · Biblical History · Queen Elizabeth's Men (?)
PLOT King David sees Bathsheba bathing and falls in love, but she resists his advances. To check his desires, he recalls her husband, Uriah, from the war, where his army has just conquered a town. Uriah returns, refuses to see his wife, and becomes embarrassingly drunk at a royal feast. David sends him back to the war, with orders that he should be placed in the vanguard. Uriah is killed in battle, removing the obstacle to David's liaison with Bathsheba; but he is rebuked by the prophet Nathan and the child of their union falls sick and dies. David believes that this removes Bathsheba's shame, and enables him to legitimize their relationship and beget another child. Amnon falls in love with his half-sister Tamar and feigns sickness in order to be alone with her. He rapes her and then throws her out. She complains to her brother Absalom, who plots revenge. Despite David's injunction to leave justice to the crown, Absalom goes to Amnon's pastoral feast and has him murdered. Now that Israel is about to conquer the Ammonite enemy, Joab asks David to come to the war, so that the triumph will belong to him rather than to his general. The Israelites are celebrating their victory when David hears of Amnon's murder. He banishes Absalom. A widow tells him how she stands to lose both sons because one murdered the other; he pronounces in favour of the surviving son, then applies the case to his own circumstances and recalls Absalom — which is what Joab intended in sending the woman to…
Richard the Second
Shakespeare, William · 1595 · Tragedy; History · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men
HennyiBolingbroke and THOMasIMGWbiay accuse one another of treason. Bolingbroke claims that Mowbray has misappropriated money intended to pay the army, and is responsible for the murder of the Duke of Gleweester. Mowbray insists that the money he kept was in reimbursement of legitimate expenses, but has no very clear rebuttal to the murder charge. They challenge one another to fight, and KimglRi@hard is unable to persuade them out of it. On the appointed day, however, he intervenes to halt the trial by combat and banishes them both, Bolingbroke for a term of years and Mowbray forever; Bolingbroke’s sentence is ===== PAGE 288 ===== cut from ten years to six to please his father, JOHMIS Gaunt Richard is using unorthodox means to raise revenue, including leases and forced loans. He goes to visit Gaunt, who is mortally ill, hoping to find him dead so that he can seize the estate to pay for his Irish wars; but he arrives too soon and has to listen to some dying words of wisdom. He then sequesters Gaunt’s property, despite fRelDUKeIOMork's protest at the dispossession of the rightful heir, Bolingbroke. He goes to Ireland, leaving York to rule England in his absence. NOrhUmbeHand and other nobles, discontented with Richard’s fiscal practices, learn that Bolingbroke is returning to England with an army, and join him. York mobilizes troops to defend the kingdom, but Bolingbroke insists that he only comes to claim his inheritance. Richard returns from Ireland, intending to crush the…
Mustapha
Greville, Fulke · 1596 · Tragedy
Seeking to secure the succession for her son Zanger, Rosa persuades her husband Suleiman that his son Mustapha is plotting against him. Suleiman summons Mustapha to court. His pasha Achmat tries to persuade him of Mustapha’s innocence. Mustapha’s stepsister Camaena attempts to warn him that his life is in danger, but her message is not delivered: it comes instead to Rosa’s attention, and precipitates Camaena’s murder by her mother. Rosa tells Suleiman that her unwarned actions substantiate her tale of Mustapha’s conspiracy: Camaena was also implicated, so she had to die. Heli the priest advises Mustapha not to throw his life away by going to court, but he considers it a higher duty to obey a royal command. He presents himself before Suleiman, who has him strangled. Rosa realizes that the greatest influence on Suleiman is now Achmat, and makes arrangements to have him murdered. But all her plans come to nothing when a disgusted Zanger confronts her with her crimes and commits suicide. The murder also precipitates a popular rebellion against Suleiman, but Achmat refuses to act against him: whatever his guilt as a man, as a ruler he must still command his subjects’ loyalty.
1 Henry the Fourth
Shakespeare, William · 1597 · History · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men
Civil war has ended in England, and King H@nryiliV intends to take an English army on a crusade to liberate the Holy Land. The enterprise is delayed by continuing military instability on England’s borders. Lord MOGrfimer has been defeated in battle by Owen Glemd@Wer and taken a prisoner to Wales. In the north, H@#Splr has had better success against the Scots, but refuses to hand over his prisoners until King Henry ransoms Mortimer. But Mortimer has thrown in his lot with Glendower, so Henry refuses. TH@IPEFGy family suspects an ulterior motive: Mortimer was proclaimed heir to the throne during the previous reign, so the King has good reason to want him off the scene. Led by tH@IBAPINSPIWSreeSter, the Percies plan to put together an alliance to rise in rebellion against the King; to that end, Hotspur releases his Scottish prisoners without ransom. THEMPHNCeMSMWales spends his time idly with . BaIStaif and Poyntz, secretly intending to use his bad reputation as a foil to a subsequent reformation. They plan and execute a highway robbery, but the Prince and Poyntz disguise themselves and rob Falstaff in turn. In the tavern afterwards, Falstaffs account of these events grows progressively more inflated and extravagant; but, when confronted with the truth, he claims he knew it was the Prince all the time. News of the Percies’ plans reaches the King, and Prince Henry is summoned to court. Falstaff helps the Prince with a rehearsal: at first he plays the King, but his performance is…
The Death of Robert, Earl of Huntingdon (2 Robin Hood)
Munday, Anthony; Chettle, Henry · 1598 · Tragedy · Admiral's (Nottingham's) Men
SimDoncaster. whose life was saved by RGbimjHGad, is ungrateful: jealous of Robin’s popularity, he tries to regroup his enemies, and wins over {H@§PHOr who agrees to poison Robin. Hearing of the Prior’s wondrous elixir, Robin invites EHEIKGG to taste it at a feast, but drinks it first himself; it proves to be poison. He accuses Doncaster and the Prior of treason — it also emerges that Doncaster is a rapist as well as a murderer ~— and they are sentenced to death. The King assigns the Prior’s lands, which were once Robin’s, to Mariani and, on his deathbed, Robin makes PHHE@JGlHin swear to treat Marian honourably and not to love her beyond the bounds of chastity. Marian reverts to her original name of Matilda. The King dies and is succeeded by John, who resists the temptation to invade Austria, disposes of Alpthur, the rival claimant to his throne, and marries [Sabél, who was already betrothed to another man. Obsessed with Matilda, however, he soon divorces Isabel, and unsuccessfully attempts to woo Matilda in a masque. Matilda’s allies, Bady§Briiée and her younger sGfi, are taken hostage and imprisoned. Seeking to remove her rival, Isabel confronts and assaults Matilda, but she is rescued by §HeiBrices. Though Matilda graciously attempts to exculpate her, Isabel’s behaviour causes her relationship with King John to deteriorate further. Seeking revenge on the entire Bruce family, John has Lady Bruce and her son starved to death. B@BEH is sent to apprehend Matilda, but she…
Englishmen for My Money, or A Woman Will Have Her Will
Haughton, William · 1598 · Comedy · Admiral's (Nottingham's) Men
The usurer Pisaro intends to marry his daughters to three foreigners, while also using them to acquire wealth from their English suitors. Anthony, their tutor, is sacked for acting as a go-between for the Englishmen, but he disguises himself and is hired in as his own replacement. The daughters encourage their suitors to borrow more money from Pisaro, in the expectation that the debt will be cancelled when they marry. Pisaro, distracted by rumours that his ships have been ambushed in the Mediterranean by Spanish pirates, mistakenly invites the English suitors to dinner. They take up the invitation, meet their foreign rivals, and arrange a nocturnal assignation with the sisters. Learning of this, Pisaro plans to substitute the foreigners, but Anthony forewarns the sisters, so that the Englishmen are able to misdirect the foreigners in the darkness. One of them is actually the clown Frisco, who has taken the Dutchman’s place, and who now leads the two foreigners even further astray. The Dutchman himself finds his way to Pisaro’s house, and the sisters trap him in a basket. The lovers arrive, ready to marry and then sleep with the sisters, but Pisaro intervenes. It seems that the daughters are to be married against their will in the morning, but Anthony devises three schemes: Walgrave impersonates a woman and spends the night with Mathea; Laurentia impersonates Anthony and escapes from the house to- marry Heigham; and Harvey pretends to be mortally ill, forcing Pisaro to let…
Julius Caesar
Shakespeare, William · 1599 · Tragedy · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men
Caesar returns to Rome triumphant over Pompey. He is warned to beware the Ides of March, and later offered the crown, which he refuses. Meanwhile Cassius sounds out Brutus’ attitude to Caesar’s ambition, and determines to screw him up to conspiracy. Supernatural portents disturb the night before the Ides of March. Brutus convinces himself that Caesar must be assassinated to prevent him establishing himself as a monarch. The conspirators meet at his house, and Brutus insists on limiting the scope of the plot. Cicero is not to be taken into their confidence, Mark Antony is to be spared, and only Caesar murdered. After the conspirators have left, Portia forces Brutus to take her into his confidence. The portents and Calpurnia’s anxiety persuade Caesar to stay at home, but Decius convinces him to go to the Senate as arranged. Artemidorus tries to give him a letter warning against the conspirators, but he refuses to read it. He is stabbed to death, and confusion ensues. Against Cassius’ wishes, Brutus agrees that Antony may speak at Caesar’s funeral. Brutus’ speech justifying the assassination temporarily convinces the mob, but Antony’s rhetoric, and a bequest in Caesar’s will, turns them against the conspirators. Brutus and Cassius flee Rome. In the riots that follow, the conspirators’ houses are burned and Cinna the poet killed, mistaken for the conspirator of the same name. Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus seize power, draw up a death list, and make preparations for war with…
Henry the Fifth
Shakespeare, William · 1599 · History · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men
Faced with the prospect of parliamentary legislation to sequester church lands, the Bishop of Canterbury encourages King Henry V to consider his claim to the French throne: he demonstrates that the Salic law debarring succession through the female line does not apply to France, and promises the church's financial support for a war. The Dauphin hears of Henry's ambitions and sends him a mocking gift of tennis balls; annoyed by the suggestion tl1at he should go away and play, Henry gathers his troops. The French bribe three noblemen to assassinate him before he leaves England, but he discovers the plot and has the traitors put to death. The French prepare for battle, but the Dauphin scornfully underestimates Henry. Exeter, sent as ambassador to the French King, demands surrender and delivers to the Dauphin Henry's personal contempt. The French offer a few dukedoms and a marriage alliance if Henry will withdraw. He considers this inadequate, and attacks Harfleur. The Dauphin and his troops fail to arrive in time to relieve the town, so its Governor surrenders to Henry. Exeter is left in command while Henry takes his disease-ridden troops back to winter in Calais, but the French force a battle en route at Agincourt. The night before, the French anticipate victory over the bedraggled English. Henry tours his army and listens to their worries about the battle. He quarrels with one of his soldiers, Williams, and they agree to settle their differences after their battle: they will…
1 Edward the Fourth
Heywood, Thomas (?) · 1599 · History · Derby's (Strange's) Men
Although he has made diplomatic arrangements to marry a French princess, King Edward impulsively takes an English bride instead, much to his mother's disapproval. The bastard Falconbridge leads a rebellion to reinstate the deposed King Henry VI. The London authorities prepare the city's defences: Falconbridge is unable to penetrate the gates, the city apprentices make a significant contribution to the battle, and the rebels are beaten back to Mile End. When they regroup, the Londoners rout them again, and Matthew Shore defeats a rearguard attempt to take the city while the militia are at Mile End. The King rewards the civic officials with knighthoods, but Shore modestly declines. Falconbridge flees with a price on his head, and he and his associate Spicing plan to betray one another and claim the reward. A miller captures Spicing, but Falconbridge escapes. Spicing is hanged by his former comrade in arms, Chub. While out hunting, members of the court encounter Hobs the tanner. King Edward, pretending to be his own butler, tries to induce Hobs to say something uncomplimentary or treasonous about him, but fails. He accepts the tanner's invitation to supper, where he takes a fancy to Hobs's daughter Nell. Meanwhile, things are going King Edward's way: his brother Gloucester sends word that King Henry VI is dead, and Falconbridge is captured and executed. Back in London, he dines with the Lord Mayor, where he meets Jane Shore. He is attracted to her and grapples with his…
Look About You
Anonymous · 1599 · Comedy · Admiral's (Nottingham's) Men
Before the start of the action, Queen Eleanor had her rival, Rosamund, poisoned by Skink, and was imprisoned for it; Skink escaped and has taken the identity of a fortune-telling hermit. Her son Henry and his brothers attempted a coup, and there are now two kings in England, father and son. At a parliament, the younger King Henry offers to split the kingdom with the elder, but alienates his supporters by his readiness to seize their lands. Skink, summoned to the parliament by Prince Richard, is rewarded with Gloucester’s lands, and Gloucester imprisoned when he protests and strikes Skink. Richard, who has an interest in Gloucester’s sister, Lady Falconbridge, promises to free him. Eavesdropping on a meeting between them, Sir Richard Falconbridge sees his wife reject the Prince’s advances. Pursued by the watch, Skink evades arrest by swapping clothes with Redcap, but is taken to the Fleet prison for identification by Redcap’s father, the porter. Gloucester swaps clothes with him in turn and escapes, and finally Skink too gets away by purloining Prince John’s clothes. Lady Falconbridge disguises Gloucester as her husband, fooling the watch sent to search for him. The substitutions cause misunderstandings when Skink (as John) is given a chain by Falconbridge and Gloucester (as Falconbridge) is given John’s sword; in each case the real man denies what his doppelganger has done. The porter of the Fleet is to be hanged for Gloucester’s escape, but the old King is persuaded to…
1 Sir John Oldcastle
Munday, Anthony; Drayton, Michael; Wilson, Robert; Hathaway, Richard · 1599 · History · Admiral's (Nottingham's) Men
Despite a royal prohibition on disorder during the preparations for the invasion of France, Lords Herbert and Po·wys fall out over their religious differences, and brawl with their followers in the streets of Hereford;Herbert is wounded, and Powys flees, with orders given for his arrest. The Bishop of Rochester does his best to associate dissent and conspiracy with Sir John Oldcastle, but the King is not convinced. Powys takes refuge in Oldcastle's house, just before two orders arrive: one to attend at court, the other to answer charges before Rochester's ecclesiastical court; Oldcastle's servant Harpoole forces Rochester's summoner to eat his own summons, wax and all. The King advises Oldcastle to keep his religious views private: he can believe what he likes so long as he does not antagonize the bishops or encourage Protestant rebellion. In turn. Oldcastle intercedes for Powys, and the King signs his pardon. Rebellion is brewing in England. On the basis of a superior dynastic claim, the Earl of Cambridge intends to seize the throne with French support. Oldcastle is invited to join the plot, but he procures an incriminating document and takes it to court. Meanwhile, Protestant rebels muster their forces in London. The King plans to spy on them in disguise, but is robbed by the renegade priest Sir John; the priest gets him to promise to secure the King's pardon for robbery, and gives him half a coin as a token by which they can know one another again. On the night before the…
As You Like It
Shakespeare, William · 1599 · Comedy · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men
Before the start of the play, Duke Senior was usurped and banished by his younger brother Frederick. Some loyal lords have gone into voluntary exile with him in the Forest of Arden, but his daughter, Rosalind, has remained at court with her beloved cousin, Celia. Upon inheriting his father’s estate, Oliver has neglected his responsibility to educate his younger brother Orlando, keeping him instead in rustic poverty. Orlando remonstrates with Oliver about it without success, then asks for his small inheritance, determined to make his own way in the world. He intends to compete against Charles the wrestler, who has challenged all comers at a forthcoming court show. Charles consults Oliver, concerned that he may injure the young man, but Oliver persuades him that Orlando is a bad lot and that the world would benefit if Charles were to kill him in the match. In the event, Orlando is victorious, but Duke Frederick’s pleasure in his success disappears on learning that he is the son of Sir Rowland, a personal enemy. Rosalind falls in love with Orlando, but he is too tongue-tied to speak to her. Frederick banishes Rosalind. She and Celia flee to the forest in disguise, taking the court fool Touchstone with them; for security, Rosalind poses as a youth, Ganymede, and buys a cottage on arrival. Frederick hears rumours that Orlando may have absconded with them. Meanwhile, Oliver attempts to murder Orlando by burning down his lodging, so the young man escapes to the forest with the old…
A Larum for London, or The Siege of Antwerp
Anonymous · 1599 · History · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men
Sancho D'Avila needs money to pay his troops. and plans to raise it by sacking Antwerp. He conspires with the captain of the city's garrison, Cornelius van End, and summons Spanish forces from across the Netherlands. Claiming to be retaliating over Antwerp's support for the Prince of Orange, he makes an artillery attack on the State House while the rulers are dining there; three people are killed. The Spanish commander, Alva, fakes his own death in order to give a pretext for further reprisals against the city. The rulers of Antwerp, including a fat burgher, do not take the threat seriously. considering defence expenditure to be a waste of money; but they are finally persuaded to accept help from the Marquis d'Havre and Count Egmont, so long as they don't have to pay for it. Van End leaks the information to D'Avila. The Spaniards attack and the garrison under van End defects to their side. The rulers of Antwerp struggle to organize their troops. Havre and Governor Champagny are killed, but Egmont Is saved by Alva and sent to Spain as a prisoner. Antwerp falls swiftly; thousands of citizens are killed, and the victorious Spaniards execute a further 10,000 survivors in reprisal for 300 Spanish deaths. They also renege on a diplomatic agreement between England and Spain protecting English lives and property in the Low Countries: Alva demands an impossible sum by way of ransom, and rejects what they can offer as too little.Another Englishman pays his own ransom, but is hanged by…
Every Man Out of His Humor
Jonson, Ben · 1599 · Comedy · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men
Cordatus and Mitis are brought by Asper to watch a satirical play, in which he is to be an actor, playing malicious Macilente. They keep up a running commentary between, and sometimes during, the scenes. Each character in the play has a ‘humour’ or obsession to be purged. Sogliardo wants to be a gentleman: he takes instruction from Carlo Buffone and purchases himself a coat of arms; he is eventually used to humiliate the conceited court lady Saviolina by showing that she cannot tell true gentility from false. The farmer Sordido is hoarding grain, and resists a court order to sell it because he is gambling on the price going up after a bad harvest; when this does not happen, he tries to hang himself, and repents on hearing the comments of the rustics who cut him down. Puntarvolo plays chivalric wooing games of mock- adultery with his wife, and plans to travel to Constantinople with his wife and dog, venturing money on their safe return; but he loses the inclination when Macilente poisons the dog. Fungoso tries to imitate the courtier Brisk’s fashionable suit, but is continually frustrated because Brisk keeps changing his clothes. The uxorious Deliro seeks advice on how best to please his contrary wife, Fungoso’s sister. Shift, wanting to be known for a machismo he doesn’t really have, represents himself as a robber, but the threat of hanging forces him to admit the truth. Carlo Buffone has a humour of talking: at a tavern, he performs a comic dialogue between two cups,…
Old Fortunatus
Dekker, Thomas · 1599 · Romance · Admiral's (Nottingham's) Men · before the Court;
Fortunatus gets lost in a wood and falls asleep. He is found by Fortune, attended by fallen kings who complain of her capricious control of their destiny. To spite them, she decides to advance Fortunatus’ fortunes, and offers him a choice of six gifts: wisdom, strength, health, beauty, longevity, or riches. He chooses wealth, and she gives him a purse which will always contain ten gold pieces, of legal tender wherever he may be. Fortunatus travels the world, visiting potentates, and bestows bottomless purses on every host. The Sultan of Babylon boats of his collection of treasures, and shows him the finest: an old hat which will transport its wearer anywhere in an instant. By a ruse, the Sultan puts it on Fortunatus’ head, and he wishes himself back home to Cyprus, thereby acquiring possession of the hat. Fortune decides that he has abused her gifts and reminds him that he did not choose long life or wisdom. He will die at the height of his fortunes with his sins black upon his soul, and will have no opportunity to repent. He dies there and then, leaving the purse and hat to his sons. The virtuous Ampedo takes the hat, while his imprudent younger brother Andelocia has the purse. Andelocia goes to England, where the Prince of Cyprus is wooing the King’s daughter, Agrippine; she is also loved by the melancholy French prisoner Orleans. On arrival, Andelocia is bountiful with largesse, which leaves King Athelstan itching to take him down a peg or two, and eager to learn the…
Jack Drum's Entertainment (Katherine and Pasquil)
Marston, John · 1600 · Comedy · Children of Paul's (second)
The liberal Sir Edward Fortune has two daughters, Katherine and Camelia, and numerous would-be sons- in-law; he is concerned that the girls should marry their own choice of husband. Katherine is pursued by the usurer Mammon, who criticizes Sir Edward for excessive generosity, and by Master Puff, but she © prefers Pasquil. Camelia loves Ned Brabant, but others, including the foolish John Ellis and the lustful ~ - Frenchman Monsieur John fo’ de King are interested in her. Witnessing an early-morning encounter between Pasquil and Katherine, Mammon engages _ ===== PAGE 217 ===== 1600 Monsieur John to murder Pasquil, but Pasquil pays him more to report the deed done without actually committing it. On hearing the rumours that Pasquil is dead, Katherine disappears. Camelia’s waiting-woman Winifred has been bribed to promote John Ellis’s suit, and Camelia duly transfers her affections to Ellis, jilting Ned Brabant. Outraged, Brabant’s friend Planet bribes Winifred to change her recommendation. Camelia changes her mind just as Ellis and her father are about to agree a marriage contract, and wants Planet instead. She sends a love- gift to Planet, but he rejects her, thereby avenging her treatment of Brabant. But Brabant does not know what Planet is up to, and becomes murderously jealous when he sees the offer of Camelia’s favour. He sends his page to shoot Planet, then takes Planet’s hat and coat in order to pose as him for an assignation with Camelia. Wer behaviour makes Planet’s…
Thomas Lord Cromwell
S., W. · 1600 · History · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men
So devoted is young Thomas Cromwell to his studies thathe tries to stop his father's workmen from making a noise. Old Cromwell is concerned at his ambitious son's lavishness with money: he seems not to understand the economic realities of life. He is making a living by working as a copyist, but accepts a job as a secretary in Antwerp. Banister owes Friskiball £1,ooo. Bagot has him arrested in Friskiball's name, and hardens the creditor's heart by telling him that Banister has enough money to pay his debts, if he were willing to do so. Frisk.iball relents after Mistress Banister pleads for her husband, and defers the debt until the couple have become prosperous; but the vindictive Bagot buys Banister's debts in order to oppress him. Banister flees to Antwerp, but Bagot pursues and arrests him. Cromwell agref!S to help the Banisters, and speaks to Bagot; but fails to move pity in him. Bagot negotiates with the Governor of Antwerp over some jewels, w:hich turn out to be stolen. Bagot is arrested and sent back to England; Banister is released, and awarded his confi.s.cated property. Cromwell goes to Florence with his servant Hodge, but they are robbed of their clothes. Following Italian custom, they set up bills describing their misfortune, and the anglophile Friskiball gives them money. They travel on to Bologna to relieve the Earl of Bedford, who is trapped in a house surrounded by French troops. Cromwell rescues the Earl posing as a Neapolitan hired by the French to abduct…
Blurt, Master Constable, or The Spaniard's Night Walk
Anonymous · 1601 · Romance · Children of Paul's (second)
Camillo and Hippolito return home to Venice after a war with France. Camillo brings the French lord Fontinelle as a prisoner, and presents him to his love Violetta. She falls for the Frenchman, so Camillo sends him to prison. Hippolito takes charge of the situation. He makes the courtesan Imperia dote on Fontinelle by sending her his picture; but Fontinelle refuses to accept her love and is taken back to his dungeon. Meanwhile Camillo’s attempts to woo Violetta back are met with rejection. Fontinelle escapes by changing clothes with Frisco, and, using Violetta’s page as a go-between, makes an assignation at a chapel, where they are secretly married. Afterwards, though, he takes up with Imperia. Camillo swears revenge on all three and leads a party of armed men to kill them and hang out their dead bodies. Violetta also goes to find her husband at Imperia’s, and is invited to join him in bed. Camillo’s men, the watch, and the Duke all arrive simultaneously at the brothel. The Duke prevents murder being done, but has Fontinelle arrested for adultery, which is a capital crime in Venice. Violetta denies that infidelity has occurred: it was all a plot laid by her and Fontinelle. In the sub-plot, Lazarillo also arrives in Venice from the wars and gets lodgings with Blurt the constable. He goes to Imperia’s house to lecture the ladies on Spanish marital conduct, and makes a nocturnal assignation with Imperia. Simperina makes another assignation with old Curvetto, but when he tries…
Poetaster, or The Arraignment
Jonson, Ben · 1601 · Comedy · Children of the Chapel (second) · Blackfriars;Indoor Professional
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…
Antonio's Revenge (2 Antonio and Mellida)
1602 · Tragedy · Children of Paul's (second)
The war between Venice and Genoa is over, and peace is to be sealed with a marriage between Antonio and Mellida, the children of the two dukes; Antonio's mother Maria is on her way to Venice to attend the wedding. But Duke Piero's commitment to peace is not sincere: he secretly murders Felice and Duke Andrugio, and hides Felice's body in Mellida's bedroom. When Antonio comes to wake her on the wedding morning, he finds the body hanging in the window, and Piero claims that he killed Felice in rage upon finding him and Mellida fornicating; Mellida herself is imprisoned. Andrugio in tum is reported to have died of joy. Piero's plan is to kill Antonio, marry Mellida to the heir to the duchy of Florence, and marry Maria himself, thereby extending his dominion across three Italian states. To this end, he plans to frame Antonio and establish Mellida's innocence. Antonio visits Andrugio's tomb and sees his ghost, who calls on him to avenge his death, assures him of Mellida's chastity, and warns him that Maria is going to marry Piero. Antonio murders Piero's son. The day before Maria's intended wedding, the ghost appears to her in her bedroom and reproaches her for disloyalty in widowhood. He further tells her that he was poisoned by Piero, and insists that Antonio should flee the court in order to seek revenge. Instead, Antonio stays at court disguised as a fool, and has it put about that he is dead. Mellida is put on trial, and Strozzo makes a false confession vindicating her and…
Wily Beguiled
Anonymous (?) · 1602 · Comedy · Unknown
Grip the usurer wants to marry his daughter Lelia to the foolish son of his neighbour, Ploddall, in order to gain control of Ploddall’s extensive land-holdings. For her part, Lelia loves the scholar Sophos, but Grip doesn’t think him rich enough and warns the young man off. The fathers agree and Churms the lawyer is engaged to draw up the marriage contract. Churms persuades Grip to let him visit her to intercede for Peter Ploddall, and also agrees to act as an intermediary woeer for Sophos; but all the while his objective is to win Lelia for himself. Meanwhile he engages Robin Goodfellow to provide Peter with a fake love-philtre for Lelia, and to frame Sophos for rape so that Lelia will fall out of love with him. Robin in turn plans to cozen Churms of Lelia and Grip of his money; but his plotting is overheard by Grip’s son, Fortunatus, who has just returned from the wars. Fortunatus finds the despairing Sophos sleeping in the woods, and listens to his woes. It becomes clear that Churms is double-crossing Sophos, so Fortunatus lays a plot. At her brother's behest, Lelia arranges to abscond with Churms, who capitalizes Grip’s debts at less than their true value in order to finance the elopement. While Fortunatus and Sophos are waiting ===== PAGE 368 ===== to.intercept Churms, Robin tries to frighten Sophos by dressing up as the devil, but Fortunatus beats him and forces him to admit his misdeeds. When the eloping ‘couple’ arrive, Fortunatus intervenes and asks Lelia to choose…
The Royal King and the Loyal Subject
Heywood, Thomas · 1602 · Romance · Unknown
The King of England returns home from a crusade, where his life was saved in battle by the Marshal. He rewards the Marshal with eminence, which makes the other lords jealous. At a hunt, the King’s horse loses a shoe; the Marshal gives him the shoes off his own horse. He also magnanimously allows the Prince to beat him in a tournament. The envious lords try to persuade the King that the Marshal’s humility is a cloak for pride and ambition, and that he wishes to be greater than the King himself in his magnanimity. The King resolves to test the Marshal, and treats him badly at a public feast: he is dismissed from office and his job is handed over to his greatest enemy, Chester; then he is told to leave the court altogether. He retires to the country, but the King orders him to send his favourite daughter to court for some sexual purpose. The Marshal sends his elder daughter, Isabella, subject to the condition that the King should return her if he dislikes her; and gives her instructions that she should conceal any pregnancy and constantly tell the King that her sister is better looking. The King makes Isabella his Queen, and, unbidden, the Marshal sends a generous dowry. She becomes pregnant, but does as her father instructs; she also tells her husband of her sister Katherine’s superior beauty. Affronted, the King sends her home along with the dowry and orders the Marshal to send Katherine. The Marshal claims that Katherine is ill and unable to travel, but promises to send her…
Sejanus His Fall
Jonson, Ben · 1603 · Tragedy · King's Men
While disaffected Romans whisper, the favourite Séjamus dominates the court with his spies and corruptly sells offices; it is rumoured that he seeks imperial status for himself. He has an affair with Livia and arranges the death by poison of her husband Drasiis} He and the Emperor MibETUS plot to destabilize the opposition, effectively led by Agtippinal To that end, they have Silii§ and @6rdus tried for treason before the Senate; Silius pre-empts the verdict by publicly committing suicide. Sejanus persuades Tiberius to retire from: Rome, but makes him suspicious by seeking to marry Livia (and so become part of the imperial family). Leaving Sejanus as his deputy in Rome, Tiberius also assigns Maer to watch and act against him. Sejanus returns to favour when he saves the Emperor’s life after a rockfall. The legalized harassment of dissent is stepped up: Agrippina’s son @aligala escapes from Rome with Macro, but his mother and brothers are arrested and condemned. Rumours of Tiberius’ debaucheries circulate in Rome, while his treatment of Sejanus seems increasingly ambiguous: the favourites’ allies and enemies seem both to be given high office. Portents like the appearance of a Biantisiake inside Sejanus’ statue prefigure his fall. He professes atheism, accepting only the power of Fertile, but at a religious ceremony the statue of Fortune turns her face from him. The Senate is summoned to hear a communication from the Emperor, and rumours circulate that Sejanus is to be invested…
The Malcontent
1604 · Tragicomedy · Children of the Queen's Revels
AltSffont, Duke of Genoa, has been deposed in a coup backed by the Great DukelofiFlorence, and replaced by Pi2tf5) the husband of Florence’s daughter Alurelial Though banished, Altofront has remained in Genoa disguised as the court malcontent Malevolg) his identity known only to his ally @@lS. He tells Pietro that (Mendez, who brokered his marriage to Aurelia, is cuckolding him. So he is, but Femniezé replaces him in Aurelia’s affections when he claims that Mendoza 1603 prefers another woman. Pietro confronts Mendoza, who names Ferneze as the true adulterer, and they lay a plot to surprise the couple in bed: Ferneze flees by a back entrance, but Mendoza lies in wait and attacks him as he leaves, then, when Aurelia comes out, pretends that he was protecting Ferneze. Pietro believes that his objective is to gain Aurelia’s confidence so that he can position himself to spy on her, and rewards his supposed fidelity by adopting him as his successor; but Mendoza’s real motive is to avenge himself on Pietro for suspecting him, on Aurelia for rejecting him, and on Ferneze for supplanting him. Ferneze is left for dead, but Malevole finds him still alive and takes him to safety. Bili6SG is sent as an ambassador to inform Florence of his daughter’s misbehaviour. Aurelia conspires with Mendoza to assassinate Pietro; she will then install him as Duke, with Florentine support. Mendoza engages Malevole, recently banished from court, to murder Pietro during a hunt, and explains his future…
When You See Me You Know Me (Henry the Eighth)
Rowley, Samuel · 1604 · History · Prince Henry's Men
Cardinalgwoisey uses his power over English foreign policy to buy international support for his candidacy for the papacy. To win over the King of France, he abets the ambassadors sent to negotiate a marriage with King Henry’s sister, BAGyaMary. QHEEHIANE dies giving birth to Prince Edward; Wolsey hopes that the King will not now marry a Protestant. Harried by Irish rebellion and international Protestant opposition to his activities, the King has a four-day bout of bad temper until Wall§SOmers jests him back to good humour. He then learns that the Pope has awarded him the title Defender of the Faith; in return, Henry agrees to contribute military assistance to repulse the Turkish invasion of Rhodes. Having heard of lax policing in London, King Henry decides to see for himself, and pays the city a nocturnal visit in disguise. He catches the watch asleep on duty, and witnesses their failure to arrest a night-walking criminal, BI@ERIWG. He and Black Will fight, and are arrested; Henry sends word to the Duke of Suffolk that he is in prison. He is there, observing abuses and amusing himself with his fellow-prisoners, when Suffolk arrives to release him. Black Will is given money to keep him in jail until the King needs him for a soldier. Later the King investigates the abuses and dismisses a servant, RGOKSBY. Protestantism grows in popularity in England, a process furthered by the King’s marriage to Kathenine Parr she has anti-Catholic views on such issues as ===== PAGE 146 =====…
1 If You Know Not Me You Know Nobody, or The Troubles of Queen Elizabeth
Heywood, Thomas · 1604 · History · Queen Anne's Men
Wyatt's rebellion in support of QW@eenjane has been put down. QweenyiMary is enthroned, and rejects a Protestant petition for liberty of conscience; she then secures her power by imprisoning potential enemies and marrying PHilipyofiSpain. Her sister, BliZaBEthy is brought to Westminster under guard, examined about her complicity in the rebellion, and sent to the Tower. Philip rules England well, despite tension between Englishmen and Spaniards. Noblemen and commoners alike regret Elizabeth’s harsh treatment and the strictness of her imprisonment, and intervention by SUSSEX and Philip secures first better conditions, then a transfer to SimJHenry Bedingheld’s custody; he is horrified by her use of an English Bible. A murder attempt by two friars is prevented by the intervention of angels, and an attempt to trick Philip into sealing her death warrant is foiled when Gresham overhears the plot. Philip discharges Bedingfield and has Elizabeth brought to court. The royal sisters are reconciled, and, leaving England on his father’s business, Philip vows to return. The Catholic establishment continues to plot against the princess, and Queen Mary continues to promote Elizabeth's enemies. She dies, and prominent men rush to inform Elizabeth that she is now Queen, while the common people celebrate their liberation. Elizabeth reappoints all the old Queen’s officers, and declares her wish to reconcile the state. IHEIMayorsf WondGH gives her an English Bible.
Caesar and Pompey (The Wars of Caesar and Pompey)
Chapman, George · 1605 · Tragedy · Unacted (?)
The armies of Caesar and Pompey are both dangerously close to Italy: Pompey’s has been summoned by the Senate, fearful of Caesar’s ambition, and this provoked Caesar to bring up his own forces. The Senate meets to discuss the issue. Caesar’s agents unsuccessfully try to keep out his incorruptible enemy, Cato. Caesar arranges for a motion to be put to allow Pompey’s army to enter Italy, as a pretext to allow his to do the same; but this meets with the opposition of Cato. A quarrel erupts between Caesar and Pompey, and the Senate orders Caesar to disband his army, whilst requiring Pompey to mobilize in defence of the state. Civil war ensues. Fearing that the war will put a stop to his long criminal career, Fronto tries to hang himself. The devil Ophioneus prevents him and offers him a senior position in the priesthood in return for his service. Fronto declines ecclesiastical preferment, but is content to accept a more secular office. Pompey flees Rome to avoid an early battle. His ally Vibius is taken prisoner after a daring exploit goes wrong; Caesar salutes his bravery and sends him back to Pompey with an offer of peace. Pompey’s troops are gathering: Brutus joins him, despite bearing him a grudge, and so do the kings of five of Rome’s satellite states. Meanwhile the convergence of Caesar’s forces is hindered by Pompey’s navy, until it is dispersed by a tempest. Vibius brings Caesar’s offer of peace, but Brutus persuades Pompey that it must be a trap. Pompey prepares for his…
The Queen's Arcadia (Arcadia Reformed)
Daniel, Samuel · 1605 · Pastoral · before the Court;at University;
Arcadia is no longer the place of pastoral simplicity it once was: old shepherds have grown litigious, young ones are falling in love unwisely and unrequitedly, and the nymphs, who seem less beautiful than before, have abandoned the modest simplicity of traditional Arcadian dress in favour of quirky new fashions. The problems arise from foreign influences on this previously sequestered land. Colax has travelled abroad, and brought back with him the city woman Techne, and they are selfishly interfering in the love- lives of the nymphs and shepherds: they have made Silvia and Palaemon jealous of one another with mendacious tales of infidelity; and Colax has persuaded Dorinda to jilt Myrtillus in his favour, making her the latest in a string of sexual conquests. Meanwhile Lincus, a lawyer, and Doctor Alcon have both come from town to set up practices in Arcadia. Lincus has found the local amity bad for business: the Arcadians do not covet one another’s property and so never go to law. For Alcon, however, the Arcadians’ fellow-feeling is profitable, because when one falls ill, others follow suit, and they all want the same medicine from him — which is just as well, because he has only one to offer, and that is a placebo. Both are keen to drum up trade, so Lincus has set Montanus and Acrisius against one another, and Alcon has introduced the Arcadians to an unhealthy habit: tobacco-smoking. Carinus (who has recently jilted Amaryllis) and Amyntas are rivals for the love of Cloris,…
Nobody and Somebody
Anonymous · 1605 · History; Satire · Queen Anne's Men
The British nobles are discontented at the way Archigallo, recently succeeded to the throne, has grown vicious and lascivious. This is demonstrated in the way he decides a series of disputes among his subjects. Morgan and Malgo both claim the ownership of an island; Archigallo takes it for himself and appoints Lord Sycophant as its governor. The clown has stolen and married Rafe’s fiancée; Archigallo adjudicates in the clown’s favour, but then promises the woman advancement if she will stay at court. ===== PAGE 191 ===== 1605 Finally, a petition is presented against Nobody for his excessive charity; at Sycophant’s suggestion, Somebody is appointed to bankrupt Nobody. The nobles plot rebellion, but are overheard by the unworthy princes Vigenius and Peridure. Realizing they have been caught, the nobles continue the conversation by suggesting that the princes will become joint rulers after Archigallo is deposed. The princes decide not to expose the treachery after all, but as they discuss how they will divide the kingdom, they are themselves overheard by Archigallo and sent to prison. The Council deposes Archigallo. Elidure is reluctant to take the crown, but his wife, eager to lord it over the Queen, forces him to do so. He releases Vigenius and Peridure. Out hunting, he meets Archigallo, who was banished but has remained in the kingdom. Elidure decides to resign the crown, but the Council is initially unwilling to have Archigallo back: they would rather have a foreigner as…
2 The Honest Whore (2 The Converted Courtesan)
Dekker, Thomas · 1605 · Comedy · Prince Henry's Men
On his way to court, Hippolito receives petitioners, including the reformed courtesan Bellafront: she wants his help in petitioning the Duke to pardon her husband Matheo, who has been condemned to death for homicide. Hippolito solicits the help of Bellafront’s father Orlando, but he is still morally outraged at her former sexual misconduct. Nevertheless he secretly arranges for Matheo’s release, and enters his household disguised as a servingman, Pacheco. Matheo proves dissolute, and when ‘Pacheco’ gives him money for safe keeping, he gambles it all away. Bellafront is trying not to let poverty and Matheo’s prodigality force her back into prostitution. Hippolito, who converted her from whoredom, now tries to seduce her back again. She sends ‘Pacheco’ to return his love-tokens, but ‘Pacheco’ instead takes them to Infelice, who identifies them as her own gifts to Hippolito. She interrogates Hippolito’s go-between, Brian the footman, then tells her husband that Brian gave her the love-tokens and had an affair with her. Brian is dismissed and goes home to Ireland. Desperate for money, Matheo strips the gown from his wife’s back and sells it. Lodovico promises to furnish him as a gentleman, so he is properly dressed when Orlando visits in his own person. The old man feigns lack of sympathy, then returns as Pacheco in time to prevent Matheo assaulting Bellafront. Prompted by Orlando, the Duke takes a hand: he issues a warrant to arrest Matheo for robbing two pedlars (who were…
King Lear
Shakespeare, William · 1605 · Tragedy · King's Men · before the Court;Globe;Whitehall;Outdoor Professional
King Lear intends to divide his kingdom between his sons-in-law: they will become the effective rulers, while he remains titular king with a retinue of knights, residing with each by monthly turns. His elder daughters, Goneril and Regan, are already married to dukes of the north and west of Britain; his youngest, Cordelia, is being courted by two suitors from mainland Europe. Lear requires that each daughter make a public statement of her love for him, to determine her merit and therefore her share of the kingdom. Goneril and Regan give it their all, but Cordelia refuses to make a self-serving and insincere statement which will encroach on the rights of her future husband. In consequence, she gets nothing, and the Earl of Kent is banished when he tries to intervene; the King of France marries her anyway, without a dowry. Kent stays in the kingdom, disguises himself, and gets himself a place in Lear’s service. Lear proves a difficult house-guest, and Goneril an ungracious hostess. When she asks him to reduce his retinue, he angrily moves on early to stay with Regan. Father and daughter both send letters ahead to explain the situation, carried by Kent and Oswald respectively; Goneril’s messenger meets with a better reception. Kent brawls with Oswald and is put in the stocks, which offends Lear when he arrives, closely followed by Goneril. The two daughters demand progressively greater diminutions in the number of Lear’s knights. Rather than stay with either of them, he…
Macbeth
Shakespeare, William; Middleton, Thomas, rev. · 1606 · Tragedy · King's Men
With the aid of some treacherous noblemen, the Norwegians have attacked Scotland. In the ensuing battle, Macbeth is instrumental in expelling the invaders, and is created Thane of Cawdor. Before he learns of this honour, he is greeted with the title by three witches who tell him he is to be King; they also tell Banquo that, though he will not be King himself, his descendants will. King Duncan names his son Malcolm the heir apparent, and invites himself to Macbeth’s castle, where Macbeth murders him, abetted by his wife. The night is troubled by unnatural, portentous events. When the assassination is discovered, Malcolm and Donalbain flee the country; suspicion falls on them, and the succession on Macbeth. Macbeth is troubled by the witches’ prophecy about Banquo. He has Banquo murdered, but Fleance escapes; Banquo’s ghost then appears when Macbeth wishes him present at a feast. Hecate rebukes the witches for failing to involve her in their dealings with Macbeth. Disgraced after his failure to attend Macbeth’s feast, Macduff goes to England to rally military support against Macbeth, who has become an egregious tyrant. The witches show Macbeth three apparitions which warn him to beware of Macduff, but also assure him that he cannot be harmed by anybody born of a woman, and that he shall never be defeated until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane; he is also shown a vision confirming that Banquo’s heirs will rule Scotland. Learning of Macduff's defection, Macbeth has his wife and…
Volpone, or The Fox
Jonson, Ben · 1606 · Comedy · King's Men
The wealthy Welpone has no family to inherit his gold. Seeking to augment his riches, he pretends to be mortally ill, and receives visitors bringing gifts and false solicitude in the hope of being named his heir. His servant Mosea encourages one of them, SlG@IGGrbaccio} to make a will in Volpone’s favour in hope of reciprocation, temporarily disinheriting his own son Bonario. He also engages Volpone’s interest in @éliaj the wife of @Grvinid) another visitor. Eager to see her, Volpone poses as a mountebank selling potions; Celia watches from a window and expresses her interest by dropping her handkerchief before the jealous Corvino intervenes and locks her away. The sight of Celia has inflamed Volpone’s sexual desire, so Mosca makes the necessary arrangements. He tells Corvino that the mountebank’s medicine, bought by his rivals, has wrought an improvement in Volpone’s condition, and that physicians have prescribed a cure: Volpone must sleep beside a healthy, vigorous young woman. @6rviniG decides to proffer Gélid for the purpose, getting himself back into favour; even if the cure works, Volpone can always be murdered later once he has made his will. On the way back to Volpone’s house, Mosca meets BOnari6, tells him of Corbaccio’s plans to make a new will, and counters Bonario’s scepticism by offering to place him where he can watch it happen. He then returns in time to free Volpone from the unwelcome company of the loquacious Dady§WoOulasBe: on being told that her husband…
The Gentleman Usher (Vincentio and Margaret)
1606 · Comedy · Children of the Chapel (second) or Children of Paul‚Äôs (second)
Duke Alfonso and his son Vincentio are rivals for the love of Lady Margaret. The court visits her father Lasso's house, and two dramatic entertainments are staged. First the Duke engages his resented new favourite, Medice, to perform a wooing speech in a masque. The illiterate Medice forgets his lines, but the Duke has anticipated this and primed an understudy: Strozza describes how the Duke was taken captive while hunting a boar, and can only be released by Margaret's love, which she duly grants. Lasso reciprocates with a pastoral about the discontents of virginity; Margaret is invited to watch it from the place of honour as if she were Duchess. Privately, however, Margaret prefers Vincentio, and makes an assignation with him. As go-between, she selects her father's gentleman usher, Bassiolo, whom she .considers easily corruptible: Vincentio suborns him with the expectation of advancement when he succeeds his father as Duke. and he carries a love-letter to Margaret; she gets him to draft a reply, but then writes her own letter instead. The lovers meet, and attempt to pre-empt their fathers' plans by taking an oath of marriage.Strazza. is shot while out hunting in a failed assassination attempt instigated by Medice. The doctor is unable to remove the arrow-head safely, but Strozza acquires precognitive vision and predicts that in seven days it will fall out of its own accdrd. Medice investigates Margaret's coyness. and enlists the help of her aunt Cortezza by getting her…
The Woman Hater (The Hungry Courtier)
Beaumont, Francis; Fletcher, John · 1606 · Comedy · Children of Paul's (second)
Oriana is on her way to visit the Duke’s court when she is caught in a hail-storm, and takes refuge in the house of Gondarino. Gondarino is a confirmed misogynist, and makes her duly unwelcome. The Duke, on his way to visit Oriana at home, is also caught in the storm and he too shelters in Gondarino’s house. Gondarino suspects that he is unwittingly being made the host of an illicit assignation (and indeed the Duke is attracted to Oriana). Oriana takes umbrage at Gondarino’s attitude to women, and pretends to pursue him amorously in an effort to torment him out of it. He sends her to stay in a bawdy-house, and tells the Duke that she is unchaste. Her brother Valore disputes this, and Gondarino is suspected of slander. To defend himself, he shows her to the Duke in her new lodgings, but his story is discredited when it emerges that he sent her there himself. The Duke sends the courtier Arrigo to kill Oriana, but he offers to spare her in return for sex. She refuses, and thereby proves her chastity: the Duke was testing her, and she now accepts his proposal
The Fleer
Sharpham, Edward · 1606 · Comedy · Children of the Queen's Revels · Blackfriars;Indoor Professional
Before the start of the action, Piso deposed Antifront, whose daughters thereupon fled from Florence. Antifront now travels in search of his missing children. He arrives in London under the alias Fleer, and meets some gentlemen. One of them, Spark, gets him a job with two of his countrywomen, a pair of Florentine courtesans working in London. Antifront is dismayed to discover that they are his missing daughters. Two sisters, Susan and Nan, are interested in Spark and his friend Ruffle, who are among the courtesans’ many clients. They dress up as boys and try to get the gentlemen to employ them as pages; Spark and Ruffle refuse, and the ‘pages’ end up working for two other clients, Sir John Havelittle and Piso junior, the son of the Florentine usurper. ‘Fleer’ wants to engineer a marriage for his daughters, selecting Havelittle and Piso as the eligible bachelors. The daughters prefer Spark and Ruffle, but are refused; taking offence, they ask Piso and Havelittle to kill the gentlemen, and suggest poison as the safest method. The plot is overheard by ‘Fleer’ and the ‘pages’. ‘Fleer’ gets himself another job looking after an apothecary’s shop, and sells Piso and Havelittle a poison which is really a sleeping potion. Spark and Ruffle dine with Piso and Havelittle and apparently die. The hosts are at once arrested on suspicion of poisoning and are committed for trial. Fleer is sent on an errand to the senior judge, who is unable to attend through illness, and sends word back for…
Michaelmas Term
Middleton, Thomas · 1606 · Comedy · Children of Paul's (second)
Rearage and Andrew Lethe are rivals for the hand of Quomodo’s daughter: her mother favours Rearage and her father Lethe. Lethe has assumed gentry status, and is concerned when his plebeian mother arrives from the country; but she does not recognize him, and he employs her as a go-between. Hellgill brings a country wench to London, promising to pass her off as a gentlewoman. He dresses her up and she begins to attract gallants, including Lethe. Her father comes looking for her, and, not recognizing him, she takes him on as a servant. A third visitor from the country is Richard Easy, who is entrapped by Shortyard and Falselight, the agents of Ephestian Quomodo. Shortyard gambles with Easy, persuading him to keep on betting in the hope of breaking his losing streak. In consequence, he needs money to fund his social life, and seeks to borrow it from Quomodo. He is induced to take the loan in cloth, which he can sell on to realize the money; ===== PAGE 155 ===== 1604 posing as the fictitious ‘Blastfield’, Shortyard also signs the bond. Quomodo and his accomplices engineer a downturn in the market: the cloth has to be sold for less than half its true value. When the bond falls due for repayment a month later, Blastfield cannot be found, and Easy is arrested. Quomodo’s accomplices pose as wealthy citizens and stand bail for Easy, so long as he signs over all his possessions to them. When Blastfield still cannot be found, the bailsmen give Quomodo Easy’s lands in lieu of the bail…
The Rape of Lucrece
Heywood, Thomas · 1607 · Tragedy · Queen Anne's Men · Red Bull;Outdoor Professional
Tired of being a subject, Tullia encourages her husband Tarquin to seize power from her father, King Servius, and make her Queen of Rome. Having gathered the support of a faction of peers, Tarquin takes the throne at the Senate. When Servius challenges this, a fight breaks out in which he is killed. Tullia treads his dead body underfoot, then drives over it in her chariot. She encourages Tarquin to rule by fear: he cancels Servius’ funeral, seizes his political opponents’ property, exiles people without trial, and sets about extending Rome’s power in Italy, both by alliances and force of arms. Servius’ former allies submit to the new regime, but cope with it in different ways: Brutus feigns idiocy, Scaevola laughs, Lucretius cries, Horatius adopts a habit of bitter speech, and Valerius sings incessantly. Tarquin has an ominous dream and sends his sons to the oracle to have it interpreted; they take Brutus along to entertain them. The oracle says that Rome must be purged of Tullia’s sins, and that, of the three Romans present, the first to kiss his mother will achieve power in Rome. Brutus kisses the earth, but the two brothers race home to kiss Tullia. Aruns gets there first, and Sextus swears enmity against him and flees to the Sabines, who make him their general. He leads them against Tarquin and wins twice, but is later reconciled with his father and brother. The Tarquins welcome Porsenna to Rome as an ally in the project of establishing military rule over the…
Timon of Athens
Shakespeare, William; Middleton, Thomas · 1607 · Tragedy · King's Men
; Timon gives freely of his riches to his acquaintances: every little gift will trigger disproportionate largesse by way of requital. He intervenes financially to secure Ventidius’ release from a debtors’ prison, and settles money on his servant Lucilius to enable him to marry the girl he loves, a wealthy man’s daughter. He entertains guests at a lavish feast at which a masque of Amazons is performed. But his creditors. are alarmed by his uncontrolled spending, and call in his debts, which amount to more than the value of his entire estate. He imagines that he can still call on the former recipients of his liberality, but they make their excuses and leave him in difficulties; he is failed even by Ventidius, now a rich man after his father’s death. Timon lays on a second feast, and invites his unreliable friends; they think normal service has been resumed, but are discomfited to find that the menu consists of water alone. Timon drives them off with abuse and leaves Athens in misanthropic fury. Alcibiades attempts to save a friend from execution for murder, but the Senate dismisses the appeal; when he persists, they banish him. In the forest, Timon digs for roots to eat, but finds only buried gold. He meets Alcibiades, marching against Athens with his soldiers, and gives him gold to ensure the city’s destruction; he also pays the army’s whores to spread venereal disease. He encourages a band of thieves to prey upon mankind, but his words persuade them to rethink their way of…
Every Woman in Her Humor
Anonymous · 1607 · Comedy · Children of the King's Revels
Misogyny has made the normally jovial Acutus.- melancholy. After scaring some foolishly fashionable characters, he joins them at the Hobby tavern, where Gaetica has taken lodgings with her dog. Disguised as a © soldier, Acutus picks a fight with Scilicet and Servulus, © then exposes their hypocrisy by returning disguised as first a friend and then an enemy of the ‘soldier’, and eliciting inconsistent responses. Scilicet attempts to woo Gaetica; she is more concerned about the disappearance of her man Bos with her dog, but becomes betrothed to him. , Lentulus is in love, and asks Cicero to woo Terentia for him. They go to dine with Flaminius, Terentia’s father, and Cicero is left alone with the ladies of the house. The upshot is that Terentia falls in love — but -- with Cicero himself rather than Lentulus. Rumours circulate that she is to marry Cicero, but Flaminius has not given his consent and takes offence. Lentulus makes Cicero and Terentia admit wronging him, and. _ he sentences Cicero to death — but only if Terentia will kill him. He woos and wins Terentia’s sister Flavia, and plans a double wedding. Acutus gives Philautus a sleeping potion, and he appears to die. He is rumoured to have drunk himself to death, but the reported numbers of alcohol victims escalate as the news circulates. Acutus pays for the funeral and invites the tavern’s proprietors and customers, Philautus wakes up on the way to his interment: initially it is assumed that he is a ghost, but - =====…
What You Will
1607 · Comedy · Children of Paul's (second) (?)
Only three months after her husband Albano was reported dead in a sea battle, Celia has many suitors. Tomorrow she intends to marry Laverdure, a French knight; but Alban.o 's brothers, Randolfo and Adrian, disapprove. After fruitlessly petitioning the noctumal. party-loving Duke to stop the wedding, thcr decide to make it illegitimate by introducing an impostor, a perfumer named Francisco, to pose as Albano, claiming that he did not die after all; but Laverdure's page Bidet witnesses their scheming and warns his master. In fact, Albano survived. On his return to Venice he is unimpressed to hear that his supposedly faithful and loving wife is getting married again so soon; but when he accosts Laverdure, he is taken for Francisco. Even his own brothers take him for the disguised perfumer, so he begins to believe that he has indeed become Francisco by metempsychosis. He interrupts the performance of a play at court to protest at the way he has been treated, and the Duke assures everyone that he really is Albano. He decides to forgive everyone, including Laverdure and Celia. In the sub-plot, Simplicius saves the schoolboy Holofernes Pippo from a thrashing and takes him on as his page. A group of pages trick Simplicius into arranging an assignation with a merchant's wife, who turns out to be Holofemes in disguise.
Antony and Cleopatra
Shakespeare, William · 1607 · Tragedy · King's Men
Antony dallies with Cleopatra in Egypt while the Roman world collapses into faction. His wife and brother make war on Caesar, and Pompey takes advantage of his absence to foment a sea war with the state and avenge his murdered father. At first Antony ignores Caesar’s messages, but his wife’s death draws him back to Rome, where he and Caesar are reconciled; to seal the league, Antony marries Caesar’s sister, Octavia. A soothsayer, who has told the fortunes of members of Cleopatra’s court, warns him that, although he is a better man than Caesar, Caesar will always prove the more successful of the two. Antony, Caesar, and Lepidus meet Pompey with an army, but war is averted. Lepidus gets egregiously drunk at the feast on Pompey’s galley to celebrate the treaty. Pompey refuses his ally Menas’ dishonourable proposal to kill the triumvirate and make him master of the world. Antony’s lieutenant Ventidius defeats the Parthians in battle, but is cautious about taking too much of the credit for himself. Meanwhile, news of Antony’s marriage reaches Cleopatra; she does not take it well. Antony leaves Rome with his new wife, but absence breeds suspicion between him and Caesar. Caesar breaks the truce with Pompey and deposes Lepidus on a pretext. Antony, in turn, sends Octavia home and returns to Egypt, where he creates Cleopatra queen of several dominions. War between east and west follows. Antony perversely chooses to fight by sea, and Cleopatra insists on being present at the battle.…
The Tragedy of Charles Duke of Byron
Chapman, George · 1608 · Tragedy · Children of the Queen's Revels
The ambitious Duke of Biron has been offered the crown by a conspiracy of France’s foreign enemies. He pacifies a Huguenot rebellion in Brittany, but suspects - that, now the country is at peace, his military services will no longer be required or even valued by the King. His ally, La Fin, supplies the King with incriminating evidence of his involvement in a plot. [A lacuna in the text follows. The Queen has a quarrel with the King’s mistress, and slaps her.] The two rival ladies make it up by performing together in a masque: Biron is recalled to court. La Fin assures him that all suspicions about his loyalty have been cleared, and- encourages him to go. Against the advice of his other friends, Biron does, thinking his reputation for valour — will make his enemies think twice about arresting him. Henry’s declared intention is to spare him if he will only confess, but Biron is proud and stubborn. He finds himself shunned by the courtiers, and learns that various horses he was given have all died, just as happened when the Earl of Essex fell. He and his ally D’Auvergne are both arrested. A Spanish ambassador asks permission for an army to cross French soil en route to Flanders; King Henry suspects it was originally levied to invade France, but nevertheless gives his permission. He sends despatches to inform foreign courts of Biron’s treason. The French - peers decline to be present at the trial. Biron is confronted with La Fin as chief prosecution witness, and claims that La…
Coriolanus
Shakespeare, William · 1608 · Tragedy · King's Men
The. citizens of Rome riot for corn. They insist that the patricians are hoarding the commodity, but Menenius Agrippa tells them a fable suggesting that the Senate has made an equitable distribution of what there is. The Senate grants the people tribunes to represent their interests, to the disgust of the patrician soldier Martius. ‘The Volsces put troops in-the field in an attempt to capture Roman territory. The Romans split their powers: the general Cominius takes on the attacking army under the Volscian commander Aufidius, while Martius and Titus Lartius attack the Volscian town of Corioles. Martius ventures alone into the town and is trapped when the gates close behind him. When he re-emerges, bleeding from the fight, he invigorates the troops and Corioles is conquered. He goes to relieve Cominius, while Titus Lartius finalizes the terms of the Roman occupation. Martius confronts Aufidius in single combat. They are long-time rivals who have sworn to fight to the death, but they are balked when Aufidius’ troops intervene to rescue him. Meanwhile, Aufidius realizes that he will never beat Martius in a fair fight: it will have to be by stealth. Martius, now surnamed Coriolanus, returns triumph to Rome, and is put forward for the consulship. By custom, he must humbly ask the consent of the people and show them his war-wounds. He is reluctant, partly through contempt for the plebeians and partly out of a concern that his valour might be misinterpreted as political ambition.…
A Shoemaker a Gentleman
Rowley, William · 1608 · Romance · Prince Charles's Men (first) · Red Bull;Outdoor Professional
The Roman Emperors, Diocletian and Maximinus, bring an army to Britain to crush the Christians. Alured, the British King, is killed in battle. His sons, Eldred and Offa, change their identities and get themselves apprenticed to a shoemaker. They see their mother taken to prison after being captured on the battlefield; their sympathy for her plight impresses their new master. Alban is appointed to rule Britain and continue the persecution. Amphiabel comes from Wales and converts him to Christianity. Maximinus arrests Alban, and Amphiabel flees back to Wales, pursued by the Roman army. Meanwhile, the Welsh Queen Winifred, also converted by Amphiabel, asks her suitor Sir Hugh for a moratorium on his wooing efforts; when he completes the agreed period, however, she announces that she has given herself wholly to heaven and cannot marry him. One of the Romans pursuing Amphiabel mocks the power of Winifred’s holy well, and smears the water on his eyes; it blinds him. His sight is restored, but he ascribes the miracle to the pagan gods. Winifred and Amphiabel are both arrested and brought to see the martyrdom of Alban. Leodice, Maximinus’ daughter, becomes enamoured of her new shoemaker, Crispin, who is really Offa; she continually finds reasons to asks for new shoes and new fitting sessions. She offers to show him the image of his future wife in a magic mirror; but in fact it is an ordinary mirror, and he sees her reflection. He confides that he is not really base-born, but a…
Pericles, Prince of Tyre
Shakespeare, William; Wilkins, George · 1608 · Romance · King's Men · Globe;Outdoor Professional
Pericles comes to Antioch to woo the daughter and heir of King Antiochus. Her suitors must solve a riddle about her, or be executed. Pericles realizes that the riddle cryptically reveals that she and her father are an incestuous couple. Seeing that the game is up, Antiochus pretends that Pericles is mistaken, grants him a forty-day reprieve so that he can try again, and makes arrangements to have him poisoned. Pericles flees to Tyre, but the murderer, Thaliard, follows him. On realizing the danger, Pericles leaves his principality in the care of Helicanus; he has already gone by the ===== PAGE 413 ===== 1607 time Thaliard arrives. He goes to Tarsus, which has been stricken by a famine, and supplies corn to Cleon, the Governor. In Tyre, Thaliard’s murderous intentions are discovered, and Pericles is recalled home. In Antioch, the King and his daughter are destroyed by fire from heaven. On his way home, Pericles is shipwrecked on the coast of Pentapolis, where King Simonides is holding a tournament for the hand of his daughter, Thaisa. Some fishermen retrieve Pericles’ armour from the sea, and, though it is rusty, he is able to compete. He is victorious, and Thaisa falls in love with him. Simonides sends away the other knights, telling them that Thaisa has taken a vow to the goddess Diana not to marry for another year. She insists that she will marry Pericles, with or without her father’s consent. Simonides makes a show of disapproval, but in fact her choice accords with his…
Ram Alley, or Merry Tricks
Barry, Lording · 1608 · Comedy · Children of the King's Revels
The rich heiress Constantia Somerfield disguises herself as a page and enters the employ of her beloved, Boucher, intending to keep an eye on his fidelity. The rich widow Taffeta drops a handkerchief to get Boucher’s attention, and invites him into her house. Despite a prophecy that a widow will endanger his life, soul, lands, and reputation, Boucher is attracted to her. He has several rivals, including the old knight Sir Oliver Smallshank and Captain Puff, who claims marital rights in Taffeta and threatens to attack anyone who shows any sexual interest in her. Sir Oliver comes to woo Taffeta, but hides under her farthingale when Puff arrives. Puff assaults her, and Sir Oliver is forced out of his hiding place. Seeing the advantages of being a courtier’s wife, Taffeta agrees to marry him. Sir Oliver’s younger son, Will, is in debt, and his lands are mortgaged to Throat the lawyer. He pretends to have eloped with Constantia, but the woman he introduces to his family is actually his whore, Frances. He leaves her with Throat while he goes to arrange the wedding, asking Throat to confirm his cover story: that he has expectations of becoming a lord. Throat tells her the truth, that Will is a penniless fortune-hunter, and woos the lady for himself. When Will takes her, ostensibly to a nocturnal marriage ceremony, Throat has them attacked in the darkened streets. They are separated from Frances, whom Throat then marries himself. Will arranges to have himself arrested for debt when…
The Masque of Beauty
Jonson, Ben · 1608 · Masque · before the Court;Whitehall;
Boreas reminds January of the twelve Ethiopian women who were to return to court the following year after being made beautiful: they have twice failed to do so. Boreas explains that this was not through ingratitude: four of their sisters, also hoping to be beautified, have been intercepted by the envious Night and kept prisoner on a floating island, and the whitened women have been delayed in seeking their freedom. Vulturnus arrives with the news that the prisoners are freed, the women have taken command of the island, and are using it to travel to England. They arrive and are welcomed by the Thames. Singing and dancing ensues. The island ceases to float and comes to rest permanently in Britain.
Philaster, or Love Lies a-Bleeding
Beaumont, Francis; Fletcher, John · 1609 · Tragicomedy · King's Men · Globe;Outdoor Professional
The King. of Sicily invites the Spanish prince Pharamiond to marry his daughter Airethiisa and become his heir. This is challenged by the rightful King, PHilastér, who was deposed in his minority by the present King’s predecessor, but is too popular to imprison or kill. Arethusa secretly woos Philaster, and he gives her the page Bellarig to be their go-between. She refuses Pharamond’s request for pre-marital sex, so, looking for satisfaction elsewhere, he tries the ladies-in-waiting: (Galatéd refuses him, but his seduction of M@gra is more successful. Galatea overhears their plans for an assignation and reports it to Arethusa, who reports it in turn to the King. Pharamond is disgraced, but Megra gets her revenge by alleging an improper relationship between Alrethtisa and Béllario. The scandalous rumours come to Philaster’s ears, and he becomes mentally distracted through jealousy. Arethuisa dismisses Bellario on her father’s orders. She then disappears in the woods during a royal hunt, and meets the boy by chance. PhilaStér finds them together and thinks his fears confirmed. He confronts and wounds her, but is driven off by a country fellow; he then finds Béllarid asleep and wounds him. Philaster is taken prisoner and committed to Alrethusa’s custody. Facing execution, he is reconciled to her, and they are married. When the King learns of this, he has them both imprisoned. Pharamond pays a sightseeing visit to the city. There he is captured by the Sicilian citizens, who have…
Cymbeline, King of Britain
Shakespeare, William · 1609 · Romance · King's Men
Imogen has been the heir to Cymbeline’s kingdom since the disappearance of her infant brothers twenty years ago. Now her father intends her to marry her foolish stepbrother Cloten; but she pre-empts this by marrying Posthumus instead. Cymbeline objects to Posthumus, whom he took in as an orphan and brought up at court, and banishes him. The Queen pretends support for the couple, but is really the source of Cymbeline’s hostility; her objective is to bring the succession into her own family line, if necessary by destroying Imogen. Claiming to be studying toxicology, she asks Cornelius to give her some poison for experimental purposes. He mistrusts her motives: the ‘poison’ he supplies is really only a sleeping potion. She then gives it to Posthumus’ servant, Pisanio, claiming it to be a powerful medicine. Posthumus goes to Rome, leaving his bracelet behind with Imogen as a love-token, and taking her ring. There he boasts of his wife’s beauty and chastity, and bets Iachimo the ring that she will never succumb to his seduction. Iachimo comes to Britain, tells Imogen that Posthumus is behaving adulterously in Rome, and tries to persuade her to do the same. When she refuses, he claims he was only testing her, and asks her to take charge of a chest of valuables, partly paid for by Posthumus, and lodge them for the night in a safe place, her bedroom. He hides in the chest and emerges when she is asleep, giving him the opportunity to inspect the room, look at her in bed, and take…
Epicene, or The Silent Woman
Jonson, Ben · 1609 · Comedy · Children of the Queen's Revels
Dauphine's obsessively noise-hating uncle, Morose. has threatened to disinherit him by taking a wife and begetting a son and heir. He has engaged a gen ts to seek a silent woman for his bride, and the barber, Cutbeard, seems to have found him one, Mistress Epicoenc. Truewit goes to him in disguise and tries to dissuade him from marriage; but this makes him the more determined to go ahead with it straight away. He inspects Epicoene, is pleased by her silence, and marries her. Almost at once he learns that she is able to speak loudly. Sir Amorous La Poole is holding a dinner for the members of a college of ladies, but the gallants divert the collegians to Morose's house, to celebrate his wedding. They persuade La Poole that Sir John Daw has arranged this to dishonour him. La Foole dresses up as a sewer to serve the meat. Mistress Otter comes along with him, and the gallants arrange for her to witness her henpecked husband criticizing her behind her back - which earns him a beating. The collegians hold her up as an example to Epicoene: she must establish her dominance in the household. The gallants persuade Dauphine that the two knights have slandered him, and tell each of the knights in turn that the other intends to fight him. Both are so anxious to avoid a duel that each agrees to be beaten by the other; Dauphine does the beating and takes their swords from them. The ladies witness the event, and see the knights' unworthiness; they transfer their affections to Dauphine and…
The Maid's Tragedy
Beaumont, Francis; Fletcher, John · 1610 · Tragedy · King's Men · Blackfriars;Indoor Professional
At: the King’s request, Al@minf6f breaks off his engagement to his fiancée AlSpatia and instead marries Evadne) sister of his friend Melantius. After a wedding masque, Evadne prepares for bed. When Amintor arrives, however, she refuses him sex and explains that she is the King’s mistress: the marriage has been arranged as a cover for their continuing relationship, and to provide a nominal father for any bastards that may result; it will never be consummated. Amintor is unable to satisfy his impulse to take revenge, because his wronger is the King, but on learning the truth, Melantius has no similar scruples. A successful rebellion depends upon control of the city’s: defensive fort, but this is in the hands of Melantius’ enemy, ASpatia’sifathier Caliana who partly blames Melantius for the way Aspatia has been treated. Melantius asks Calianax to hand over the fort, knowing this will be reported to the King; but when the King confronts him with the accusation, his bare-faced denial. discredits Calianax and makes the accusation look like senile malice. Calianax is sent away from court and sees no option but to give Melantius the fort after all. M@@lantivis]? threat of violence secures a confession from Bya@méj and she agrees to join the conspiracy. Summoned by the King that night, Evadne ties him to the bed and kills him when he wakes. Melantius retreats to the fort and agrees to come out only once the mew King has granted him a pardon on his own terms. The despairing AlSpatia…
The Winter's Tale
Shakespeare, William · 1610 · Romance · King's Men
Polixenes of Bohemia is coming to the end of a nine-month stay at the Sicilian court of Leontes, his childhood playmate. Leontes cannot persuade him to extend his stay, but the pregnant queen, Hermione, has more success. Leontes conceives a suspicion that Polixenes and Hermione have committed adultery, and that her unborn child is a bastard. He commands Camillo to poison Polixenes, but instead Camillo warns the intended victim and escapes with him to Bohemia. Leontes arrests Hermione and sends to the oracle of Apollo for confirmation of her adultery. She gives birth to a daughter in prison, and Paulina hopes to bring Leontes to his senses by showing him the baby; instead, he orders her husband, Antigonus, to take it out of his dominions and abandon it. Hermione is tried for adultery and treason. The oracle, when read, exonerates her and foretells that, unless the lost be found, Leontes will have no heir. Leontes refuses to believe it, whereupon his son Mamillius, who fell sick when his mother was arrested, dies. Hermione collapses in court and is later reported dead. Antigonus abandons the baby on the coast of Bohemia, and is eaten by a bear. The child, Perdita, is found and adopted by an old shepherd. Sixteen years pass. The penitent Leontes, still mourning Hermione, attempts to recall Camillo to Sicily, but Polixenes will not let him go. Worried by rumours that Prince Florizel is courting a shepherd’s daughter, Polixenes attends the sheep-shearing feast in disguise. When…
A Christian Turned Turk (The Two Famous Pirates)
Daborne, Robert · 1610 · Tragedy · Unknown
By a ruse, the pirate Ward takes prisoner two French merchants, Ferdinand and Albert. He attacks the ship taking Alizia to her bridegroom, Young Raymond, and kills her brother; she escapes by disguising herself as a ship-boy, Fidelio. Another pirate, Francisco, challenges him for the spoils; they engage in single combat, and ultimately agree to share the booty. During the fight, Ward’s men Gismund and Gallop mutiny and steal a ship, and make for Tunis, taking the disguised Alizia with them. Ward swears vengeance, seizes further prisoners, among them Alizia’s fiancé, and sells them into slavery in Tunis. Gallop makes his peace with Ward by pretending he was abducted, like ‘Fidelio’. The Turkish authorities in Tunis attempt to convert Ward to Islam. He is initially reluctant, but agrees when Voada offers herself as his wife; even so, he evades circumcision by putting an ape’s tail under the knife instead of his penis. He marries Voada as planned and gives her ‘Fidelio’ as her page; but in fact ‘Fidelio’ has been the object of her affections all along, and she has no sexual interest in Ward. ‘Fidelio’ agrees to sleep with her if she arranges for a particular slave to escape, claiming him to be a brother (though of course it is really Young Raymond). To evade the sexual part of the bargain, ‘Fidelio’ then makes an alternative arrangement with Ward, who agrees to help her, but then double-crosses her by telling his wife. Voada kills Raymond, thinking he is trying to rob her of…
The Alchemist
Jonson, Ben · 1610 · Comedy · King's Men
With his master absent to avoid the plague in London, Face has set up an occult consultancy in his house in association with the formerly itinerant rogues Subtle and Doll Common: Face fetches in the clients and Subtle poses as the alchemist. They quarrel over the relative merits of their contributions to the enterprise, but resolve to collaborate competitively in the day’s ===== PAGE 80 ===== business. They are visited by successive clients: Dapper, who wants a familiar to help him win at gambling; Drugger, who wants advice on the most auspicious layout for his shop; Sir Epicure Mammon, who seeks the philosopher’s stone to fulfil his fantasies of wealth, luxury, and voluptuousness, and who brings along with him the sceptic Surly; and the religious sectarians Ananias and Tribulation, who want both the stone and Subtle’s claimed expertise in counterfeiting foreign coins. Dapper is persuaded that he is the Fairy Queen’s nephew and heir, and is promised an introduction to her. Mammon brings various domestic articles for aurification, which Subtle then sells on to Ananias and Tribulation, saying they belong to orphans. Clients come thick and fast. Drugger introduces his neighbours, Kastril (who wants te learn how to quarrel) and the wealthy widow Pliant (who wants her fortune told and whom Face and Subtle both want to marry). They are sent away so that the tricksters can deal with Dapper, who in his turn is secreted in the privy while they attend to Mammon. The knight courts…
The Golden Age, or The Lives of Jupiter and Saturn
Heywood, Thomas · 1610 · Classical Myth · Queen Anne's Men · Red Bull;Outdoor Professional
King Uranus of Crete is dead. Titan is the eldest son, but his younger brother Saturn is the popular choice to ascend the throne. Titan agrees to make way for him provided that he agrees to settle the succession on Titan’s issue and kill his own sons as soon as they are born. Saturn is declared a god, and under his benevolent rule, the people learn agriculture, ship- building, and architecture, and begin to make weapons for hunting. His wife, Sibylla, becomes pregnant, but Saturn keeps his promise to Titan and kills the baby. During a second pregnancy, an oracle foretells that the child will depose Saturn. This time Sibylla demands the privilege of killing her own child; but neither she nor her women can bring themselves to do it, so the baby is sent to a foster mother, the Princess of Epirus, and Saturn is deceived with the blood of a goat. Jupiter grows up in the court of King Melisseus of Epirus, and is sent as an envoy to conclude a peace with King Lycaon of Pelasgia; but Lycaon has murdered the Epirote hostage and offers his limbs to Jupiter as a cannibalistic banquet. Jupiter deposes Lycaon and the people elect him their King. During the conflict, he encounters Callisto, Lycaon’s daughter, and is attracted to her. She asks him to grant her a boon to prove his love; he promises, but her request is to live a chaste life as a nymph of Diana. She joins Diana, but the nymphs are already paired off, so she must await the next recruit to have a bedfellow. This turns out to be…
Catiline His Conspiracy
Jonson, Ben · 1611 · Tragedy · King's Men
Piqued at his rejection for a military command, Catiline has assembled a group of ambitious and malcontented men, and plans to take over the Roman state: some ~ are motivated by envy of those in authority, and by the prospect of wealth, power, and the opportunity for unlimited self-indulgence; another, Lentulus, believes that a prophecy has named him as a future ruler of Rome — an interpretation commissioned by Catiline himself. At a clandestine meeting, the conspirators drink blood to mark their commitment to the plot. Meanwhile Aurelia recruits a network of powerful women supporters. Curius visits his mistress Fulvia, whose resistance to his advances provokes a rape attempt. He excites her curiosity and she wheedles details of the conspiracy out of him. Catiline stands in the consular election, but is defeated by Cicero. When Cicero speaks of the need to protect the Roman state, Caesar and Crassus suspect that he may secure his position by manufacturing a threat for himself to overcome; they set the other consul, Antonius, to keep an eye on him, but Cicero turns him by bribery. Upset that Sempronia has been given pre-eminence in the conspiracy, Fulvia leaks to Cicero what she knows about it; Cicero confronts Curius with the information and recruits him as a double agent inside the plot. The conspirators plan to burn the city, having first assassinated Cicero; the plot is secretly backed by Crassus and Caesar. Curius sends Fulvia to warn Cicero of the attempt on his life,…
The Brazen Age (The Age of Brass)
Heywood, Thomas · 1611 · Classical Myth · Queen Anne's Men
Hercules and the shape-changing Achelous fight for the hand of Dejanira; Achelous transforms himself into a series of monsters, but Hercules retains the upper hand, and Achelous concedes defeat after one of his bull’s horns is pulled off (later to become the cornucopia). Hercules takes Dejanira home, and en route they meet Nessus, the only survivor of Hercules’ massacre of the centaurs. Feigning friendship, the vindictive Nessus offers to carry Dejanira across the river on his back; but when he gets to the other side, he attempts to abduct her. Hercules shoots him and, dying, he tells Dejanira that his blood is a love-charm, which she should use on Hercules if he ever seems interested in another woman; in fact, it is poisonous. Hercules travels to Egypt, where King Busiris sacrifices foreigners, and kills him on his own altar, but refuses to accept his crown. During his absence, Diana, offended that King Oeneus has sacrificed to all the gods but her, sends a boar to ravage the Calydonian countryside. The lords of Greece gather to hunt the boar. One of them is Adonis, and Venus falls in love with him; he insists on hunting, the boar kills him, and she transforms him into a flower. Atalanta joins the hunt, and Meleager falls in love with her; when the boar is killed, he is awarded its head, but he offends his companions by presenting it to her. In the ensuing fight, Meleager kills his uncles. His mother Althea is torn between her duty to her brothers and to her son. Meleager’s…
The Night Walker, or The Little Thief
Fletcher, John; Shirley, James, rev. · 1611 · Comedy · Lady Elizabeth's Men · Phoenix/Cockpit;Indoor Professional
The usurer Justice Algripe has seized the wastrel Lurcher’s lands to settle a mortgage; he was also amorously interested in Lurcher’s sister, who has since disappeared. The destitute Lurcher is left to steal for a living; invited to join him, his friend Wildbrain prefers womanizing, on the grounds that it will not end on the gallows. Lurcher is approached by a boy, Snap, and, after ascertaining his skills at deception, takes him into his service. Algripe marries Wildbrain’s cousin Maria, who consented out of filial obedience rather than love: she loves Hartlove. Her mother’s household opposes the match, suspecting that old Algripe is impotent, and Wildbrain arranges for Hartlove to meet her on her way to bed and cuckold Algripe on his wedding night. She refuses his advances and faints when they are found together; she is taken for dead and prepared for burial. Her mother throws Wildbrain out for his part in the incident. Lurcher burgles the house that night, frightening the servants by pretending to be a ghost; but what he supposes to be a chest of jewels is actually Maria’s coffin. Upon discovering what their swag really is, he and his accomplices attempt to bury her in secret, but have a chance encounter with Algripe in the churchyard. Snap frightens him away by impersonating Maria’s ghost, but the thieves are scared off themselves when Maria wakes up in her coffin. Wildbrain meets Hartlove in the dark; Hartlove bears him a grudge and fights him. Maria hears the commotion…
Match Me in London
Dekker, Thomas · 1611 · Tragicomedy · Red Bull (Revels) Company (first) · Red Bull;Phoenix/Cockpit;Indoor Professional;Outdoor Professional
It is midnight, and Tormiella is missing from her father Malevento’s house. He wonders if she is visiting Gazetto, her fiancé, but in fact she has eloped to Seville with the man she loves, Cordolente. There they get married and open a shop. The bawd Dildoman recommends her to the King, who comes to the shop on the pretext of buying a glove. Tormiella is taken to court and her escort disposed of by a ruse; Dildoman tries to persuade her to yield to the King. The Queen becomes jealous of Tormiella and attempts to stab her. Cordolente realizes he has been cuckolded; he and Malevento are both offered places at court, but only Malevento accepts. Don John intends to depose the King, his brother, with the help of the Portuguese nobility. He persuades his doctor to poison Don Valasco, the Queen’s father, having first told him that the King is having an affair with Tormiella. Valasco eats some grapes, falls sick, and is then poisoned with the medicine the doctor administers; Don John sends the body home. In fact, it was only a sleeping potion, and the King confronts Don John with the living Valasco; when their quarrel escalates to the point of a duel, the King puts Don John under house arrest. He discovers documentary proof of the conspiracy, and sends Valasco to supervise Don John’s execution, which is to be done in private and using a method selected by Don John himself from an illustrated book of deaths. Valasco reports him dead. The King uses Martines, who is implicated in Don…
The Roaring Girl, or Moll Cutpurse
Dekker, Thomas; Middleton, Thomas · 1611 · Comedy · Prince Henry's Men · Fortune;Outdoor Professional
Sebastian Wengrave was contracted to marry Mary Fitzallard until his father, dissatisfied with the dowry, cancelled the arrangement; Sebastian plans to reverse 1611 his father’s decision by pretending infatuation with Moll Cutpurse. Sir Alexander employs Trapdoor to enter Moll’s service as a spy and agent provocateur. Trapdoor forewarns Sir Alexander of an assignation between Sebastian and Moll, and they plot to entrap her in.a false charge of theft. In fact, Moll uses the meeting to bring Sebastian together with Mary. Sir Alexander eavesdrops on them and gives Moll counterfeit coins. Moll recognizes Trapdoor as a spy and sacks him. He turns to begging, posing as an discharged soldier, but she sees through his disguise and buys his true allegiance. Sir Alexander hears that Sebastian has absconded with Moll to get married, but is stymied when Trapdoor brings him additional, contradictory (and false) information about their movements. This enables Sebastian to carry out his clandestine marriage with Mary unmolested. Relieved that his son has not married into the criminal classes after all, Sir Alexander settles lands on the couple and forgives Moll. In the second plot, Laxton and Goshawk are having adulterous affairs with the citizen wives, Mistress Gallipot and Mistress Openwork. Laxton also has a date with Moll, but changes his mind about it when she turns up cross-dressed. He sends Mistress Gallipot a love-letter and asks her for money. Gallipot catches her reading it, and…
The Valiant Welshman (Caradoc the Great)
A., R. · 1612 · History · Prince Henry's Men
The Earl of. Monmouth seeks to usurp old King Octavian’s throne, and has won two significant victories over him. Cadallan and his sons come to support Octavian. Cadallan is killed in the ensuing battle, but his son Caradoc avenges him by killing Monmouth. Re-established on the throne, Octavian rewards Caradoc with marriage to his daughter and heir, Guinevere. This displeases his bastard son, Codigune, who had regarded Guinevere as his only obstacle to the succession. King Guiderius has failed to pay tribute to the Romans, so the Emperor Claudius invades Britain. Guiderius appeals to Octavian, and Caradoc is sent, fresh from his wedding, to offer military aid. In his absence, Codigune conspires with Gloucester and Cornwall: they poison Octavian and imprison Guinevere, and Codigune seizes power. Gloucester writes warning Guiderius not to trust Caradoc, so Guiderius, about to go into battle, orders the Welsh troops to observe from a hilltop and intervene only ifa British defeat seems likely. Caradoc disregards this, joins the battle in disguise, and bests Claudius in hand- to-hand combat; he refuses Claudius’ offer to buy his freedom, but accepts a token of the Emperor’s friendship, a golden lion. Prince Gald is impressed by Caradoc’s single-handed contribution to the British victory, accompanies him back to Wales, and marries his sister Voada. Finding Codigune installed as King of Wales, Caradoc offers to settle matters in single combat. Codigune is beaten, refuses an offer to…
The White Devil (Vittoria Corombona)
Webster, John · 1612 · Tragedy · Queen Anne's Men
Count Lodovico is banished from Rome after a career of drunkenness, riot, and murder; but, he comments, not all malefactors fall foul of the law, for the Duke of ===== PAGE 257 ===== 1612 Bracciano seems to be getting away with his designs against the honour of Vittoria Corombona. In this, Bracciano is abetted by Vittoria’s brother Flaminio, who persuades her husband Camillo that their sleeping apart will make her more amorous. Vittoria tells Bracciano of a dream which seems to suggest the murder of Camillo and the Duchess Isabella; but the liaison is forestalled by the intervention of Vittoria’s mother, Cornelia. Flaminio inveighs against Cornelia for compromising his chances of preferment. Isabella comes to Rome to effect a reconciliation with her husband. Cardinal Monticelso and the Great Duke of Florence also put pressure on him to fulfil his responsibilities, both marital and political. In a private interview with Isabella, Bracciano vows never again to sleep with her, but she tries to limit the political damage by making the same vow herself in public. Florence and Monticelso plan to tempt Bracciano into adultery by getting Camillo out of Rome on public business, but Bracciano plots murder: Isabella is killed when she kisses a poisoned picture of Bracciano, and Flaminio breaks Camillo’s neck. Vittoria is arrested and arraigned before an ecclesiastical court; unable to prove her complicity in Camillo’s murder, it convicts her of adultery and commits her to a house of…
The Two Noble Kinsmen
Fletcher, John; Shakespeare, William · 1613 · Tragicomedy · King's Men · Blackfriars;Indoor Professional
Theseus’ wedding to Hippolyta is interrupted by three widowed queens, whose husbands have fallen in battle against Thebes. Creon, the victor, has denied them the right to bury their dead, so they request Theseus’ help in forcing his hand. At Hippolyta’s request, Theseus postpones the wedding feast and leads an army against Thebes. It is a bad moment for the Theban princes Palamon and Arcite: they are on the point of leaving Creon’s corrupt court, but now feel a patriotic duty to defend their city. Theseus wins the war, Palamon and Arcite are taken prisoner, and the dead kings are buried. Palamon and Arcite are imprisoned in Athens. Their cell overlooks a garden where Emilia walks; they both fall in love with her and quarrel jealously. Arcite is released, on condition that he never returns to Athens, but he stays in disguise and performs with distinction at a. sporting festival for Emilia’s birthday. Meanwhile Palamon is moved to a cell without a garden view. The jailer’s daughter falls in love with him and, aware that they are of markedly different rank, seeks to win his regard by engineering his escape. Palamon meets Arcite in the woods the following morning; Arcite agrees to bring him food, clothing, and weapons so that they can fight out their quarrel. In consequence, Palamon fails to turn up at his appointment with the jailer’s daughter, and she is driven mad by a combination of disappointed love and fear that her father will be blamed for the escape. The fight between…
Henry the Eighth (All Is True)
Shakespeare, William; Fletcher, John · 1613 · History · King's Men
The Kings of England and of France meet for a magnificent summit conference organized by Cardinal Wolsey. The English nobles resent Wolsey’s influence with the King, but Wolsey strikes first against the ringleader, Buckingham: evidence from his former surveyor, who bears him a grudge, secures his arrest; conviction for treason and execution follow. Queen Katherine persuades the King to repeal taxation which is causing hardship; Wolsey has it put about that his intercession secured this. King Henry attends a banquet at Wolsey’s house, performs in a masque of shepherds, and meets Anne Boleyn. Rumours circulate that he and the Queen are at odds: he claims to be troubled by the fact that she was originally married to his brother, but others notice that he is keen to marry Anne. Wolsey counsels divorce. A legatine court is summoned to judge the case, but Katherine refuses to co-operate and the court breaks up without reaching a decision. The King secretly marries Anne. The nobles conspire to overthrow Wolsey. Documents proving his corruption and treachery accidentally fall into the King’s hands, and Buckingham’s surviving allies serve him with articles of impeachment. He falls sick and dies. Anne is crowned Queen. Katherine too falls sick. Before her death she is visited by benevolent spirits, and by Caputius, the Imperial Ambassador, by whom she sends the King a request to love their daughter and provide for her former servants. Anne goes into labour and produces a daughter. A…
The Hector of Germany, or The Palsgrave, Prime Elector
Smith, William (?) · 1614 · Pseudo-History · Red Bull;Curtain;Outdoor Professional
. Defeated in his attempt to seize power in Spain, Henry the Bastard attempts to get himself elected Holy Roman Emperor; he secures the support of three of the seven Electors, promising that Saxony will be the power behind his throne. But the other Electors, including the sickly Palsgrave, prefer the Duke of Savoy’s candidature, so the Bastard uses force: he defeats the opposing Electors in battle, imprisons two of them, and has himself crowned, then breaks his word and excludes Saxony from power. News of the ===== PAGE 311 ===== 1613 usurpation cures the Palsgrave, who prepares to mobilize an army. Spain is the theatre of war for their first confrontation. The Palsgrave is victorious, and the Bastard is captured, but rescued by Saxony. The warring potentates seek alliances against one another: the Palsgrave goes to England, the Bastard to France. The Palsgrave competes in an English tournament and is installed in the Order of the Garter. King John of France is reluctant to fight the English again (they have too good a track record of victory in France), and hopes to use diplomacy to secure Edward III’s neutrality. Refused the chance to conduct the mission, Saxony goes to England in disguise, but is identified by the Palsgrave, who dishonours him by pulling off a lock of his hair. Diplomacy fails, and Edward and the Palsgrave invade France, dispatching troops to free the imprisoned Electors. The Palsgrave defeats and kills Saxony in single combat. King John withdraws his…
The Sophister (Fallacy, or The Troubles of Great Hermenia)
Zouche, Richard · 1614 · Comedy
. . The envious bastard Fallacy Sat to Sdtiinintent a oo to his father, Discourse, which will drive him-mad. His eager servant, Ambiguity, provides two options, one of |. - which will only induce drunkeriness. During. a’ - telling-off, Fallacy slips his father the drug and Discourse’s attitude changes: Fallacy becomes his. favourite son. The madness disables Discourse from being the ruler of Hermenia, so a regent must be _ appointed. Fallacy bribes Opposition to support his claim against his legitimate younger brothers, Topicus and Demonstration. He also tells Invention and ~ Judicium that Intellect has left. the kingdom, and persuades them to go looking for him; in fact, he has Intellect under lock and key. The counsellors debate. - the three brothers’ claims, and Topicus fights a duel : ar with Demonstration in which both are. wounded. -. Fallacy becomes Regent, appoints Opposition his chief -. counsellor, and banishes the others who supper’ Bs ' ' brothers. Hermenia declines ehder Fallacy’s jindtighbened. x rule. He locks up Scientia and Opinion, his brothers’ fiancées, and their mother, Truth. His attempts to woo © - Scientia are rebuffed, but he tricks Opposition into thinking that the lady is willing but unable to accepthis ©. proposal because Judicium knows her secret vows to... - _.the- contrary. ls Judicium. Fallacy then persuades Opposition’s son, Contradiction, to fight a duel ‘with an unknown. ~°0° | opponent. Father and son fight. and wound one Tae ‘another with…
Bartholomew Fair
Jonson, Ben · 1614 · Comedy · Lady Elizabeth's Men
Bartholomew Cokes has two objectives in life: to visit the fair which shares his name, and to marry Grace Wellborn, who, as a ward, faces a financial penalty should she refuse. He sends his servant Wasp to Littlewit the proctor to obtain a marriage licence, but then, impatiently, comes himself. He brings Grace with him, and she attracts the interest of Winwife, present with his friend Quarlous as a suitor to Littlewit’s mother-in-law, Dame Purecraft. Littlewit is more interested in Cokes’s talk of the fair, having secretly written one of the puppet plays to be performed there. The only snag is that the puritanical Dame Purecraft will disapprove of their visit, thinking fairs profane. Busy, an elder of Purecraft’s church, advises the family that fairs may lawfully be visited for good reason, and comes along with them to partake of the pork. After some unfortunate experiences involving mistaken identity, Justice Overdo no longer trusts informers and has decided to do his spying personally. He visits the fair in disguise to seek out ‘enormities’ perpetrated by the fairground folk. He is impressed by one young man, Edgeworth, and decides to rescue him from the clutches of the cheaters; but he does not know that Edgeworth is a cutpurse. While Overdo is busy telling him about the wickedness of tobacco, Edgeworth steals Cokes’s purse; Overdo gets the blame. When it happens a second time, Overdo is arrested and put in the stocks. There he encounters the madman Trouble-All, who…
Sicelides (The Sicilians)
Fletcher, Phineas · 1615 · Pastoral · at University;
A year before the start of the action, Olinda rejected the love of Thalander, a friend of her brother Perindus. Thalander pined away, but sent Atyches to her with a final message and gift. Since then, Atyches has wooed her with equal lack of success. Now an enchanter has framed her for the crime of picking fruit from Neptune’s tree, and she is to be sacrificed to a sea-monster, the Orca, unless a champion comes forward to fight it on her behalf. Atyches does so, and kills the monster. In accordance with custom, she is - obliged to marry him. Atyches reveals to Perindus that he is really Thalander in disguise. Perindus once loved Glaucilla, but now refuses her after an oracle foretold trouble associated with both his and Olinda’s marriages: Olinda would die when married, and either Perindus or his bride would be cast from a rock. Cosma has come from the city to the seaside, where she attracts a number of lovers, including the foolish Pas, the ancient Fredocaldo, and the local Cyclops Rimbombo. She in turn is interested in Perindus, who does not reciprocate. She gives Glaucilla a medicine to cure the pangs of love, which Glaucilla gives to Olinda, who is secretly grieving for Thalander’s death; the medicine is poisoned, and Olinda dies. Glaucilla is condemned to be thrown from a rock for the murder. The long-lost father of Perindus and Olinda returns home to learn that his daughter is dead. Moreover, Perindus chooses to sacrifice his own life to save Glaucilla’s, and is thrown…
The Honest Lawyer
S., S. · 1615 · Comedy · Queen Anne's Men
Richard Vaster’s lands are mortgaged to Gripe the usurer for £300. Jealously believing himself to have been cuckolded, he sells his wife Florence to the bawd and innkeeper Marmaid, claiming her to be his sister. He then challenges Benjamin Gripe, the usurer’s son, to a duel, and pretends to be killed; the remorseful Benjamin is determined to make amends by looking after Vaster’s family. Valentine sets himself up as a phoney doctor and is asked to cure Gripe’s gout, which entails driving a large nail through the affected toe. While Gripe is inconvenienced by the nail, Valentine steals his purse and keys. Gripe also sends Benjamin to foreclose on Vaster’s mortgage; when Benjamin asks him to give the bereaved family a three-month respite, he is disinherited. Surprisingly, the nail does indeed drive out the gout. Curfew has passed himself off as the deputy Abbot of Newnham after the death of the real deputy, his brother, and he uses the abbey as a base for highway robbery. His first two victims are Valentine and the disguised Vaster, who both prove as rascally as he; the three of them end up going into partnership. They proceed to rob travellers: Vaster happily relieves Gripe of his money, but lets Benjamin off with an injunction to be good to the Vaster family. Whenever they leave anyone tied up on the road, Florence comes out of the nearby inn and releases them. She is proving a 1614 disappointment to Marmaid ~ all her clients seem to end up with a new moral outlook on…
The Staple of News
Jonson, Ben · 1616 · Comedy · King's Men
. _ Pug the junior devil is keen to visit earth. Satan svarns him that his ideas of effective devilment are half a century out of date, but grants him leave to spend the day in London, made flesh and subject to all the frailties and limitations of the human body. A ready-made body is available, in the shape of a recently hanged cutpurse, but Pug will have to make his own arrangements for clothes. Another proviso is that he must serve the first man he meets. Unfortunately for Pug, he turns out to be a twit: Fabian Fitzdottrel. Fitzdottrel longs to see the devil, and agrees to accept Pug as an unpaid servant because he gives his mame as Devil. The same obsession makes Fitzdottrel eager to see a new play, The Devil is an Ass, but he needs some finery to show off as he sits on the stage. Wittipol is eager to sleep with Fitzdottrel’s wife, and offers him a suitable cloak in exchange for fifteen minutes’ uninterrupted conversation with the lady. He uses the time to proposition her, and engages her interest even though she has been forbidden to reply. Fitzdottrel is introduced to Merecraft, a purveyor of imaginative financial schemes, who offers to make him rich and a duke through land reclamation in the eastern fens. Fitzdottrel agrees to meet with him, leaving Pug to ensure that nobody attempts to visit his wife. Pug instead brings her a follow-up message from Wittipol, then makes advances to her on his own account, but is caught by Fitzdottrel and gets a beating. Wittipol’s…
Thierry and Theodoret
Fletcher, John; Massinger, Philip; Anonymous · 1617 · Tragedy · King's Men · Blackfriars;Indoor Professional
up her attempts lascivious to make his mother life and enter holy Brunhild orders. give Her · . 60 I 1848. Thierry, King of France, and his Brother Theodoret 1617 response is to abscond to her other son, Thierrv, whom she persuades to appoint her lover, Protaldi, tda senior military command. Theodoret follows her and Thierry faces a conflict of loyalty, which he resolves in his brother's favour. With Thierry's agreement, Martel demonstrates comprehensively that Protaldi is a coward, first by tricking him into giving up his sword without a fight, then showing to what lengths he will go to avoid having to fight a duel. Brunhild fears that Thierry's bride, Ordella, will eclipse her in preeminence, so at the wedding banquet she gives Thierry a potion that makes him impotent that night. Ordella is very understanding , but Thierry is concerned about the need to beget an heir, so Brunhild suggests he should consult a local hermit and astrologer. Her parasite, Lecure, impersonates the wise man, and tells Thierry that he will regain his potency ifhe kills the first female person he encounters the next day, whoever she may be. Lecure arranges for this to be Ordella herself. Not recognizing her in her veil, Thierry explains why she must die, and she agrees; but he cannot bring himself to go through with it when he realizes who she is. Martel dissuades Ordella from loyally committing suicide, and, suspecting a plot, has her pretend to be dead in order to smoke it out Meanwhile Brunhild…
Orestes
Goffe, Thomas · 1617 · Tragedy · at University;
Agamemnon returns home after ten years of war. When he takes his neglected wife Clytemnestra to bed, she and her lover Aegisthus murder him. Roused by bad dreams, his son Orestes finds the body in bed. Feigning innocence, Clytemnestra curses the murderer, while the surviving Trojan glories in the death of the enemy commander: Troy is avenged. Recognizing that he is in danger, Orestes goes into hiding with Pylades until the murderer is identified, and sends a report that, unhinged with grief, he threw himself off a cliff into the sea, and that Pylades also went over trying to stop him. Aegisthus, the next in line, ascends the throne and marries Clytemnestra. She bears him a son, establishing his dynasty, and in celebration he proclaims a general pardon for all crimes. Orestes and Pylades consult the witch Canidia, who shows them a vision of Clytemnestra and Aegisthus committing the murder. They return to court in disguise. Their plotting is overheard by Misander, and they kill him to preserve secrecy, but are immediately arrested. In judging the case, Aegisthus faces two problems: the crime is covered by the general pardon, and each defendant, seeking to save the other, claims that he alone was the murderer. Aegisthus decides not to pass a death sentence on either, and is further impressed when Pylades introduces Orestes as a doctor who has perfected the secret of rejuvenation. Aegisthus asks for a demonstration, using himself and Clytemnestra as the subjects. Agamemnon’s…
The Bloody Brother (Rollo, Duke of Normandy)
Fletcher, John; Massinger, Philip; Field, Nathan (?) · 1617 · Tragedy · King's Men
The old Duke of Normandy has left his dukedom to be shared by his two sons, Rollo and Otto, but the brothers are mutually antagonistic. Civil war is averted by the intervention of their mother Sophia, and they agree to celebrate the new accord at a banquet. Latorch persuades Rollo to renege on the truce, but proposes to dispose of Otto by craft rather than by force, and suborns the kitchen staff preparing the banquet to poison Otto's food. At the feast, however, Otto is off his food and will not eat. Rollo pretends to take offence, claiming that Otto's reluctance is tantamount to accusing him of a poisoning attempt, and leaves the banquet. He later murders Otto in their mother's presence, and sends Latorcb to convince the citizens that he was acting in self-defence. Gisbert and Baldwin, two senior courtiers, are beheaded for refusing to abet his usurpation; a third, Aubrey, recognizes that, the murder notwithstanding, Rollo is the only legitimate heir left. Rollo makes it known that the poisoning plot was instigated by Otto, and has the caterers hanged. Rollo proves to be a tyrant who preys not only on his nobles but also his meaner subjects. Among the latter is Allan , Gisbert's servant, who is condemned to death for burying his executed master; his brother Hamond, the Duke 's Captain of the Guard, cannot persuade Rollo to spare him. Latorch asks permission to have Rollo's horoscope cast; his objective is to get the astrologers to foretell danger to the Duke's life from a…
The Raging Turk, or Bajazet the Second
Goffe, Thomas · 1618 · Tragedy · at University;
Bajazeth’s youngest son Corcutus has _ himself crowned Emperor, but quickly repents and resigns the crown to his father. Understanding Bajazeth to have promised him the succession, he retires to academic life. Bajazeth’s younger brother Zemes also covets the crown and plots with the King of Armenia to seize it. The Armenian army is mobilized, but routed by the Turks under Achmetes. In battle, Achmetes encounters Zemes and fights him; Zemes pretends to have been killed, then flees to Rome, where he takes refuge with Pope Alexander. Achmetes divorces his wife for adultery and so offends her father, the Pasha Isaac. Isaac tells Bajazeth that Achmetes negligently allowed Zemes to escape and then boasted of killing him. At a banquet, Bajazeth gives Achmetes a robe, which turns out to be black. In Turkish practice, giving a black robe signifies that the recipient is condemned to death without recourse to law, but Achmetes is rescued by the janissaries, who threaten Bajazeth and force him to rescind the sentence. Bajazeth fetches home the Turkish army to counter Achmetes’ control of the janissaries, and buys time by proposing a war with Rome for harbouring Zemes. In fact, he has written asking the Pope to kill Zemes, and Alexander has agreed to do so at a convenient time; he is spared the labour when Zemes drops dead of guilt. Meanwhile Bajazeth’s plans for war are opposed by two of his sons; he has them strangled and stabs Achmetes himself, but soon regrets the murders. Bajazeth’s…
Technogamia, or The Marriages of the Arts
Holyday, Barten · 1618 · Academic Comedy · at University;
Astronomia has several suitors: Geographus (whom her mother dislikes), Geometres (whom her friends favour), and Poeta (who has recently jilted Historia to pursue her). Against her kinsman Polites’ advice, Historia still wants to marry Poeta, consummating the long-standing association between history and the poetic imagination. Poeta quarrels with Grammaticus, and Logicus becomes involved in the ensuing affray. Unsure whether to fight a duel with Poeta or sue him for assault, Logicus sets both courses in train. Hearing that Poeta has been hurt in the fight, Historia sends to Medicus for help, but Magus, who is helping Geometres, sees an opportunity to dispose of one of his client’s rivals, and persuades Medicus to send poison instead. Medicus’ man, Sanguis, delivers the poison, but spots that it isn’t medicine. Poeta infers Historia's treachery, but persuades himself out of absolute misogyny by thinking of Astronomia. To reconcile Poeta with Logicus and Grammaticus, Ethicus arranges a banquet. Several of the wooers use magical help in their suits. Poeta meets two gipsies, who pick his- pocket and foretell that he will marry Astronomia. Using sieve- divination, Magus predicts that Geometres will marry Astronomia, and will achieve this mainly through hypnotism, with a little pharmaceutical help. (Geometres finds the third option, conjuration, too frightening to try.) However, when Astronomia drinks the supposed love philtre at Ethicus’ feast, it poisons her. Meanwhile, Poeta…
Nero (Piso's Conspiracy)
Anonymous · 1619 · Tragedy · Unknown
The Emperor Nero celebrates his latest triumph : not a military victory, but success in a singing and acting competition against the Greeks; he also has one of his critics executed. He gives a performance in the role of Orestes; the theatre is guarded so that the audience cannot escape, and those who do not respond with due enthusiasm are marked down for execution. Deciding that he has treated Rome too lenien:tly, he has the city burned down . The wind blows the fire back towards the palace, and his own possessions are destroyed. . Antonius loves _ the Empress Poppaea, despite Petronius' efforts to persuade him to settle for someone of lower rank. Poppaea refuses Antonius, preferring Nymphidius, who has cultivated her affections as a means to make himself Emperor. Scaevinus broaches --a conspiracy to assassinate Nero, thinking it demeaning to have _an Emperor so dedicated to artistic pursuits. Piso is recruited, and the plotters discuss the best way to assassinate Nero; but they are overheard by the freedman Milichus, who reports them to Nero. Piso commits suicide; other conspirators are arrested, and Nero institutes a purge of their sympathizers. Petronius is arrested and executed simply because Tigellinus has -a score to settle with him. A young man is executed merely for pitying Piso's death; Poppaea tries to save him because he resembles a former lover of hers, so Nero kicks her to death in a rage. News arrives from France that Vindex has revolted and chosen · Galba as…
All's Lost by Lust
Rowley, William · 1619 · Tragedy · Prince Charles's Men (first) · Phoenix/Cockpit;Indoor Professional
Spain is threatened by an invasion of Moors, but an ancient curse prevents King Roderick from opening his treasury to pay his troops. Julianus is appointed general and goes to the war. Roderick’s intention is to get Julianus out of the way while he attempts to seduce Jacinta, his daughter; Lothario engages a professional bawd to help. Jacinta resists Roderick’s advances, so he rapes her. She is then imprisoned in Lothario’s custody, but she escapes while he is asleep. Meanwhile, Antonio is in love with the base-born Margaretta, and procures her family’s consent to marry her before he leaves for the war. At the front, the Moors are reluctant to give battle, and seem undermanned. Antonio is attracted to Dionysia, the Castellan’s pugnacious daughter, and she encourages his advances. Lazarello advises him to keep quiet about his existing marriage, and pay Margaretta off. Margaretta learns that Antonio has married Dionysia bigamously, and sends her brother to the wars with a letter for him. Antonio is in a dilemma: he loves both women. Lazarello proposes that he should take Antonio’s place at the consummation of his marriage with Margaretta: she will mistake him for Antonio in the dark, and afterwards will be too ashamed to claim her husband. The plan is successful only to the extent that Lazarello is taken to be Antonio by the vindictive Margaretta: she strangles him in his bed. Julianus returns from war victorious, but Roderick orders him to stay away from court, and demands…
The Courageous Turk, or Amurath the First
Goffe, Thomas · 1619 · Tragedy · at University;
Amurath the Turk is diverted from his programme of European conquest when, having subdued Greece, he falls in love with a Greek concubine, Eumorphe, and marries her. He asks his tutor Lala-Schahin to furnish a wedding masque about the classical gods’ amours; Lala-Schahin does so, but appends a second masque in which Fame extols the military glory of dead heroes. His objective is to turn Amurath back to martial pursuits, since there is no need for him to marry: he has already produced enough heirs. Amurath is troubled, but also melancholy at the limitations his royal status imposes on his love-life. Schahin dresses up as the ghost of Amurath’s father and, as he goes to his marriage bed, rebukes him for squandering his imperial legacy. Amurath beheads Eumorphe in her sleep and plans to attack Europe again. There is discord in the Christian ranks, and the Turks are victorious: many Christians are slain. The prisoners of war are recruited to Amurath’s service as an elite bodyguard of janissaries. Amurath negotiates a marriage treaty between his son Bajazeth and the daughter of the King of Phrygia; this secures him further territorial control in Asia Minor. Amurath breaks off his European campaign to suppress a rebellion by his son-in-law Aladin. He invades Caramania and burns its cities; Aladin is routed, but uses his wife and children to secure Amurath’s pardon. Amurath turns his attention back to Serbia, and appoints Aladin to lead one wing of the army. A series of portents…
The Noble Spanish Soldier (The Noble Soldier, or A Contract Broken Justly Revenged)
Dekker, Thomas · 1622 · Tragedy · Unknown
The King of Spain claims to have doubts about the legality of his marriage: he was pre-contracted to Onaelia and had an illegitimate son by her. He sends the Cardinal to Onaelia with an offer to have the marriage annulled; she will then be instated as Queen of Spain and her son legitimized. She accepts, and hands over her marriage contract for redrafting. But it is only a ruse to get hold of the document, and the King burns it in the presence of his council. Meanwhile, having heard that the King is considering renewing his contract to Onaelia, Queen Paulina feigns pregnancy; any divorce will thus entail the unpopular step of bastardizing his unborn child. Onaelia’s uncle, the Duke of Medina, swears revenge on the King and begins to assemble a faction. The despised soldier Balthazar offers his services to assassinate the King, but when Onaelia refuses, says that he was only testing her. With the King’s complicity, Paulina engages Balthazar to murder Onaelia and her son Sebastian, but he betrays the plot to Medina, to whom he owes allegiance. Medina counter-plots: Balthazar is to report back that Sebastian has been killed but that Onaelia was too well protected; in reality, Sebastian will be hidden in a monastery. Medina tests Balthazar’s fidelity and the King’s malice by disguising himself as a French doctor and offering the King his services as a poisoner; the King’s acceptance of the offer as a second murder option should Balthazar fail, and Balthazar’s outrage, both tell…
Herod and Antipater
Markham, Gervase; Sampson, William · 1622 · Tragedy · Red Bull (Revels) Company (first) · Red Bull;Outdoor Professional
Queen Alexandra attempts to flee to Egypt with her son, the High Priest Aristobulus, after King Herod commands a bloody purge of their family. Herod’s troops arrive in time only to seize their luggage, but they are found hiding inside. Herod makes a public gesture of sparing them, but has his bastard son Antipater arrange an ‘accidental’ drowning for Aristobulus during a swimming contest. Herod backed the wrong side in the recent Roman civil war between Mark Antony and Augustus. He goes to Rome to make his peace with Augustus, the new master of the Empire, leaving Antipater with instructions to kill Mariam, the Queen, in the event of his failure. When Herod presents himself, Augustus offers two slaves the chance to murder him: the Briton conscientiously refuses, whereas the Roman eagerly accepts the job. But Augustus was only toying with Herod: he rewards the British slave, has the Roman thrown into the sea, and confirms Herod in his kingdom as an ally of Rome. Mariam learns that Herod has ordered her death, which compounds his crime in killing Aristobulus. Antipater, who seeks the crown, draws inspiration from Hell, and is shown a vision of the murder of Agamemnon. He procures false witnesses to accuse Mariam of attempting to poison her husband in order to facilitate an incestuous liaison with his brother. Herod sentences them both to death; he later changes his mind and tries to reprieve Mariam, but is too late. His two sons, Alexander and the younger Aristobulus, raise…
The Bondman (The Noble Bondman)
Massinger, Philip · 1623 · Tragicomedy · Lady Elizabeth's Men · Phoenix/Cockpit;Indoor Professional
Carthage has territorial designs on Sicily, so Corinth sends its general, Timoleon, to take charge of the defence of Syracuse. On arrival, he criticizes the Sicilians for appointing unworthy and inexperienced senators and for general corruption. He decrees that all private wealth should be sequestered to pay for the war. It is an unpopular measure until Cleora public- spiritedly gives up her jewels, forcing the others to follow her example. Cleora has several suitors, including Pisander of Thebes; but her brother Timagoras, keen for her to marry his friend Leosthenes, slandered Pisander to induce their father to send him away. Now that the young men are going to war, Leosthenes is jealous about what she may get up to in his absence, so she promises literally not to see or say anything until his return. The slaves of Syracuse take advantage of the absence of the army and rebel, enslaving their former masters. The ringleader is Cleora’s slave Marullo, who claims to be motivated by unrequited passion for his mistress, but, when he gains access to her, disclaims any intention of raping her and receives in return a wordless acknowledgement of her regard for him. He encourages the former slaves to treat their former masters well, since their positions may again be reversed. News arrives of a victory over the Carthaginians, with particular military distinction achieved by Leosthenes. The rebellious slaves man the city’s walls and gates to keep out the returning army; from the…
Rule a Wife and Have a Wife
Fletcher, John · 1624 · Comedy · King's Men
Perez, gathering his troops in preparation for an expedition to Flanders, is visited by the veiled Estefania. She piques his interest by refusing to show her face; on their second meeting, he woos her, hastily marries her, abandons his military career, and moves into what she claims to be her house, bringing with him what he claims to be a trunk of jewels. In fact the house belongs to Margarita; Estefania is no lady but a former servant. Margarita intends to marry, but when her older confidantes remind her of the joys of promiscuity, she decides on a husband who will be content to be cuckolded. Her waiting-woman Altea recommends Leon, who has just evaded military recruitment by feigning folly, and who agrees to be his wife’s subordinate in the marriage, no better than her household servants. The newlyweds arrive unexpectedly at Margarita’s city house, surprising Estefania and her husband. Estefania claims that she has lent the house to Margarita (whom she claims as a kinswoman), to facilitate the cozening of a lover. Perez moves temporarily into lodgings, whereupon Estefania steals the contents of his trunk. She later discovers the jewels to be counterfeit, and gets her own back by encouraging Perez to take possession of ‘his’ house; when he attempts to do so, he is rebuffed by Leon. She presents the jewels to the rich tradesman Cacafuego, persuading him that they are a love-gift from Margarita. In return, he gives her money which she hands over to Perez: evidently she has…
The Duchess of Suffolk
Drue, Thomas · 1624 · History · Prince Palatine's (Palsgrave's) Men
King Edward VI orders the widowed Duchess of Suffolk to marry the Count Palatine, newly elected the . King of Poland. Other aristocratic suitors present themselves, but she contracts herself to her servant Bertie. Bishops Gardiner and Bonner are imprisoned, and Bonner swears revenge when the Duchess insults him. Queen Mary succeeds to the throne, releases the imprisoned bishops and appoints them commissioners to exterminate heresy. Bonner has Bertie arrested, but permits him to go abroad; he then has the Duchess arrested and her household broken up. Forced to choose which of its members will remain in her service, she selects Cranwell above Fox, who takes it badly. Bonner’s men have little success in detaining the Duchess and her associates: Dr Sandys escapes by impersonating a workman, and the Duchess also sneaks out of London with Cranwell, her baby daughter, and its nurse. The workmen are arrested and brought before Bonner, who orders them burned, but forgets about them when he hears news of the Duchess’s whereabouts. He goes with Fox to Leigh, where she and her remaining household have assembled in disguise at Gosling’s house, but Fox helps them to escape by ‘accidentally’ knocking Bonner into a well. The Duchess and Bertie meet at Emden. Still wanted by the English authorities, they decide to travel separately, but Bertie is concerned for his wife’s safety and is on hand to rescue her from being raped when her party is attacked by thieves. The nurse first flees with the…
The School of Compliment (Love Tricks)
Shirley, James · 1625 · Comedy · Lady Elizabeth's Men · Phoenix/Cockpit;Indoor Professional
Selina and Hilaria have each attracted the attention of several suitors. Selina’s brother Antonio is one of those interested in Hilaria; and Hilaria’s recently widowed father Rufaldo, who disapproves of Antonio and would rather she married the wealthy Bubulcus, would nevertheless like Selina for his second wife. Antonio has his friend and servant distract Rufaldo while he sneaks in to visit Hilaria; they do it by persuading Rufaldo that he has been miraculously rejuvenated. Selina’s father is happy to let her have her own way in ===== PAGE 140 ===== her love-life, because her sister Felice absconded after he interfered in hers. He proposes that she should be cautious about marrying Rufaldo, but she declares enthusiasm for the idea and asks for a hasty wedding; on the appointed day, however, she disappears and goes to live in the country disguised as a shepherd. Felice’s abandoned suitor Gasparo sets up a school of compliment to teach people refined behaviour. His clients include: Bubulcus, who wants to learn how to woo Hilaria and scorn Antonio; Delia, a chambermaid keen to brush up her etiquette: a judge who wants to learn how to address the jury; Medulla, a social-climbing widow; an old countryman who wants to turn his oafish son into a courtier; a quarrelsome gentleman; Ingeniolo, a justice’s clerk in love; and Jenkin, an amorous Welshman in search of poetry to turn a shepherdess’s head. The search for Selina sends several people off to the country, including her true…
The Elder Brother
Fletcher, John; Massinger, Philip · 1625 · Comedy · King's Men · Blackfriars;Indoor Professional
Louis wishes his lazy daughter Angelina would take more exercise, but her woman Sylvia has a better idea: she should get married. Unfortunately Angelina has high standards: when Louis proposes one or other of Brisac’s sons, Charles the scholar and Eustace the courtier, she objects that neither will have the money to keep her as she would wish. Louis pursues the idea anyway, but the bookish Charles, who has only ever seen one woman, his mother, has been put off marriage by the bad examples of antiquity. Louis is willing to accept Eustace, the younger brother, so long as Brisac agrees to disinherit Charles. Much to the disgust of Charles’s uncle, Miramont, a legal instrument is drawn up for the purpose. Charles seems unconcerned by his father’s plans, until he sees Angelina, whereupon he changes his mind about women, refuses to sign away his birthright, and woos the girl himself. She finds him more attractive than Eustace, and the wedding is aborted. Brisac throws him out; Angelina goes with him, and they live together in unmarried chastity. Spurred on by his father, Eustace visits them at night and tries to seize Angelina, but Charles puts up a fight and takes Eustace’s sword from him. Brisac has arranged for Charles’s servant Andrew to marry Lily, and given the couple a farm; but in reality Lily is his mistress and, on the same night as the brothers fight, he visits her for sex. Andrew brings Miramont to the farm to see the liaison for himself, and intervenes as Brisac is…
Wine, Beer, and Ale Together by the Ears (Wine, Beer, Ale, and Tobacco Contending for Superiority)
Anonymous · 1625 · Dialogue
There is dissension among the servants of Wine, Beer, and Ale: the drunken, quarrelsome Toast picks a fight with Sugar, who is also in his master’s bad books for excessive womanizing. The masters also bicker: Beer wants to take the wall, and Wine asserts his social superiority. Ale arrives in time to see Wine challenge Beer toa duel, and tries to make the peace. Unfortunately he does it by insisting that he is their better, on grounds of antiquity, learning, and property (for there are many houses named after him). This only exacerbates the situation. Water arrives and asks to adjudicate the argument and reconcile them. He allows them all their own distinctive application: Wine for courtiers and gallants, Beer for citizens, and Ale for country people. The altercation is resolved, though it takes a little more persuasion to get Toast, who has brought a knife in his master’s defence, to put it away. Wine, Beer, and Ale sing a song, and the characters dance. B-Text In this version, business in which Wine smokes a pipe of tobacco is omitted, and Tobacco introduced as a character: he interrupts the festive ending before the characters can dance, insisting that he too is a kind of drink and is the best of all. Afraid of his power to seduce men against them, the other drinks invite him to join them on equal terms, and Tobacco agrees, In the dance, each of the servants is appropriately applied to his master: Sugar is shaken ver Wine, Nutmeg grated over Beer, and Toast has his…
The Knave in Grain, New Vamped
D., J. · 1625 · Comedy · Unknown · Fortune;Outdoor Professional
Jorezzo, banished after his father’s conviction for treason, has returned to Venice under the alias Julio, confiding his identity only to his old schoolfellow Franciscus. He plans to raise his fortunes by marrying Franciscus’ sister Phemone. Unfortunately for him, she is already in love with Antonio; so he tells Franciscus that Antonio is attempting to seduce his wife Cornelia. The jealous Franciscus fights a duel with Antonio, leaves him for dead, and goes into exile. Antonio is found and nursed bya shepherd. Franciscus’ property is seized by the state, and Cornelia’s father, believing the accusation of adultery, turns her out of his house; Phemone leaves Venice with her. They are given shelter by the disguised Antonio, but do not realize his identity. Antonio’s father Arbaces offers a reward for the capture of the fugitive Franciscus, who is living in disguise near Venice. Julio seeks him out, pretending remorse, but really intending to claim the «reward. Franciscus accepts his company, but sneaks off to fetch Arbaces and the watch. Franciscus is arrested and brought before the Duke. At first he is condemned for Antonio’s murder, but the judgement is reversed when Antonio himself comes to the court. Franciscus generously asks the court to spare Julio, but his plea backfires when he lets it slip that Julio is really Jorezzo, the son of a traitor. The Duke sentences him to be branded on the forehead with the word ‘knave’, then banished. In the sub-plot, Stultissimo comes off…
Fuimus Troes (The True Trojans)
Fisher, Jasper · 1625 · History · at University;
The Romans have invaded Gaul. Caesar reaches the northern shore and thinks himself at the edge of the world, until he sees the white cliffs across the Channel: a new land to conquer. To justify a war, he sends Volusenus to make an offer of peace, expecting the Britons to refuse; Volusenus will also spy out the country in preparation for the Roman assault. News of the Roman invasion plans reaches King Cassibelan, who mobilizes his troops and allies. When Volusenus presents the terms, which require the Britons to pay tribute and send hostages, Cassibelan is advised to reject them, and does. Commius the Gaul makes a last effort to encourage him to come to terms, but is imprisoned for his pains. Caesar invades Britain, but sustains heavy casualties trying to get his troops ashore. Duke Nennius defeats Caesar in the battle, but is killed by Caesar’s poisoned sword. The celebration of the British victory is offset by Nennius’ state funeral. Cassibelan came to power by murdering a previous king and depriving his son Mandubrace of his throne. Seeking revenge, Mandubrace allies himself with Caesar, who agrees to launch a second attack on Britain. Against advice, Cassibelan decides to allow the Romans to land and face them in an inland battle. A storm wrecks forty of Caesar’s ships, and initially the Briton army has the upper hand. The tide turns after many of the British petty kingdoms switch their allegiance to Mandubrace, and Cassibelan realizes that the island will be conquered.…
Aristippus, or The Jovial Philosopher
Randolph, Thomas · 1626 · Academic Entertainment
Simplicius asks after the philosopher Aristippus in the Dolphin tavern, but is served the wine of the same name. On finding the right Aristippus, he enrols as a pupil, and is sworn in with an oath taken in drink. Aristippus encourages him to renounce beer and drink sack instead, to stay up at night, and to sleep in the morning. The Wild Man, who favours beer, beats Aristippus out of the tavern with the help of two brewers. However, he is quickly persuaded of the error of his ways, and seeks to make amends by fetching a surgeon to mend the philosopher’s head. The boastful Medico de Campo - who claims that he has treated many a world leader, and could even cure decapitation by making an artificial head - restores Aristippus to health with a draught of sack. For his reward, he asks that the Wild Man be forgiven, and the Wild Man promises that in future he will be Aristippus’ faithful disciple.
The Valiant Scot
W., J. · 1626 · History · Unknown
PLOT Scotland is under English rule. An attempt is made to dispossess Old Wallace of his office and lands; but Old Wallace partially circumvents it by transferring ownership of the land to his son. King Edward plans to make war on France, and appoints Bruce his general. Scotland is left in the charge of Queen Elinor and a panel of commissioners. Young Selby, son of one of the commissioners, abducts Peggy Graham, intending to marry her by force. Wallace intervenes and kills Young Selby in a duel. Commissioner Selby arrests Peggy and threatens her with execution for the murder. Wallace gives himself up, and Peggy is released. His own execution is forestalled when the Queen orders him brought to court for interrogation. He escapes en route, marries Peggy, and becomes a rebel. Friar Gertrid prophesies that he will be victorious until betrayed by his own blood. The English capture Peggy, Gertrid, and Old Wallace, and Selby has them killed. King Edward sends Wallace an ultimatum: if he will surrender and beg for mercy, he may be spared. Wallace sends an alternative ultimatum back: if Edward will admit himself to be a tyrant, he may be spared. Upon discovering that one of the ambassadors, the Queen’s nephew, has no diplomatic accreditation, he puts the young man to death. He then cuts out an ambassador’s tongue and blinds another, and accompanies them back to King Edward disguised as a lame soldier. The English plan to entice Wallace into a trap, and send another messenger to…
Apollo Shroving
Hawkins, William · 1627 · Comedy
The people are summoned to do Shrovetide homage to Apollo and'present any grievances they may have; it is rumoured that many will be indicted for encroaching on the god’s prerogative, Novice gets himself enrolled in Compliment’s school of etiquette, which is currently fashionable. Compliment hopes to be granted a licence to run his school, and asks Lauriger to intercede with Apollo to that end. He tries to cheat his rich pupil Jingle, who ===== PAGE 261 ===== LGo2y. pays monthly fees, by reckoning a month as four weeks, so that there are thirteen months in the year. At Apollo’s court, Compliment is launched into the air with fireworks, and his page Implement is sentenced to a year repairing damaged school books. Jingle is sentenced to spend all his inheritance on bodily pleasure, leaving him with nothing to live on in his old age. Novice is simply sent back to school. Amphibius is in love after receiving an amorous letter from Queen Hedone, delivered by Siren, but his friend Philoponus points out that the address is in a different handwriting from the letter: it is a forgery. In fact, Siren is tempting many votaries of Apollo to apostasy. She also attempts to seduce Lauriger into devotion to Hedone, but he resists her alluring song. At the court, Siren is exposed as an ugly monster. For overestimating his academic abilities, Retro was awarded a three-year penance of only being able to speak backwards. His father seeks Apollo’s clemency, and it is granted. Ludio, who prefers…
Albovine, King of the Lombards
Davenant, William · 1628 · Tragedy · Unacted
Before the start of the action, King Albovine killed a vanquished king and took his daughter Rhodolinda prisoner; another prisoner of war, Paradine, has risen to be his favourite. Albovine marries Rhodolinda, but at the wedding banquet he drunkenly forces her to drink from a cup made of her father’s skull. She responds by refusing to consummate the marriage. Hermegild, who has a grudge against Paradine, encourages Albovine to make advances to Paradine’s wife, Valdaura, but then arranges for Rhodolinda to witness the encounter and tells her that Albovine is promiscuous. She swears revenge and promises to take Hermegild as her second husband if he will help her. Valdaura spends every night away from her nuptial bed, claiming that Rhodolinda requires her overnight attendance. A court lady, Thesina, offers to arrange an opportunity for the frustrated Paradine to sleep with his own wife. The following morning, however, he learns that his nocturnal partner was Rhodolinda. She tells hirn of Valdaura’s adultery and demands that he ki}} Albovine, or be denounced as a rapist. Hermegild sees to it that Valdaura eavesdrops on the meeting, arouses her jealousy, and gives her a slow-acting poison with which to kill her husband; his plan is to ensure that Paradine kills Albovine before the poison takes effect. Yaidaura pretends to adetintster the poison and goads Paradine into killing her; but she dies affirming that the pyisoning was only a bluff. At Hermiegild’s instigation. Paradine |is…
Lodovic Sforza, Duke of Milan
Gomersall, Robert · 1628 · Tragedy
Sforza is ambitious to rule Milan even though primogeniture has passed him by, leaving him as merely the Protector to his nephew, the Duke Galeazzo. He invites the King of France, who covets the throne of Naples, to invade Italy to press his claim by force, relying on French support for his own usurpation of Milan. He then poisons Galeazzo, and attempts to dispose of the two poisoners; but one of them, Vitellio, survives and plans revenge using forged documents which implicate Sforza in the crime. After the coronation, rumours of foul play begin to circulate. Vittellio is caught lurking around Sforza’s bedchamber, intending to murder him, so Sforza has him strangled. Caiazzo plans to murder Isabella, Galeazzo’s widow, as she visits his tomb, but realizes that he could do better for himself by marrying her. She refuses him, but he promises her revenge on Sforza as a mark of his good faith, When she remains resolute, he threatens to ===== PAGE 305 ===== 1628 rape her, but is prevented by Sforza’s arrival. He claims she tried to persuade him to assassinate Sforza, but the Duke takes no reprisals. Sforza is visited by Galeazzo’s ghost, who foretells that he will fall from power and die in prison, Meanwhile, the French take Naples with ease, frustrating Sforza’s exit strategy: he was expecting them to be tied down in a long war, giving him time to co-ordinate Italian forces to expel them. The French King is taken ill at a tennis match and dies. The deposed Neapolitan ruler…
The Deserving Favorite
Carlell, Lodowick · 1629 · Tragicomedy · King's Men · before the Court;Blackfriars;Indoor Professional
Before the start of the action, Utrante and Orsinio were suspected of poisoning a member of the royal family: Orsinio was banished and, for a time, Utrante imprisoned, his lands confiscated. Nevertheless Orsinio's son, Lysander, has prospered: the Duke saved his life after a hunting accident, took him into favour, and intervened to secure his estate when his uncle mounted a legal claim against him. He has become secretly betrothed to Utrante's daughter, Clarinda; but now the Duke has fallen in love with her too. Lysander feels he must stand aside in his patron's favour, not only because of his personal obligations to the Duke but also because he knows that, if balked, the Duke could make life difficult, or short, for Clarinda's father. Clarinda, however, will not accept Lysander's withdrawal or the Duke's suit. Not knowing of her prior engagement, Utrante pressurizes her, and she asks to postpone the decision for a month, intending to force a fait accompli by marrying Lysander in the interim. Jacomo discovers the secret romance and arranges for the Duke to witness an assignation between the lovers. He offers to murder Lysander, against whom he has a grudge, but the Duke refuses, preferring the honourable option: a duel. The rivals fight in the forest; both are wounded, but the Duke gets the worst of it. They are found by the Princess, Cleonarda, who takes Lysander back to her hunting lodge, leaving the Duke's body for later collection. It has gone when her servants come back…
The Northern Lass
Brome, Richard · 1629 · Comedy · King's Men · Blackfriars;Globe;Indoor Professional;Outdoor Professional
Against the advice of his kinsman Triedwell, Sir Philip Luckless has contracted to marry Mistress Fitchew, a rich lawyer’s widow. He has second thoughts when he meets his future brother-in-law, the idiot Widgeon, and realizes that he may have allied himself to bad stock. Mistress Trainwell comes to remind him that he is already committed to marry the northern lass Constance, but he is unco-operative, calling Constance a whore and Trainwell a bawd. It later emerges that Constance sent Trainwell in the naive belief that a kiss from Luckless at a fleeting encounter was a binding offer of marriage. Triedwell attempts to save Luckless by dissuading Fitchew from the match. His arguments about the discontents of wifely obedience make no headway: Fitchew has already had her own dominance written into the marriage contract. Moreover, Triedwell falls 1629 in love with her himself. Fitchew suspects Luckless is trying to wriggle out of his obligations. When Luckless proposes having the marriage solemnized early, she takes it to be a bluff, and calls it; by that evening, they are married. They are presented with a wedding masque of forsaken lovers; Triedwell wears the willow for Fitchew and Constance for Luckless. This so offends Fitchew that she refuses to sleep with her new husband; Luckless regrets his hasty marriage. Constance falls into a melancholy over her lost love. Her uncle, the justice Sir Paul Squelch, tries to induce her to marry Nonsense, but she sees through an attempt to…
London's Tempe, or The Field of Happiness
Dekker, Thomas · 1629 · Civic Pageant
with his wife to visit their son, the Thames. Oceanus finds London much more peaceful than his own domain, which is troubled with sea-battles and piracy. On land, the Lord Mayor encounters an Indian boy riding an ostrich. On a forge, Vulcan is making arrows for Cupid. Jove orders him to stop and make some thunderbolts to strike the vices which have grown rampant. The bolts are to be made of iron, which Jove praises as the most essential of metals, greater even than gold. Titan, the heavenly sun god, has left his usual orbit to spend the next year circling the Lord Mayor. He advises impartial rule, and wishes London plenty, prosperity, and a temperate climate. Apollo, the earthly sun god, offers further good wishes, noting the kingdom's blessings of civil government rather than war. That night, Oceanus bids the Lord Mayor farewell, pointing out that even the sun has stayed up after sunset to say goodbye.
The Muses' Looking Glass
Randolph, Thomas · 1630 · Moral · King's Revels Company
Bird and Mistress Flowerdew, Puritan residents of Blackfriars, bring their wares to the theatre, but are appalled when Roscius tells them they have been ordered for use as props in a filthy stage play. Roscius argues that they themselves make a living from the vice of vanity, and invites them to see the play before they condemn it; he will give them a running commentary on its moral import. Despite Roscius’ high claims, Comedy and Tragedy seem initially more concerned about the order of their precedence; they agree to spend a year in competition, staging examples of their respective genres, and whichever is adjudged the better will thereafter have the theatre to herself. The play is a series of episodes showing specific virtues to be the mean: an excess or a deficiency constitutes a vice. A lack of courtesy makes Dyscolus churlishly ready to pick quarrels, whereas too much of it makes Colax sycophantic, to such an extent that he hangs around for the rest of the play flattering all the other vices. Aphobus is over-confident and Deilus cowardly, afraid of his own shadow: they have respectively too much fortitude and too little. Temperance is the next example, illustrated by Acolastus the epicure and Anaisthetus the ascetic, followed by liberality, missing in Aneleutherus the miser and carried to excess in Asotus the prodigal. The over-ostentatious Banausus, full of extravagant schemes for public works, overdoes magnificence, whereas Microprepes balks at replacing a church…
The Traitor
Shirley, James · 1631 · Tragedy · Queen Henrietta Maria's Men
PLOT Lorenzo plots against both the Duke and his political rivals. He induces Pisano to jilt his fiancée Amidea and transfer his affections to the wealthy Oriana, who loves Cosmo; this will block Cosmo’s political ascent by denying him Oriana’s money. Cosmo, motivated by male friendship, agrees to give up his girlfriend. The Duke is warned against Lorenzo, but when he publicly confronts Lorenzo with the letter of denunciation, the traitor argues plausibly that it is a malicious libel. The sexually undisciplined Duke is attracted to Amidea, and Lorenzo arranges an assignation for him, but also inflames her brother Sciarrha with a desire for revenge: the liaison is to be the occasion for the Duke’s assassination. When he comes to Sciarrha’s, the Duke is shown a moral masque rebuking royal lust, but he is so busy chatting up Amidea that he doesn’t watch the entertainment. He visits Amidea in her bedroom, but she keeps him off by threatening suicide, and he returns to his senses. Sciarrha is satisfied: he denounces Lorenzo to the Duke, but when Lorenzo is told that the assassination has taken place, with the Duke eavesdropping, the traitor disclaims all knowledge and again re-establishes his good faith. De Pazzi, Lorenzo’s ally, worries that his part in the treason will lead to his execution, and asks to be excused from further complicity; he gets his wish to leave court when the Duke banishes him. Oriana’s mother, believing Cosmo is a poor match while his enemy Lorenzo is in…
Rhodon and Iris
Knevet, Ralph · 1631 · Pastoral
: Aiming to sow dissension among the flowers, Poneria and Agnostus disguise themselves as a virtuous maiden and a wise man. Rhodon has recently breken off his suit to Eglantine, and is now expected to marry Iris. His sister Violetta appeals to him for help against the marauding Martagon, who has trampled on her flowers and forced her to live away from her home. Martagon conspires with Eglantine’s brother to forestall Rhodon’s match with Iris. The jilted Eglantine grows melancholy, but Poneria stops her killing herself and gets her to tart herself up for an assignation with Rhodon. It becomes clear that Martagon has no intention of making restitution to Violetta, so Rhodon will have to take him on by force: a floral war seems inevitable. Iris gives Rhodon a gern which makes the wearer victorious in battle; Violetta gives him a lettuce which guarantees sustenance and prevents poisoning. Martagon suborns Poneria to kill Rhodon, so she gives Eglantine a poison, telling her it is a love-philtre. Posing as Iris, Eglantine gives it to him, claiming it to be a restorative, and expects him to fall in love with her. Instead. he falls iJ, but is cured by the vegetable antidote from his sister. _ 2335. Rhodon and Iris | 499 Rhodon challenges. Martagon to single combat, but. he refuses: the full armies will settle it. Realizing that, since Rhodon is alive, Poneria’s plot has miscarried, Martagon orders her out-of his territory, so she goes to Rhodon and tells him. that it was Eglantine,…
The Ball
Shirley, James · 1632 · Comedy · Queen Henrietta Maria's Men · Phoenix/Cockpit;Indoor Professional
Lord Rainbow is to hold a ball. Ladies practise their dancing, coached by Monsieur La Frisk, and engage in amours. Lucina has four suitors whom she teases with the prospect of marriage. She plans to see each of them in turn, but unknown to her, her servant Scutilla conceals one of them, Colonel Winfield, in her room, and he witnesses her scornful treatment of his rivals: Sir Marmaduke is mocked for his money-making schemes, Sir Ambrose for his baldness, and Bostock, who habitually boasts of his imagined kinship with noblemen, is told she will only marry a commoner—which induces him to suggest that he may be illegitimate, and therefore eligible after all. The Colonel takes a more masterful line with her at his meeting. He then suggests to the other insulted suitors that they go back and treat her with contempt. Bostock nominates himself the spokesman, and is duly rude to her, whereupon the Colonel steps in to defend her honour. She agrees to marry him, on condition that he proves himself to be a virgin; he infers another jeer on her part, and takes offence. She is in earnest, however. She tests the Colonel’s fidelity by telling him that he will be taking on her debts and children (both imaginary) and that he will have to live in the country; when he is undaunted, she accepts him. In another plot, before leaving on a journey to Venice, Freshwater sold his land and laid out money to be paid back fivefold on his safe return. When he gets back, the men who took his money seem…
The Rival Friends
Hausted, Peter · 1632 · Comedy · before the Court;at University;
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,…
Hyde Park
Shirley, James · 1632 · Comedy · Queen Henrietta Maria's Men · Phoenix/Cockpit;Indoor Professional
In one plot, Carol has three suitors and, claiming to be averse to marriage, torments them all. Venture gives her a chain of pearl, and she gives it to his rival, Richer. Richer gives her a diamond ring, and she gives that to Venture. She agrees to grant a request from the third suitor, Fairfield, on condition that he is not asking her to love him, marry him, or have sex with him. In fact, he asks her not to love him, and not to desire his company. They try to avoid one another on a visit to Hyde Park, but she becomes jealous on seeing him with his sister, sends for him, and sparks fly. Venture writes her a letter threatening suicide on account of unrequited love. She forges Fairfield’s signature on it, confronts him with it, and offers marriage to save his life. He denies the letter, refuses marriage, and proposes to castrate himself instead. Finally they admit that they love one another, and become engaged. In a second plot, Trier is courting Julietta, but leaves her alone with the roué Lord Bonvile, who promptly tries to court her. His advances continue in Hyde Park, and she continues to resist them, hoping to convert him from loose living. Her admonitions begin to take effect, and Bonvile reflects critically on his way of life. Trier admits that he used Bonvile as a way of testing her chastity. Disgusted, she discomfits him by demanding corresponding proofs of his fitness to be her husband. She is more willing to entertain a newly modest proposal from Bonvile. In a third…
Love Crowns the End
Tatham, John · 1632 · Pastoral
Three days before the start of the action, Cliton became suspicious that his girlfriend Florida was interested in Lysander, and attacked her, leaving her for dead. Since then he has repeatedly returned to the place he left her body, but it has vanished. Looking for a lost lamb, Alexis finds Cliton asleep, hears his story, and decides that he must spend the rest of his life expiating the murder in contrition and penitence. A lustful shepherd, who is so ugly that he cannot get a date, threatens to rape Chloe, but she is rescued by Lysander. She falls in love with him, but he is only interested in Gloriana: having been loved by many, Chloe is now rejected by the man she loves. She goes mad, but the wood-nymphs find her and take her to Claudia, who cures her. Francisco, Lysander’s rival for Gloriana’s love, ambushes the couple with the assistance of two villains; they stab Lysander and carry off Gloriana. Lysander is found groaning by Claudia and Florida, who was not killed as Cliton supposed; Claudia cures him. Meanwhile Gloriana, thinking him dead, goes mad. She meets Cliton, now a hermit, who promises to restore her to Lysander. The characters gravitate towards Cliton’s cell, where Gloriana and Lysander are reunited, as are Cliton and Florida. Gloriana’s father Leon turns out to be a banished courtier; Lysander and Francisco both followed him into exile for the love of Gloriana. The servant Scrub brings news that the Duke who banished Leon has died, and that his lands are to…
The Young Admiral
Shirley, James · 1633 · Tragicomedy · Queen Henrietta Maria's Men · Phoenix/Cockpit;Indoor Professional
Cesario has provoked a war between Sicily and Naples by wounding the King of Sicily’s favourite, Horatio, and by refusing to marry his daughter, Rosinda; he is more interested in Cassandra, the girlfriend of the Neapolitan Admiral Vittori. He pesters her unsuccessfully while Vittori is away fighting the war, then has Vittori’s father Alphonso imprisoned. When Vittori returns in triumph, he finds the city gates shut against him on Cesario’s orders. Offered a reward by the King, Cesario’s father, Vittori asks for Alphonso’s freedom; the King agrees only on condition that Vittori and Cassandra go into exile. The banished pair are shipwrecked on the Neapolitan coast and fall into the hands of the regrouped Sicilian army. Cassandra is taken into Rosinda’s custody and Vittori offered a choice: if he agrees to lead the army against Naples, Cassandra’s life will be spared. Torn between love and honour, he chooses love. He goes to Naples, disguised as a herald, and tries to persuade the King to surrender; but Cesario complicates his dilemma by sending back the message that Alphonso will be executed if Vittori fights. The threat is a bluff: after the message is sent, Alphonso is appointed to command the Neapolitan army against his son. Rosinda is with the invasion forces because, despite everything, she loves Cesario. Cassandra writes to him to set up an assignation, intending that Rosinda should go in her place. Cesario agrees to come into the Sicilian camp for the meeting, but the…
A Maidenhead Well Lost
Heywood, Thomas · 1633 · Comedy · Queen Henrietta Maria's Men · Phoenix/Cockpit;Indoor Professional
Julia has given herself sexually to her flance, the Prince of Parma, but is now concerned that he mav have fost interest in her: she has been told of a dalliance between him and Lauretta. When lulia publicly strikes Eauretta, Parma breaks off the engagement. In fact, Julia’. informant, Stroza, was lying: he has a grudge agamoat ===== PAGE 406 ===== Lauretta’s father, General Sforza, and has also been working to secure his downfall by delaying the shipment of money and supplies to the front. News arrives that the war is won, but that Sforza, unable to pay his men, gave them everything he had and died of grief. His widow pays the soldiers’ arrears out of her estate and leaves Milan with Lauretta. Fearful of dishonour, Julia tries to persuade Parma to stay by telling him she is pregnant. He denies paternity — she consented so readily to pre-marital sex that, misled by Stroza, he believes she must also have had other men - and leaves anyway. Her father the Duke learns of the situation, and sends Stroza to fetch Parma back, dead or alive. Julia’s unborn child saves her from execution for her misdeed, and she goes into hiding until the baby is born. When it is, the Duke orders Stroza to dispose of it, and plans to conceal her shame with a hasty marriage to another foreign prince. Stroza leaves the baby in a grove to be found by passers-by; sure enough, when he returns a few hours later, it has gone, found by Parma and recognized as his own true issue. Lauretta and her mother are…
Love's Riddle
Cowley, Abraham · 1633 · Pastoral
Before the start of the action, Callidora was the victim of an attempted rape when she was alone in her absent parents’ house. Aphron, who was obsessed with her, broke into the house, but she hid in a corner and evaded him. Afraid of a second encounter, she borrowed a suit of her brother’s clothes and fled into the forest. Aphron went mad, and initially believed every woman he met to be Callidora. In the forest, the cross-dressed Callidora becomes ‘Callidorus’. She meets Alupis, a shepherd who sold his inheritance to see the city and came home penniless but with a witty devotion to pleasure. She takes him on as her man, and asks him to teach her indifference to love. She sets up home in the country, only to find that, seeming to be a beautiful youth, she attracts the amorous attentions of the local women, young and old. Palaemon is interested in marrying Hylace, but her father Melarnus refuses the match, thinking him too poor. But Hylace has only been leading him on, more interested in his gifts than himself. Alupis encourages him to turn the tables: she will come to heel if he treats her with masterful disdain; but when this doesn’t bring about her immediate devotion, he loses his nerve and tells her it was all a joke. Alupis decides to recruit her mother, the ancient but amorously inclined Truga, to support Palaemon’s suit. Though infatuated with ‘Callidorus’, Truga transfers her affections to Alupis when he speaks politely to her, and gives him a ring as a lover’s token.…
The Opportunity
Shirley, James · 1634 · Comedy · Queen Henrietta Maria's Men · Phoenix/Cockpit;Indoor Professional
Arriving in Urbino for the first time, Aurelio is surprised to find the inhabitants greeting him as a long-lost friend. It turns out that he looks identical to Borgia, who had been banished for killing the brother of Ursini, a court favourite. Accepted by Borgia’s father Mercutio, he seizes his opportunity and steps into his alter-ego’s shoes. They are summoned to court, where Ursini, in love with Borgia’s sister Cornelia, has procured a pardon for Borgia in order to gain the family’s favour. Complications arise when Aurelio falls in love with Cornelia himself, while the Duchess falls in love with him and appoints him her secretary. Aurelio decides to keep his options open, maintains his assumed identity, and pursues both ladies, circumventing any suspicion of incest by telling Cornelia that he is acting on Aurelio’s behalf: Aurelio fell for her on seeing her picture, he says, and engaged him to woo her. Other suitors have come to woo the Duchess, including the Duke of Ferrara, posing as his own ambassador; he takes offence at the favours shown to ‘Borgia’. There is a mix-up in the dark: posing as the Duchess, Cornelia tells ‘Borgia’ that she will marry Ferrara; then the Duchess arrives; ‘Borgia’ takes her for Cornelia, and, on hearing she is to marry Ursini, admits his true identity. Having overheard Cornelia’s comments, Ferrara arrives in Urbino in his own person to claim the Duchess as his bride, but she denies ever promising herself to him. Aurelio’s servant Pimponio…
The Example
Shirley, James · 1634 · Comedy · Queen Henrietta Maria's Men · Phoenix/Cockpit;Indoor Professional
Money troubles have driven Sir Walter Peregrine to go to war in Europe to keep him away from his creditors in England. In his absence, his wife Bellamia is being pursued by Lord Fitzavarice, who plies her with rich gifts. She chastely refuses him, but he feels that, since he is known to have courted her, it is a matter of honour that the seduction should succeed. He pursues her to her chamber and offers to surrender her husband’s mortgage if she will sleep with him, then pay off his debts £100 a time in return for subsequent nights of passion. When she still refuses him, he threatens rape, and she faints. The experience converts him from his louche ways: he is relieved to learn that she is not dead, and returns the mortgage anyway, impressed with her virtue. A captain comes from the Netherlands on a recruiting mission. Sir Walter takes the opportunity to accompany him and pays a flying visit to his wife. She proposes to pay his debts with Lord Fitzavarice’s gifts, but he assumes that these are the rewards of adultery and challenges the Lord to a duel. Fitzavarice, recognizing that he is obliged to answer the challenge, appoints Confident as his second. But Confident’s reputation for valour is undeserved: rather than have to prove it by fighting, he tips off Sir Walter’s creditors and has him arrested for his debts before the duel can take place. Lord Fitzavarice disowns the ploy and secures Sir Walter’s release by paying his debts. Sir Walter realizes that his suspicions…
The Conspiracy (Pallantus and Eudora)
Killigrew, Henry · 1635 · Tragedy · King's Men
Two foreign princes arrive on Crete after a storm. One is Clearchus, who is finding an excuse to land with a shipful of troops which he intends to use to rescue the Princess Hianthe from a forced marriage to the usurping King’s son, Timeus. The other is Pallantus, whose ship has been wrecked. Afterwards he discovers that this was a lucky escape: Timeus suborned the sailors to kill him. He disguises himself as a soldier and both he and Clearchus fall in with a group of courtiers who are conspiring to restore the rightful King, Cleander, to the throne. (Cleander disappeared in infancy when the present King seized power sixteen years ago, and was wrongly presumed murdered.) Timeus learns of the plot, but open rebellion breaks out before he can do anything about it: Clearchus’ troops storm the city, Hianthe is rescued, and Pallantus kills the usurping King. In the ensuing sack, Pallantus encounters the Princess Eudora, the King’s daughter, and falls in love with her. He later returns to her in his own person, and counters her objections to him as her father’s killer by producing the evidence that Timeus attempted to have him murdered. Meanwhile, Timeus and his associates take refuge in the fort. Pallantus is sent to parley with them, and succeeds in persuading him to abandon villainy and accept Cleander’s mercy. Timeus and Eudora are reunited, and Timeus shows remorse for the attempted murder of Pallantus. Eudora agrees to marry Pallantus, and the dead King is cremated.
The Coronation
Shirley, James · 1635 · Tragicomedy · Queen Henrietta Maria's Men · Phoenix/Cockpit;Indoor Professional
When King Theodosius seized power in Epirus, he agreed to make his opponent Cassander the next heir should he himself die without issue. Now his daughter Sophia is Queen and Cassander the Lord Protector during her minority. She appears to favour Cassander’s son Lysimachus as a potential husband, but this is only a stratagem to secure Cassander’s support for her forthcoming installation as Queen regnant. Wishing to find a legitimate way of killing Arcadius, Seleucus proposes settling a family feud by single combat with themselves acting as champions. Sophia agrees, and schedules the fight immediately after her coronation; but the two heads of the families disapprove and prevent it by announcing that they have settled their differences. Sophia now declares her choice of husband: not Lysimachus as expected, but Arcadius. Arcadius accepts, even though he has sworn a vow of constancy to Polydora. Seleucus is imprisoned when he protests, and the disappointed Cassander plots treachery. Macarius, Arcadius’ uncle, produces documentary evidence that the proposed marriage would be incestuous: Arcadius is really Sophia’s brother, Demetrius, Theodosius’ younger son, who was bestowed on Macarius in infancy for fear of Cassander’s ambition; his claim to the throne is therefore better than Sophia’s. He and Sophia both try to reactivate their former relationships, but Polydora and Lysimachus are both less than compliant. Cassander plans to pull off the same trick twice: he arranges Seleucus’…
Messalina, the Roman Empress
Richards, Nathaniel · 1635 · Tragedy · King's Revels Company
Having successfully competed with the prostitute Calpurnia to see which of them can sleep with more men in 24 hours, the Empress Messalina sets her sights on the chaste Silius as her lover. He is summoned to the brothel and successfully seduced. The Emperor Claudius leaves Rome for an annual religious ceremony. While he is away, Messalina’s debauchery has free rein. Romans are summoned to court to participate: the actor Mnester is tortured into compliance, and three women taking refuge with Lepida, Messalina’s mother, are murdered when they refuse to come. Messalina invokes the Furies to make her sexy, and resists Lepida’s attempts to persuade her to a chaste life; Lepida goes mad. Silius is sent to murder his wife, Silana, but finds himself unable to go through with it; instead he conceals from Messalina the fact that she is still alive. Messalina’s seduction programme is not universally successful: she identifies Montanus as a desirable sexual partner, but he resists her and flees Rome. She decides to go through a ceremony of marriage with Silius, and has a document of approval drawn up and authenticated with the imperial seal. A wedding masque is planned, in which the Vestal Virgins are to be raped; but Lepida overhears the arrangements being discussed, and rescues the Virgins through a secret passage before they are called on to perform. They are pursued by Messalina’s agents, but the earth swallows them and the Virgins are saved; the pander Saufellus is confronted by…
Hannibal and Scipio
1637 · Tragedy · Queen Henrietta Maria's Men · Phoenix/Cockpit;Indoor Professional
rebukes them, but finds himself attracted to one of the A MESSENGER, who brings news from Spain (1.5) local ladies. News from Spain snaps him out of it: BOMILCAR, Hannibal's kinsman Scipio has taken several Carthaginian cities. He decides SYPHAX, King of Numidia, a young, unmarried man; to attack Rome, but is recalled to Carthage before he later Sophonisba's first husband can do so. Carthage has recently lost an African ally, Masinissa, who has been wooed to the side of Rome. In an effort to counterbalance him, Hannibal goes to Numidia to seek an alliance with its king, Syphax. He also finds Scipio there, and suspects Syphax of treachery, but makes the offer anyway: Syphax's military support in return for marriage to Sophonisba, who was previously promised to Masinissa. The lady herself is reluctantshe still loves Masinissa and thinks herself above a petty king like Syphax-but Syphax is agreeable and the marriage goes ahead. The alliance does not help the Carthaginians: Masinissa defeats Syphax's forces in battle, takes Sophonisba prisoner, and marries her (even though Syphax, her husband, is still alive). Scipio wants her to be sent to Rome, but she takes poison rather than be handed over. Hannibal meets with Scipio and offers him a peace, but Scipio refuses, and Hannibal is routed in the ensuing battle. When he returns to Carthage, the Senate rebukes him for initiating unauthorized peace negotiations, and also suspects him of attempting to set himself up as a king. He…
The City Match
Mayne, Jasper · 1637 · Comedy · King's Men · before the Court;Blackfriars;Whitehall;Indoor Professional
After his father’s bankruptcy, Plotwell has been forced to give up his riotous, hedonistic life as a law student and now lives soberly in the household of his uncle, Warehouse. He and his sister Penelope have also given up their plans to marry Susan and Timothy, the son and daughter of the merchant Seathrift. Now Penelope has absconded from her duties as a seamstress. Suspecting that his nephew’s reformation may be only an act, Warehouse pretends to go on a long voyage abroad in the company of Seathrift, who has similar doubts about Timothy: in their absence, the two heirs will reveal their true character, observed by the old men’s spies. No sooner has Warehouse gone than Plotwell meets up with two friends from the Inns of Court and arranges to visit a newly arrived lady, Aurelia, who is actually Penelope in disguise. Plotwell plans to revive her proposed marriage to Timothy; she in turn plans to get him married to Susan, who has disguised herself as Aurelia’s Puritan waiting-woman. London flocks to see a display of a strange fish caught in the New World. It turns out that some tricksters have dressed up the drunken Timothy as a sea creature, and when he wakes there is speculation about how the ‘fish’ can speak. (He learned human language from years of being on display, the tricksters explain.) Plotwell and Timothy learn that Warehouse and Seathrift have drowned. Noting that their heirs are insufficiently upset by the news, the merchants reveal themselves and disinherit the…
The Rebellion
Rawlins, Thomas · 1638 · Tragedy · King's Revels Company
Machvile envies Antonio his popularity and also covets the crown. When the French, under Raymond the Moor, lay siege to Seville, Machvile engineers Antonio’s downfall at a council of war: he speaks for a military strategy, Antonio responds with a proposal to make peace, and the city’s Governor accuses Antonio of treason and cowardice; this provokes Antonio into killing the Governor. Antonio flees to his home, where he is appalled to find his sister Evadne kissing the tailor Giovanno. Before he can do more than protest, he is arrested by Machvile, who has succeeded to the governorship; but Giovanno and other tailors rescue him and he goes into hiding among them. Despite Giovanno’s help, Antonio is unable to sanction his love for Evadne, being bound by a deathbed promise to his father only to allow her to marry a nobleman. Machvile’s aggressive strategy is put into effect: the Spanish break out of their besieged city and defeat the French; Giovanno captures Raymond, but Machvile takes charge of the prisoner and banishes the heroic tailor. Planning to seize the Spanish throne, he proposes an alliance with Raymond to divide the country between them, planning all the while to kill the Moor once his object is achieved. Meanwhile the captive Raymond looks for a way to communicate with France and ask for additional troops. Antonio is told in a dream to flee, but is found, arrested, and sentenced to be ground to death in a mill. Aurelia, daughter of the captain of the mill, falls in…
The Lady's Trial
1639 · Comedy · Beeston's Boys · Phoenix/Cockpit;Indoor Professional
Since the customary number of sages is seven (as in Ausonius' Ludus septern sapientum), it is possible that the six masquing sages 1574 were complemented by a seventh in the audience — who else but the Queen? Compare 557.
The Bloody Banquet
Dekker, Thomas; Middleton, Thomas · 1639 · Tragedy · Queen Anne's Men (?)
Although peace between Lydia and Lycia is guaranteed by an exchange of hostages, the King of Lycia persuades the Lydian hostage, Lapyrus, to betray his country. When hostilities resume, Lydia solicits military assistance from Armatrites, King of Cilicia, who repels the invaders - but then seizes the Lydian throne. The Queen flees with her infant children into the forest, where Lapyrus rescues her from the advances of two soldiers. In remorse for his treachery, he gives her the opportunity to kill him, but she cannot bring herself to do it. He becomes her protector, and goes in search of food, but falls into a wolf-trap. One of the babies dies of starvation. The old King of Lydia rescues Lapyrus from the pit, but the Queen has gone when Lapyrus shows the King where he left her. Armatrites’ son, Zenarchus, promises Tymethes, the heir of Lydia, that he will give back the kingdom when he succeeds to the throne. Tymethes falls in love with Zenarchus’ sister, Amphridote, who has been promised in marriage to the court favourite Mazeres. Zenarchus and Tymethes visit the young Queen of Cilicia, whom Armatrites has jealously locked up in a castle. She conceives a passion for Tymethes, and bribes her keeper Roxano to arrange an assignation, with the proviso that Tymethes must not know her identity lest he boast of his conquest; but Mazeres also bribes Roxano to kill Tymethes, and his gold seems to weigh the heavier. Tymethes keeps the appointment, is taken to the Queen with a hood over…
The Strange Discovery
Gough, J. · 1640 · Romance
After the death of his daughter, Charicles decides to leave Egypt and return to Greece so that he can die at home. Before he can go, the Ethiopian legate entrusts him with the care of a maiden, whom he adopts as a daughter and names Chariclea; but the legate is expelled from Egypt before he can reveal more of the girl’s history. Back in Greece, Chariclea seems uninterested in men until she meets Theagenes, who has come to Delphos to participate in a religious ceremony. After that, they are both stricken with love-melancholy. A physician diagnoses Chariclea with green-sickness and prescribes sex, so Charicles plans to introduce her to his nephew, whom he hopes she will marry. The visiting Egyptian priest Calasiris realizes otherwise and helps her to abscond with Theagenes to Africa, taking with them a fascia which explains her origins. Chariclea is really the daughter of the King and Queen of Ethiopia. Her fortunes arise from her skin colour: her mother was looking at a picture of a white woman at the moment of conception, so the child too was born white; fearing a charge of adultery, she disposed of the baby and reported her dead. In Egypt, Theagenes attracts the interest of Arsace while her husband, the Deputy, is away at war with Ethiopia, but he is impervious to her advances, even when she has him imprisoned and scourged. Realizing that the problem lies in his love for Chariclea, Arsace plots to poison her, but the poisoned cup goes astray and it is the bawd Cybele who is…