If that be all, I’ll fit your turn, I warrant you. I am some kin to the Blounts,* and, I think, the bluntest of all my kindred; therefore, if I be too blunt with you, thank yourself for praying me to be so.
That swears, without exceptions, “I will have you”.
These foppets* that know not whether to love a man or no—except they first go ask their mothers’
leave—by this hand, I hate them ten times worse than poison.
Well, for her sake, I know what I know: I’ll never marry whilst I live except I have
one of these British ladies.* My humor* is alienated from the maids of France.*
That one life is not too dear for my good queen: this sword, this buckler,* this head, this heart, these hands, arms, legs, tripes, bowels, and all the members* else whatsoever, are at your dispose. Use me, trust me, command me; if I fail in
anything, tie me to a dung cart and make a scavenger’s horse* of me, and whip me so long as I have any skin on my back.
And as bad a tongue, if it be set on it, as any oysterwife* at Billingsgate* hath. Why, I have made many of my neighbors forsake their houses with railing* upon them, and go dwell elsewhere, and so, by my means, houses have been good cheap
in our parish. My tongue being well whetted* with choler* is more sharp than a razor of Palermo.*
Well said. Then this is thy trial: instead of carrying the king’s letters to my father,
carry thou these letters to my sister, which contain matter quite contrary to the
other. There shall she be given to understand that my father hath detracted* her, given out slanderous speeches against her, and that he hath most intolerably
abused me, set my lord and me at variance,* and made mutinies amongst the commons.*
It sufficeth; conceit,* it is already done. I will so tongue-whip him that I will leave him as bare of credit
as a poulter leaves a cony* when she pulls off his skin.
Were it not a mad jest* if two or three of my profession should meet me and lay me down in a ditch and play
rob-thief with me and perforce take my gold away from me whilst I act this stratagem,
and by this means the gray-beards should escape? Faith, when I were at liberty again I would make no more to do but
go to the next tree and there hang myself.
From France?*ʼZoons,* do I look like a Frenchman? Sure I have not mine own face on: somebody hath changed faces with me and I know
not of it. But I am sure my apparel is all English. Sirrah,* what meanest thou to ask that question? I could spoil the fashion* of this face for anger. A French face!
Well, if I once see Britain again, I have sworn I’ll ne’er come home without my wench,* and I’ll not be forsworn;* I’ll rather never come home while I live.
Nay, you’d have been so kind as take her with you, or else, were I as she,* I would have been so loving as I’d stay behind you.* Yet I must confess, you are a very proper* man, and able to make a wench do more than she would do.*
More bobs, more;* put them in still! They’ll serve instead of bombast;* yet put not in too many, lest the seams crack and they fly out amongst you again.
You must not think to outface me so easily in my mistress’ quarrel,* who if I see once again, ten team of horses shall not draw me away till I have full
and whole possession.
Well, you are two to one; I’ll give you over;* and since I see you so pleasantly disposed, which indeed is but seldom seen, I’ll
claim a promise of you which you shall not deny me, for promise is debt, and by this hand* you promised it me, therefore you owe it me, and you shall pay it me, or I’ll sue you upon an action
of unkindness.
Do you hear, sir? You look like an honest man; I’ll not stand* to do you a pleasure. Here’s a good, strong, motley gaberdine,** cost me fourteen good shillings* at Billingsgate;* give me your gown for it, and your cap for mine, and I’ll forgive* your passage.
Do you hear, sir? You shall have a better match than he because you are my friend:* here is a good sheep’s russet* sea-gown: will bide more stress, I warrant you, than two of his. Yet, for you seem
to be an honest gentleman, I am content to change it for your cloak, and ask you nothing
for your passage more.
Nay, if I do, would I might ne’er eat powdered beef* and mustard more, nor drink can of good liquor whilst I live. My friend, you have
small reason to seek to hinder me of my bargain, but the best is, a bargain’s a bargain.*
Ay, ay, ay, fear nothing. We know our charge, I warrant: I have been a watchman about
this beacon this thirty year, and yet I ne’er see it stir but stood as quietly as
might be.
Faith, neighbor, and you’ll follow my ʼvice,* instead of watching the beacon, we’ll go to Goodman* Jennings’ and watch a pot of ale and a rasher of bacon. An if we do not drink ourselves
drunk, then so, I warrant, the beacon will see us when we come out again.
But in meanspace,* I answer, you want none. Well, there’s no dealing with you, y’are tall men and well weaponed.* I would there were no worse than you in the town.
Oh, say not so! I have been much beholding to your grace: I must confess, I have been in some skirmishes,* but I was never in the like to this, for where I was wont to meet with armed men,
I was now encountered with naked women.*
The short opening scene of the play economically communicates much vital information
about the plot but was one of the most difficult scenes to perform. The performance
of Leir and Skalliger in particular proved challenging as the actors found the evidence
in the text to be contradictory. Their efforts to develop characterizations that allowed
them to perform all their moments with conviction can tell us much about the twenty
first century acting process and the different techniques used by the Queen’s Men.
Read more about the performance of Scene 1.
Leir
Leir’s opening speech proved extremely difficult for the actor to memorize. Leir
skips from one thought to the next without making the connections between his thoughts
clear and Don Allison who played Leir was initially confused about its intention. Read more about performing Leir in Scene 1.
Thus to
As befits.
obsequies
Funeral rites.
our
Leir here uses the first personal plural pronoun, rather than the first person singular,
as is his royal prerogative; because the monarch figuratively embodies the will of
all individuals under his rule, he speaks necessarily in the plural.
too late
Recently.
ride in triumph
Make a victorious entrance into a city.
The triumph was a Roman celebration to mark a military victory, and it featured the
parading of spoils and prisoners through the city. In Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra, Antony paints a picture of the triumph when describing one of Cleopatra’s possible
fates: Vanish, he tells Cleopatra, angrily, or I shall give thee thy deserving / And blemish Caesar’s triumph. Let him take thee
/ And hoist thee up to the shouting plebeians; / Follow his chariot, like the greatest
spot / Of all thy sex; most monster-like be shown / For poor’st diminutives, for dolts,
and let / Patient Octavia plough thy visage up / With her preparèd nails (Ant 38.32–39).
cherubim
Angels.
Cherubim is the masculine plural of cherub in Hebrew, and is considered plural in modern English. According to Pseudo-Dionysius
in De Coelesti Hierarchia, cherubim are found among the highest order of angels (see Chapter VI). Considering the setting of the play in pre-Christian Britain, the allusion to Judeo-Christian
angels is anachronistic, as are many subsequent allusions to Christian lore, theology,
and practice.
grave
Much respected or well regarded.
disposing of
Finding husbands for.
princely
Royal.
As nature bindeth
In accordance with natural law.
wanting
Lacking.
pattern
Role model.
a ship … stern
A ship’s stern is, variously, the steering gear or the rudder. The example is proverbial
(Tilley S347).
Or silly … care
Silly = helpless and defenseless.
The example is proverbial (Tilley S312). The double meaning of pastor—as the leader of a church and the leader of a literal
flock—was commonplace in early modern discussions of religious and political authority.
tender
Value.
But daughters’ … turns
“Mothers provide guidance to daughters (just as fathers provide guidance to sons)”.
succeed
Inherit; follow in succession.
And course … loins
Leir believes that he is too old to sire any more children.
fain
Gladly.
resign
Relinquish.
A worthy … profess
Skalliger’s suggestion seems innocent enough but later evidence reveals his devious
political intentions. David Kynaston, the actor playing Skalliger, found the evidence in the text puzzling when applying
common twenty first century acting techniques. Read more about performing Skalliger in Scene 1 .
dowry
The funds and property given by the bride’s family to the groom so that he will relieve
the bride’s family of the burden of her support.
quondam
Former.
licensed me … speak
The actor playing Skalliger (David Kynaston) felt it was very important that his character was granted a special license to speak
to Leir. Read more about performing Skalliger in Scene 1 .
Having rambled through his opening speech, Leir is suddenly eloquent and decisive.
The contradictory attitudes evident in the text presented a challenge to the actor
playing Leir in the SQM productions. Is Leir a grief stricken old man or a decisive
political operator? Read more about performing Leir in Scene 1 .
even all alike
Evenly amongst the daughters.
unpartial
Impartial.
censure
Judgment, with a sense of moral import. Leir here thinks that his decision is both
morally just and reasonable.
Wherefore
On account of which.
This sense of wherefore is archaic, but was operative in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries (OEDwherefore, adv. 1.4).
indubitate
Undoubted.
The word is often used in discussions to monarchical succession. See, for instance,
Edward Hall’s The union of the two noble and illustre famelies of Lancestre and Yorke where he describes Henry V as The very indubitate heyre general to the crowne of Fraunce (Hall 73).
set
Sat.
Fates
The personification of mythic forces that determine the course of one’s life and the
time of one’s death.
The Fates (the Greek Morae or Roman Parcae) were depicted in Greek and Roman mythology as sisters who measured the threads of
individual lives. The first would spin the thread of life, the second would measure
the thread, and the third would cut the thread when one’s life was at its end.
loose … life
Determine that you should die.
Early modern writers often figured the body as a prison of the soul and they figured
death as a release from that prison. Andrew Marvell, for instance, invokes this vision
of the soul in his Dialogue Between the Soul and Body where the soul apostrophically wonders, O, Who shall from this dungeon raise / A soul enslaved so many ways? / With bolts
of bones, that fettered stands / In feet, and manacled in hands (Marvell).
after-wishes
Wistful regrets.
Albion
The island of Great Britain.
While modern historians divide the pre-Anglo Saxon archipelago into nations that correspond with Pictish, British and Celtic ethnic groups, such distinctions
are far less cut-and-dry in early modern usage, particularly in Leir. According to Pliny the Elder (Pliny 4.6.102), Albion was the name for the island while Britain (or Britanniae) was the name for the entire archipelago, including Ireland; this classical nomenclature
basically holds throughout Leir, where Britain and Brittany are used to refer to the archipelago. Despite this approximate regularity, however,
it remains difficult to identify the kingdom of which King Leir is king. Certainly,
he is a British king, but Cambria and Cornwall are also British kings (i.e., kings
within Britain). Geoffrey of Monmouth’s 12th C. description of the ancient island
makes no better sense of the play’s vision of British geography. While Geoffrey points
out that ancient Albion was divided into kingdoms that corresponded (roughly) with
modern England, Scotland and Wales, the island in this play seems divided differently
and idiosyncratically (i.e., Leir features a King of Cornwall that Geoffrey would not have recognized in politico-geographical
terms). In any case, it seems likely that Leir’s kingdom in the play includes London
as its seat, though little else can be said about his kingdom’s geography. Further
complicating the play’s sense of political geography, the historical Leir is associated
with Leicester, the city he purportedly established, rather than with London.
Herein … cease
Having given the impression in his opening speech that he is incapable of dealing
with his daughters he now reveals that he has clear plans. How can an actor playing
the role make sense of these apparent contradictions? Read more about performing Leir in Scene 1 .
sort
Agree. Sort also refers to the act of apportioning.
Cornwall
The most southwestern part of England.
Cambria
The area of the island to the west of the Severn River.
The borders of historical Cambria were regularly debated in early modern England.
While Geoffrey of Monmouth insisted that the Severn marked the border between England
and Wales, most early modern antiquarians such as William Harrison and William Camden
argued that early modern Wales was not identical with ancient Cambria. On the mapping
of Cambria in early modern England, see Philip Schwyzer, A Map of Greater Cambria.
motion
Propose.
The rhetoric of motions informed the early modern language of emotions, indicating a “stirring of the soul,
an emotion” or a “passion” (OEDmotion, n. 2.12.a). This association between the language of physics and the language of affect makes
sense when considering early modern humoralism, which figured the affective subject
in decidedly hydraulic terms. This association between passion and motion is caught in John Florio’s 1598
World of Words where Moto is defined as “a motion, a moouing, a gesture, a wagging, a motion or cause of stirring
of any thing, a passion of a mans minde” (LEME). When Leir says that Cambria and Cornwall motion love, then, he is making claims about legal contracts (a proposal) as well affects
(a stirring in the soul).
solicited
Asked for her hand in marriage.
divers
Various.
peers
Members of the hereditary nobility.
partial fancy
Particular, discriminating desire or taste.
policy
Strategy; connotes Machiavellian subtlety and cunning.
ne’er prevail
Never be persuaded to.
chronicles
The chronicle was a form of history writing popular in early modern England.
Chronicles are characterized by their breadth and by their absence of obvious organizing
principles apart from chronology. Perhaps the most influential and ambitious early
modern chronicler was Raphael Holinshed, whose Chronicles served as a significant source for a variety of early modern dramatists (see Holinshed). Holinshed’s Chronicles includes an account of the history of Leir that almost certainly influenced this play.
provident
Showing thought for the future.
stopped
Dammed up.
I am resolved
Don Allison who played King Leir chose to deliver this line with sudden vehemence. It was key
moment for him that linked two aspects of his character: the grief-stricken old man
with the powerful politician. When his judgment was questioned by Perillus, his temper
flashed. Read more about performing Leir in Scene 1 .
sudden
Previously unconsidered.
at the vantage
At a moment when he holds the (argumentative) advantage.
Vantage was a distinct word, not simply an abbreviation of advantage, in early modern usage. It generally connoted a competitive gain, as in John Florio’s
1598 World of Words where he translates and defines Aggiunta as “an addition, a vantage, an ouertaking, an ouerreaching” (LEME). Such language emphasizes Leir’s decidedly unpaternal, competitive relationship
with Cordella.
suit
Request.
Brittany
When Leir refers to Brittany, he seems to mean to the entire archipelago, including Ireland (or Hibernia). Brittany is interchangeable in the play with Brittayne.
The SQM company chose to make this Leir’s exit line. For a full discussion see the
note at 1.
bewray your secrecy
Tell your secret.
Though most immediately referring publicizing secrets, bewray usually connoted telling something that one knows to his discredit or harm (OEDbewray, v. 2.a). Bewray also bears with it a significant humiliation factor: to bewray is not only to expose, but also, and more specifically, to expose to ridicule or
shame.
In the SQM production, Skalliger exited at this line. For a full discussion see the
note at 1.
Exeunt
The text implies that all the characters leave together at the end of the scene but
we found this awkward in practice for several reasons. First, Leir is on stage when
Skalliger states he will betray him and when Perillus comments on the folly of fathers.
These lines could be explained as asides to the audience, which are rarely marked
in early modern texts, but then we were left with the problem of what Leir should
be doing while the other characters are speaking to the audience. We could have left
him on stage to engage in a mimed conversation with the First Lord in mime but this
felt awkward theatrically. Since Leir finishes his speech on a high note, believing
his policy will triumph (Sc1 Sp7.), we chose to make the final line an exit line.
Skalliger then spoke his brief line to the audience before hurrying after the other
courtiers leaving Perillus alone on stage to share his moral aphorism. Our staging
solution does not solve all the issues as Leir got a head start on Skalliger who promised
to get to the sisters before the king: I’ll to them before (Sc1 Sp8.) but our solution eased stage traffic as staggering the exits allow for one character
to clear the stage at a time, rather than all characters crowding through the exit
at once, which creating a hiatus before the next scene begins.
Visit Performing the Queen’s Men.
Video Sc. 2
Scene 2
The Queen’s Men sisters make their attitude and intentions clear to the audience
from the moment they step out on stage. My direction to the actors was to think of
these characters as the wicked sisters in a Cinderella pantomime. I described these
sisters to the actors as the Vices to Cordella’s Virtue. Read more about performing Gonorill and Ragan in Scene 2 .
I marvel … you
Gonorill provides plenty of information on which to build psychological motivation
for herself and her sister but the SQM company approached this scene as if the characters
were derived from a morality play rather than a psychological drama. Read more about
performing Gonorill and Ragan in Scene 2 .
pert peat
Pert refers to outspoken liveliness, generally connoting the impertinence of a social
inferior; peat is generally a term of endearment, but is used here ironically to mark Cordella—in
the eyes of Gonorill and Ragan—as a self-righteous, self-aggrandizing goody-goody.
By calling Cordella precise, Gonorill is invoking here the language of Puritanism (or anti-Puritanism), and she
is allying Cordella with a sense of radical, overdone, overly fastidious piety. The
Puritans in early modern England were a large group of Christians who disagreed with
the English church, claiming that the church was not as reformed as it should be. According to the Puritans, the English church was troubled because
it maintained and encouraged Popish or Roman practices, and because it failed to encourage the severe and zealous—precise—moral rigor that the Puritans thought necessary. As the Marprelate Controversy attests
(Martin Marprelate Controversy), the Puritans’ religious zeal often left them at odds with the more moderate religious
doctrines espoused by Elizabeth I, and it also often left them open to lampooning
on the early modern stage by playwrights such as Thomas Middleton in his Chaste Maid in Cheapside. By putting a critique of religious precision in the mouth of the unsympathetic Gonorill, the play is not—in any straightforward
or simple way—endorsing Puritanical zeal or rigor: first, Puritans were often lively
opponents of the theatre, so early modern Puritan drama is almost oxymoronic; second, Cordella shows herself to be anything but overly precise
in her subsequent bawdy quibbling with Mumford later in the play. It seems that the
amoral Gonorill finds anyone with moral sense to be overly fastidious and puritanical.
desperate medicine
Serious treatment.
prick
The highest point; in this case, status above her elder sisters.
set by … days
Esteemed no more than laborers.
what several
“How many”, implying that there is a large number of suitors.
best degree
Highest rank.
hap
Perhaps.
Why … give place
“Rules of decorum would insist that we show her respect”.
According to early modern social protocols, married women were attributed higher social
status than unmarried women, even if the unmarried women were younger. Kate in Shakespeare’s
Taming of the Shrew makes a complaint much like Ragan’s complaint here when Kate is concerned that her
younger sister, Bianca, will be the first married; specifically, Kate is concerned
that she will feel great shame if she is forced to dance barefoot (i.e., like a virgin) on Bianca’s wedding day (Shr 5.33).
Though … disgrace
“Though it will cause us significant disgrace”.
By my virginity
The play does not make clear whether or not we should hear irony here. It seems possible
that the line should be read as ironic, especially considering the double entendres that both sisters exchange with the messenger. Perhaps, as in Shakespeare’s Lear, Gonorill and Ragan are sexualized figures.
Matthew Krist (Gonorill) made a clear choice that the reference to her virginity was ironic and
an overt sexuality became central to his interpretation of his character. Sexual references
like this always increased my awareness of the male actors playing the roles of the
women. Read more about performing Gonorill and Ragan in Scene 2 .
shirt
Undergarments.
I have … already
I have provided my consent to the legal transfer of property that coincides with marriage.
Gonorill claims that she has already indicated her interest in marriage to Cornwall,
even though official marriage negotiations have yet to be completed. Because she has
already accepted Cornwall as a husband, her half of matrimonial deliberations has
been completed, and it is now up to Leir to grant his half of the permission.
At the end of the previous scene, Skalliger implied that he was going directly to
the princesses to tell them the news. Here he represents this encounter as chance
and this evidence was part of the complex process through which the SQM actor built
his characterization. But how might the original actors have achieved the same effect?
Read more about performing Skalliger in Scene 2 .
expedition
Performance. Note that the word is pronounced with five syllables.
I am … child
“I am filled with longing” (a commonplace). Note that Skalliger picks up on the literal
meaning of the phrase in his response.
longing
“The fanciful cravings incident to women during pregnancy” (OEDlonging, n.1 3). Skalliger here picks up on Ragan’s turn of phrase in the preceding line.
great secrecy
The King told Skalliger the plot in the presence of numerous other courtiers. Is
Skalliger lying or does he have a privileged relationship with the king? These questions
were of great importance to Kynaston when rehearsing this scene but is it necessary to resolve this issue and perform
the character? Read more about performing Skalliger in Scene 2 .
out of hand
Immediately.
fain
Happily.
Hibernia
The Roman name for Ireland.
doubts … consent
Expects her to withhold her consent.
so you will
If you will.
so extremely dotes
So unreasonably esteems and values. To dote might also indicate that Leir’s unreasonable behaviour is the result of old age or
senility (i.e., one’s dotage). Such a vision of Leir as senile corresponds with the
subsequent claims that Gonorill and Ragan make.
presently
Right away.
look whose
Evaluate whose.
Oh … with
Mermaids were often thought to have fine singing voices. Though it was conventional
to figure mermaids as excellent singers, Ragan here seems to confuse mermaids—half-woman
/ half-fish sea creatures—with the Sirens of classical Greek mythology. The Sirens
were half-woman and half-bird creatures whose beautiful songs were said to lure sailors
toward craggy rocks where their ships would be wrecked.
The most famous example of such Sirenic temptation is found in Homer’s Odyssey (Ovid) where Odysseus lashes himself to the mast of his ship while sailing past the Sirens
so that he will be able to hear their song without drawing his ship towards the shoal
(Homer). The rest of the men on his ship protect themselves from the Sirens by plugging
their ears with beeswax. In early modern literature, the Sirens were often allied
with all manner of effeminate, erotic, and aesthetic temptations, as in the Bower
of Bliss episode of Spenser’s Faerie Queene where Guyon, the Knight of Temperance, is tempted by siren-like mermaids (Spenser
2.12). Much like Ragan, then, Spenser attributes the Sirenical power of poetic and
erotic temptation to mermaids. See also Stephen M. Buhler, The Sirens, the Epicurean Boat, and the Poetry of Praise in Music of the Sirens.
enjoin
Compel.
will … agree
Will end most obviously to your benefit.
gentle
An epithet that indicates he is of gentlemanly stock.
Nay … us
Even though they are cruelly abusing Cordella with their plan, Gonorill thinks that
their cruelty will be interpreted as daughterly devotion.
In the remainder of the scene the sisters whet their own and the audience’s appetite
for the action to come revelling in their anticipated revenge. The SQM actors were
encouraged to relish the performance of vice rather than consider the reasons for
the sisters’ behaviour. Read more about performing Gonorill and Ragan in Scene 2 .
For why
Because.
To say … me
Thomas H. McNeal finds a verbal parallel here with Henry VI, Part 1 where Margaret of Anjou explains, An if my father please, I am content (1H6 5.6.83). On the early modern stage, regal daughters often acquiesced to their fathers in
matters of marriage, as in Famous Victories of Henry the Fifth where Katharine promises to rest at your Maiesties commaund when discussing marriage (Sc21 Sp21).
Apollo’s
The Greek and Roman god of the sun, light, and knowledge or enlightenment; also (as in this case) regarded as the god of music and the god of poetry.
Jove
A Roman name for the king of the Olympian gods; aka Jupiter (Roman) or Zeus (Greek).
Irish
Hibernian; Hibernia was the Roman name for Ireland.
better plot
The sisters have spelled out their plot with great relish and raised clear expectations
of the action to come that are duly fulfilled in the upcoming scene. This effect is
a typical element of Queen’s Men dramaturgy that McMillin and MacLean describe as
narrative over-determination. The SQM actor played the characters as morality Vices making the consequences of
their plotting all the more predictable. Read more about narrative over-determination in Scene 2 .
Video Sc. 3
Scene 3
Shakespeare’s play begins with the love test featured in this scene but the effect
of the Queen’s Men scene is markedly different. The two prior scenes in the Queen’s
Men play have openly stated the intentions of Leir, Gonorill, and Ragan, consequently
intensifying the dramatic irony for the audience watching the scene and marking a
significant difference in the dramaturgy of the two plays.
Read more about moral dichotomy in Scene 3 .
Will them
Command them.
common weal
The public good (not to be confused with the commonwealth as a modern nation state).
He
God.
watch … behalf
Look after their best interests.
wantons
Ungovernable persons, but the designation seems here to evoke a sense of paternal
care. According to Leir, his daughters Gonorill, Ragan, and Cordella—perhaps spoiled—are
headstrong and difficult to manage.
toys
Trivialities or amusements.
While they … toys
Emily Wilson draws a link between this line and Gloucester’s famous lines in King Lear, As flies to th’ wanton boys are we to th’ gods: / They bite us for their sport (Lr 15.35–36). See Wilson, Mocked With Death 118.
This
Leir’s.
annoys
Literally, annoyances, but with a sense of extreme, rather than trivial, vexation
(OEDannoy, n. 1.a). The perceived severity of these annoyances is obvious in Leir’s subsequent rhetoric
where he refers to the doubt which much molests my mind.
conformable
Pliable or agreeable.
presageth
Foretells.
three daughters
The daughters entered in order of age. This is the first entrance of Cordella and
in contrast to her elaborately dressed sisters she wore a plainer, steel-blue gown.
The sisters stood in a line upstage with Cordella standing slightly apart, stage left.
Read more about performing the love test in Scene 3 .
present
Immediate.
doubt
In the opening scene, Leir states the purpose of the love test is to trick Cordella
into marriage but now he claims it will resolve a doubt he has about the sincerity of his daughter’s affections. Don Allison (Leir) justified this discrepancy as a consequence of Leir’s unstable emotional state.
Read more about performing the love test in Scene 3 .
Our royal … us
Matthew Krist (Gonorill) gave these lines a mock insouciance as his character pretended ignorance
of what was about to unfold. In the SQM production we chose to make Gonorill and Ragan’s
insincerity perfectly apparent to the audience, which made the scene funny despite
the high stakes of the action. Read more about performing the love test in Scene 3 .
tenor
The general nature or substance. The word is fairly legalistic, making Gonorill seem,
perhaps, more like a subject than a daughter.
assizes
Judicial inquests.
Leir imagines himself weighed or evaluated at the end of his life, and he imagines
that such evaluation will determine his post-mortem fate. Assize also evokes commercial weighing and valuation on which Leir may pick up in the next
line with a quibble on tender.
tender
Evaluate or value.
Note that the word bears decidedly economic connotations that echo with the assizes of the preceding line.
hest
Command.
any … daughters’
Matthew Krist (Gonorill), emphasized any to indicate Gonorill’s intention to set up Cordella’s fall. In the spirit of a fairy
tale romance, Krist made his character’s manipulation of her father archly apparent to the audience.
Read more about performing the love test in Scene 3 .
windy words
Fatuous language.
rehearsed
Recited or declared.
millstone
Proverbially heavy.
Gonorill here alludes to Matthew 18:6, But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better
for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the
depth of the sea (Matthew 18:6).
marry
Gonorill specifically references marriage to distinguish her obedience from Cordella’s
resistance to her father’s will. Her malicious intent towards her sister was maintained
throughout fulfilling the course of action promised in Scene 2. Her overt malice was
amusing for the SQM audience. Read more about performing the love test in Scene 3 .
meanest
Lowest social status.
vassal
A feudal tenant.
Oh … words
Don Allison (Leir), gave this line a childlike naivety that helped justify the fact his character
could not perceive his daughter’s lies although they were made perfectly apparent
to the SQM audience. Read more about performing the love test in Scene 3 .
Oh … flattery
Shakespeare also includes Cordella’s (or Cordelia’s) choric asides at this moments
in the play, though Leir emphasizes the problem of flattery to a greater extent. While Cordella repeatedly
goes back to the problem of flattery—a problem central to renaissance humanist discussions
of courtliness—Shakespeare’s Cordelia is more general in her criticism, and she is
less obviously critical of her sisters, as when she says, in response to Regan’s obsequious
spiel, I am sure my love’s / More richer than my tongue (Lr 1.65–66).
Unlike in King Lear, the audience can be certain that Cordella’s interpretation is accurate. From the
side of the stage, Cordella created a direct relationship with the audience who shared
her perspective on the action. Read more about performing Cordella in Scene 3 .
other maid
Ragan is obliquely referring to Cordella. The SQM actor chose to make the reference
overt in performance. Read more about performing the love test in Scene 3 .
in plainer case
More straightforwardly.
let … suffice
“May this small gesture demonstrate what I cannot adequately express”.
How much … you
The language here and throughout this speech—the language of zeal and grace—is decidedly
devotional. Using this language of faith to discuss interpersonal relationships is
characteristically hyperbolic and blasphemous.
As with Gonorill (Sc3 Sp6), Ragan specifically references her obedience in marriage to expose her sister Cordella’s
unorthodox stand. Read more about performing the love test in Scene 3 .
Philomel
Philomel, or Philomela—a figure from Greek and Roman mythology—was transformed into
a nightingale with a famously sweet song.
In Ovid’s standard account of Philomela’s story, her tongue was cut from her mouth
by her brother-in-law, Tereus of Thrace, in order to guarantee that she would remain
silent after he raped her. After telling her story to her sister, Procne, in an embroidered
tapestry, the sisters revenged Tereus’ rape by murdering Tereus’ son Itys and by feeding
Itys surreptitiously to his father. After this feast and after Tereus was informed
of his cannibalism, all three figures were turned to birds. Ovid’s account of this
story in Book 6 of the Metamorphoses (Ovid) was incredibly influential in early modern England, informing, for instance, Shakespeare’s
Titus Andronicus. In Titus, Lavinia is raped, has her tongue removed, and tells her story by pointing to a copy
of the Metamorphoses. Later in the play, Titus feeds Tamora her sons—the men who raped Lavinia. As is
often the case in Leir, the speaker here seems oblivious to the various negative connotations of the allusions
that he or she invokes; in this case, Leir refers only to Philomela’s beautiful voice
while he ignores the violence and horror that are central to her story.
so sweet … note
Don Allison (Leir) was filled with joy at his daughters’ answers, failing to see the insincerity
that was apparent to the audience. His joyous response made him childlike in his gullibility,
invoking sympathy while still marking his credence as folly. Read more about performing the love test in Scene 3 .
flatterer
Unlike in King Lear, the audience can be certain that Cordella’s interpretation is accurate. From the
side of the stage, Cordella created a direct relationship with the audience who shared
her perspective on the action. Read more about performing Cordella in Scene 3 .
I cannot
Julian DeZotti (Cordella) presented her arguments modestly, with a decisive edge. Playing the virtuous
sister proved a challenge to our twenty first century actor. Read more about performing Cordella in Scene 3 .
brook
Tolerate.
slight
Flimsy, foolish, and/or of little worth.
minion
A follower, often used as a term of endearment (that would here be ironic).
peremptory
Decisive or abrupt.
short
Shorten.
foster
Supply with food or raise as a child; to care for and nurture as a father should.
Leir here emphasizes, that is, that he has fulfilled his paternal duties.
Our life … you
“Our love for you is greater than our desire to remain alive”.
But it … off
“You must sing your own praises because no one else is singing them”. Proverbial:
“He dwells far from neighbors (has ill neighbors) that is fain to praise himself”
(Tilley N117)
Cordella here fights back against her sisters. Julian DeZotti (Cordella) used such moments to develop a more progressive interpretation of his
character as the production developed. Read more about performing Cordella in Scene 3 .
imp
A child, often connoting quasi-demonic parentage. Because an imp is also a “shoot
or slip used in grafting” (OEDimp, n.1 2.a), Leir’s language here yokes ideas of family and genealogy to the language of horticulture;
this yoking of genealogy and the language of horticulture occurs throughout the play.
The onset of Leir’s rage is sudden—a characteristic technique of Queen’s Men dramaturgy.
The SQM actors had to learn to commit to sudden changes in emotion. Read more about
medley style in Scene 4 .
tittle
A small stroke with a pen, such as the dot atop an “i”. Leir uses the word figuratively
to indicate a miniscule amount.
Shift
Manage her life. Leir is saying that Cordella should try to get by without his help.
royal dower
The dowry fit for the daughters of a king, including half of Leir’s kingdom.
dispossess
Relinquish the rights to land, title, and crown.
It is unclear whether or not such abdication is legal or possible according to English
politico-theological assumptions about the divine right of kings. The argument in
favor of divine right—and thus aginst the possibility of abdication—is framed succinctly
in Shakespeare’s Richard II where Richard claims that Not all the water in the rough rude sea / Can wash the balm off from a ’nointed king.
/ The breath of worldly men cannot depose / The deputy elected by the Lord (R2 3.2.50–53). While Richard here clearly affirms the claims of divine right, it is unclear whether
or not the play endorses such a vision of divinely ordained politics or whether it
argues for precisely the opposite. The question of abdication is also central to Shakespeare’s
Lear, but there is no critical consensus on the play’s understanding of Lear’s abdication. While Marvin Rosenberg points to Charles V’s abdication to suggest that in Shakespeare’s world abdication was not regarded as horrible or unnatural (Rosenberg 41), it is unclear that Charles V was part—in any simple way—of Shakespeare’s world. If we imagine Shakespeare’s world to be delimited by the political theology of early
modern England, then responses to the abdication of an elected Holy Roman Emperor
seem immaterial.
I ever … fall
Proverbial (Tilley P581: “Pride will have a fall”).
The sense that overweening pride would lead inevitably to a reversal of fortune was
central to many early modern visions of the providentially ordered human world, particularly
as that world was imagined in the popular de casibus tradition, where hubris in the powerful was invariably punished. This tradition seems
to be invoked ironically and proleptically at this moment where the Gonorill mocks
the modest and pious Cordella.
Exeunt
As with the exits in Scene 1, sequential exits for the characters proved far more
economical than a mass exeunt. Leir left on his final line and allowing Gonorill and Ragan to delivered their last
sarcastic barbs before flouncing off the stage victoriously.
Him
God.
for to … spending
To earn the money that I need to live.
fond
Foolish.
Video Sc. 4
Scene 4
Following the dark conclusion to the previous scene, Scene 4 marks a change of mood
and a new direction for the storyline. We are introduced to a character that will
play a central role in the resolution of the narrative: the King of Gallia. Shakespeare’s
equivalent, the King of France, has only a marginal role to perform in that drama,
but in the Queen’s Men play the Gallian King and his sidekick Mumford are central
to the story and the SQM actors playing the roles brought much comedy, energy, and
drive to the performance. Read more about the performance of Scene 4 .
Gallia
During the Roman Empire, Gallia, or Gaul, was the area of Western Europe occupied
by modern France and Belgium.
By 486 CE—subsequent to the time of Leir—Gaul fragmented into a collection of smaller kingdoms that included France. Leir generally treats Gaul as synonymous with France.
three Nobles more
The SQM company performed Leir with only 12 actors rather than 14 and thus the French retinue was diminished to
one lone French Lord. Visit Performing the Queen’s Men to learn more about the doubling of roles.
some disguise
Paul Hopkins (Gallia) seized on the character’s love of disguise and adventure rather than his
classical education as the basis of his performance. Read more about performing Gallia in Scene 4 .
flying Fame
Also known as Rumor,Fame or Fama was often personified in classical literature. As Heather James points out, she stands
for incomplete, misleading narration (James 24). Fame was often depicted with wings, because, proverbially, rumors fly, or travel quickly. Gallia here is wondering whether to trust Fame in her reports
of the beauty of Gonorill, Ragan, and Cordella.
As in his subsequent reference to Fortune (Sc4 Sp1), and as in his hyperbolically classicized disguise as Tressilus (Sc7 Sp6), Gallia indicates here a sophisticated and decidedly courtly knowledge of classical
rhetoric. Such knowledge was thought—by humanists such as Erasmus and Sir Thomas Elyot—to
befit a good humanist monarch. Erasmus’ Education of a Christian Prince is the locus classicus of discussions about the relationship between princeliness, courtliness, and classical
education (Erasmus).
If present … praise
If they will live up to reports when I see them with my own eyes.
Venus
The Roman goddess of love, beauty, and fertility; Aphrodite in Greek mythology.
stand auspicious
Fortuitously endorses and wishes well.
And Fortune … hand
Proverbial; Fortune favors the bold (Tilley F601).
seized of
Having laid claim to or captured. Gallia hopes to claim one of Leir’s daughters as
a wife as one would claim a prize.
As Jason … fleece
Jason was a mythical Greek hero who struggled to capture the golden fleece in order
to reclaim his kingdom.
As Apollonius of Rhodes tells Jason’s story in Argonautica, Jason was the son of Aeson, whose half-brother, Pelias, killed Aeson and claimed
Aeson’s crown as king of Thessaly. When Jason came to claim his rightful crown, Pelias
said that Jason could have the crown if Jason would first find the golden fleece of
the winged ram, Chrysomallos. Ovid tells the story of Jason’s search for the fleece
in Metamorphoses (Book VII); considering subsequent references to the resurrection of Aeson—a detail
unique to Ovid—it is quite plausible that Ovid is the source for this allusion.
Mumford
Mumford is clearly a comic role. For the SQM productions we envisaged him as a role
designed for the famous company clown Richard Tarlton. Read more about performing Mumford in Scene 4 .
pilgrimage
A journey to a place thought to be religiously meaningful or sacred. By figuring the
journey to Britain to meet Leir’s daughters as a pilgrimage, Mumford—perhaps ironically—invests
it with some sort of spiritual value.
gallant
Attractive and showy.
So that … content
Mumford makes the sexual motivation behind the pilgrimage apparent revealing the character’s comic function within the play. Read more about
performing Mumford in Scene 4 .
congees
Courteous bows.
These courteous bows were often elaborate and formal, so performing them was a sign
of sophistication and courtliness. See Alon Nashman’s interpretation of such bows on Performing the Queen’s Men. Mumford seems to imply a double entendre, though it is unclear what, specifically, his hands will be doing when he bows. Such
congees often involved large broad gestures of the arms, and they were often paired
in the French tradition with hand kissing, so there is certainly room for potential
groping.
Titles indicating his status as the King of Gallia.
Make … me
Treat me.
palmers’
Itinerant Christian monks or pilgrims, called palmers because they typically bore
with them a palm leaf in memory of pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
weeds
Garb.
Blounts
The great Elizabethan family of the Blounts enjoyed the baronial title of Mountjoy
to which a mysterious allusion is possibly made here (Lee xxxiv-xxxv). The name is pronounced, blunts, thus enabling Mumford’s quibble on bluntness as directness in speech.
Mumford’s adoption of colloquial prose and the fact he associates himself with the
English Blount family, was key to the SQM casting of this role. Read more about performing Mumford in Scene 4 .
pleasant company
In the SQM productions, these two characters perform a key dramaturgical function
by proving pleasant company for the audience as well as each other. Read more about
medley style in Scene 5 .
resteth
Remains to be done. Gallia’s last order of business before his pilgrimage is to invest his councilors with regal power for the tenure of his absence.
away
Paul Hopkins (Gallia) created a comic false exit on this line that emphasized the youthful impetuousness
of his interpretation of the King. The nobleman’s final words called Paul back to the stage, and once the nobleman finished speaking, Paul dashed off again. Read more about performing Gallia in Scene 4 .
Video Sc. 5
Scene 5
The Queen’s Men introduce Gonorill and Ragan’s two kingly suitors in comic mode.
The company generates fun around the characters’ eagerness to consummate their loves
and their mistaken suspicion that they may be discovering a rival. The playfulness
of this scene is typical of the play as a whole with its happy mix of the comic and
the serious. Read more about the performance of Scene 5 .
riding wand
A straight, slender stick used as a crop for horses.
The props economically indicate that the kings are on a journey as a consequence of
information in their letters. To increase the humour arising the king’s urgency, the
SQM actors burst onto the stage with great energy.
Read more about performing Cornwall and Cambria in Scene 5 .
twenty thousand miles
The text later indicates that Cambria looks at the letter (Sc5 Sp6) when he enters the scene, and although the same is not indicated in the text here,
the SQM Cornwall (Gray) also perused his letter following his entrance. The action indicated the cause of
his impatience and emphasized the mirroring of the action that is central to the scene’s
dramaturgical conception. Read more about performing Cornwall and Cambria in Scene 5 .
To himself
In the SQM production, Cornwall’s servant (Kynaston) directed his complaint directly to the audience. The company worked from the assumption
that soliloquies and asides were all delivered to the audience rather than in a self-reflective
manner. In fact, the company was encouraged to turn as many of their lines out to
the audience as possible. The stage direction here that is found in the original quarto
edition challenges our assumption and suggests at least that asides could be perceived
as internally directed. Directing the lines at the audience in our production, however,
helped generate a comic dynamic for this scene. Read more about comic servants in Scene 5 .
ride … me
Ride alone without me.
gratified
Requited.
He looks … letter
The SQM Cambria used the first part of this line to burst on stage and then drew
out his letter. The original stage direction appears in the margin and it is unclear
exactly when the playwright expected the actor to open the letter. Read more about
performing Cornwall and Cambria in Scene 5 .
forbear
Endure or tolerate.
To himself
Cambria’s servant (Borg) directed his complaint directly to the audience. The company worked from the assumption
that soliloquies and asides were all delivered to the audience rather than in a self-reflective
manner. In fact, the company was encouraged to turn as many of their lines out to
the audience as possible. The stage direction here that is found in the original quarto
edition challenges our assumption and suggests at least that asides could be perceived
as internally directed. Directing the lines at the audience in our production, however,
helped generate a comic dynamic for this scene. Read more about comic servants in Scene 5 .
Daedalus’ waxen wings
Daedalus was a skilled craftsman and inventor in Greek mythology. To escape imprisonment
by King Minos on the island of Crete, Daedalus built wings from wax, feathers, and
string for himself and for his son, Icarus. After ignoring his father’s advice and
flying close to the sun, the wax of Icarus’ wings melted, causing them to fall apart
and causing him to fall to his death. Ovid tells the story of Icarus and Daedalus
in Metamorphoses, Book VIII (Ovid).
Troynovant
London, or New Troy.
Though the story had been debunked by early modern historiographers, many early modern
poets such as Edmund Spenser and Anthony Munday and Thomas Dekker—following earlier
historiographers—imagined that London was the cultural heir of Troy and classical
Rome. According to apocryphal historical accounts, London was founded by Roman Brute,
an heir of Aeneas, so the city occupied a place within an imagined translatio imperii. See Spenser’s Faerie Queene, for instance, where the speaker claims that noble Britons sprang from Trojans bold, / And Troynovant was built of Troyes’ ashes
cold (Spenser 3.9.38); see also Munday’s The Triumphes of Re-United Britannia, which features Brute as a significant character (Munday); see also Dekker’s Troia-Nova Triumphans, a civic pageant based entirely on the myth of London’s Trojan inheritance (Dekker). Though Leir in Leir seems—by this allusion—to locate his court at London, the historical Leir was most frequently associated not with London but with Leicester. This association
between the monarch’s court and the city of London would not become particularly close
until the Tudor reign, particularly under Elizabeth.
and me
Cambria’s servant takes more pains to articulate his frustrations and following his
lines we added a piece of comic business, having the actor slump to the ground exhausted.
Read more about comic servants in Scene 5 .
start … other
The stage direction suggests a classic, comic double take and was key to deciphering
the tone of the scene in rehearsal. Read more about narrative over-determination in Scene 6 .
in happy time
Fortuitously or by luck, but also a colloquial greeting like Good to run into you.
No doubt
Surprised at their unexpected meeting as indicated by the previous stage direction,
the two SQM kings surveyed each other suspiciously, trying to deduce the other’s purpose.
Read more about performing Cornwall and Cambria in Scene 5 .
slenderly accompanied
Without many attendants.
brook delays
Suffer delays.
Tell you … mine
“If you tell me why you’re here, then I’ll tell you why I’m here”.
The SQM kings played on the childishness implied here and gave their characters a
romantic naivety. Read more about performing Cornwall and Cambria in Scene 5 .
moiety
Portion.
regiment.
Magisterial authority; in this case, territory and its associated rights.
we must … call
“We must call each other brother (in law)”.
The extreme coincidence of their meeting and their mirrored purpose was funny but
the SQM actors played it with a level of naivety that allowed the audience to laugh
with them rather than at the artificiality of the plotting. Read more about performing Cornwall and Cambria in Scene 5 .
seigniories
The territories and revenues under the dominion of a lord or, in this case, king.
the third part
One-third, rather than one-half, of Leir’s kingdom.
complements
Attributes.
The hole
Cambria absurdly misconstrues Cornwall’s whole for hole, meaning vagina. According to the logic of this mishearing, Cambria seems to imagine
that he and Cornwall will marry two sisters but will share a single vagina. Compare
with Ragan’s similar bawdy mis-hearing (Sc6 Sp11).
This double entendre helped the SQM company find the tone for this scene. Read more about narrative over-determination in Scene 6 .
ʼSblood
An oath; abbreviated from “by God’s blood”, in reference to Christ’s wounds.
’Twere … cloister’s wall
According to Reformers, to cloister oneself was to waste one’s life by refusing to
do God’s work. See the similar sentiment in Midsummer Night’s Dream where Theseus warns Hermia about the livery of a nun: For aye to be in shady cloister mewed, / To live a barren sister all your life, /
Chanting faint hymns to the cold fruitless moon (MND 1.71–73).
howsoe’er
Notwithstanding that.
Exeunt
In the SQM production the two kings hurried off-stage, followed reluctantly by their
two comic servants who hauled themselves to their feet and lumbered off after them.
Read more about comic servants in Scene 5 .
Video Sc. 6
Scene 6
Scene 6 is a good example of what McMillin and Maclean refer to as narrative over-determination. The scene was enjoyed by the audience in performance but always felt unnecessary
to me. Read more about narrative over-determination in Scene 6 .
pretty piece
Cunning or crafty woman, with sexual connotations on piece.
sir-reverence
“With all due respect”.
he
It is possible that this he should be a she. It makes little sense to imagine the reclamation of Leir here, but it makes perfect
sense to imagine that Gonorill refers to Cordella, who has been disowned and will
not be reclaimed by her father.
I was … like
I was planning to do something similar in short order.
Beshrew your fingers
In typical usage, Beshrew your fingers would mean, “Curse your actions (specifically the actions of your hands)”, or it
would indicate the laying of blame for actions. This sense of anger or rue is obvious
in the OED’s exemplary passage from Thomas Fuller’s Holy State, He hath just cause to beshrew his fingers (Fuller 3). In this specific case, however, the expression is used teasingly to mean
something like, “Clever you, able to work that out”.
And clip … high
To clip a birds wings prevents it from flying.
This line echoes Gonorill’s earlier allusion to Icarus (Sc5 Sp7), and it echoes the proverbial and poetic relationship between pride and punishment
that Gonorill earlier invokes (Sc3 Sp24).
With nothing
Gonorill misunderstands Ragan and imagines that some men get married without penises.
Compare with Cambria’s previous confusion about spousal genitals (Sc5 Sp15).
Krist (Gonorill) relished the double entendre here developing the open sexuality central to his interepretation of the character.
The moment was always met with laughter and mirrored the similar misunderstanding
in the previous scene between Cornwall and Cambria. Read more about the performance of Scene 6 .
stately
Worldly. Gonorill suggests that Cordella, proud of her high-birth, is constitutionally
unable to live life as a parson’s wife.
benefice … back
The wages of ecclesiastical workers. Gonorill suggests here that Cordella will spend
the entirety of her future husband’s wages on clothing. Compare with Cordella’s discussion
of ecclesiastical penury during the wooing scene (Sc7 Sp42).
I think long
Grow wearied.
to consummate
To complete or to make real, with a sense of sexual consummation.
Our hand … seal
Having sent letters, Leir’s hand has made offers that were ratified by the wax seal used to close those letters. More
than simply securing the letter, the seal—bearing some sort of regal insignia —implies
that Leir’s crown will insure the integrity and validity of the offer.
pelican
In early modern England, the pelican was said to feed its young by plucking feathers
from its breast and allowing its fledglings to drink the blood.
Because of its purported self-sacrificing behavior, the pelican was a popular image
in emblem books of the period when depicting Christ or the Church. See, for instance,
George Wither’s emblematic image of the pelican, from A Collection of Emblemes, Ancient and Modern, in which the pelican serves as a hieroglyphick for Christ (Wither). This vision of the self-sacrificing pelican was also appropriated by Queen Elizabeth
I in the Pelican Portrait by Nicholas Hilliard (TudorHistory.org Blog). The contrast in these lines between the eagle and the pelican appears to be novel,
although it corresponds generally with the emblematic visions of these birds. On the
eagle, see Alciato’s emblem which associates the eagle with a powerful boldness (Alciato).
That kills … sun
According to folk beliefs, the eagle tests its young by forcing them to look steadily
at the sun and kills the one that cannot do so without watering eyes (Michie 208).
this two days
The next two days.
arrived already
This line always got a good laugh in the SQM performance thanks to the comically expeditious
arrival of the two kings as if on cue. The SQM kings emphasized their desire for the
queens by dashing onto the stage and staring adoringly at their respective brides.
Read more about the performance of Scene 6 .
Priam’s
Priam was the final king of Troy before the city fell to the Greeks in the Trojan
war.
In early modern England, Priam was variously and contradictorily figured in terms
of his wisdom and his doddering. As we see often in Leir, the speaker alluding to a classical figure or text—Leir, in this case—fails to recognize
the ambivalent connotations associated with the figure to whom he alludes. The stories
of Troy’s fall and the subsequent translatio imperii— particularly as they were told in Virgil’s Aeneid—were hugely popular in early modern England among artists, writers, and historiographers.
One might recognize this influence most conspicuously in Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida, or in the several translations of Virgil that were undertaken in the period. See
also the story of Priam’s slaughter as it is recounted in Hamlet by the Player King (Ham 7.342).
undeserved
Undeserved because exceptional; a commonplace sentiment in the language of manners.
Leander … Hero
Hero and Leander were famous doomed lovers of classical mythology. Living across the
Hellespont from one another, Leander would swim nightly to be with Hero, whom he subsequently
seduced. Leander eventually drowned during a storm while en route to visit Hero. While
Gonorill accurately recognizes Hero’s love for Leander, her allusion seems somewhat
macabre or misplaced at this moment.
Though Christopher Marlowe’s Hero and Leander was popular when first published in 1598 and in the three subsequent editions that
appeared prior to Leir’s publication in 1605, his version of the story was published after the latest conjectured
dates for the first performance of Leir. If not influenced by Marlowe, this allusion was perhaps influenced by Ovid’s Heroides. Further suggesting Ovid’s influence here, the next lines in the play refer to Aeneas
and Dido, two other lovers whose disastrous romance was recounted in Heroides. Though Marlowe also wrote a dramatic version Dido, Queen of Carthage in 1592, it is unclear that the play was ever performed, despite the claims of its
title page to have been performed by the Children of the Chapel. For Marlowe’s Hero and Leander (including Chapman’s completion of the poem) see Project Gutenberg; for Ovid’s Heroides XVIII to XIX see Poetry in Translation.
Aeneas … Carthage queen
Aeneas, having escaped Troy at the moment of its destruction, finds refuge in Carthage
and receives aid from Carthage’s queen, Dido. Dido—at the prompting of Venus and Cupid—falls
in love with Aeneas and commits suicide when he leaves Carthage to found Rome. As
with Gonorill’s earlier allusion to Hero and Leander, Gonorill’s allusion to Dido
and Aeneas seems somewhat macabre or misplaced at this moment.
The locus classicus for this version of the story of Dido and Aeneas is Virgil’s AeneidBook II and Book IV. The story was popular in early modern England, and the first four books of the Aeneid, containing the story of Dido and Aeneas and the story of Troy’s fall, were translated
alone into English by Richard Stanyhurst in 1582. Considering the earlier allusion
to Hero and Leander, it is likely that the writer has Ovid’s Heroides in mind, because the stories of Hero and Leander and Dido and Aeneas are both re-told
there by Ovid. For Ovid’s account of Aeneas’ betrayal of Dido, see his Heroides VII.
fancy
Desires or longing.
resteth
Remains.
nuptial rites
Wedding ceremonies.
they draw lots
Why draw lots for a kingdom that has been equally divided? A redundant action in
what the SQM company felt to be an unnecessary scene. Read more about narrative over-determination in Scene 6 .
As erst
As at one time, earlier, when he inherited his title.
sojourn
A temporary stay.
beads
Rosary beads.
This reference to a decidedly Catholic religious accoutrement is unusual for being
doubly anachronistic: Leir is set at a historical moment prior to the appearance of Christianity in England
making the rosary seem too early, and it was written after the kingdom had become officially Protestant making such
a conspicuously Catholic artifact seem too late. The rosary seems particularly out of place for Leir because he appears decidedly
Protestant at other moments in the play, as when he subsequently falls asleep holding
a prayerbook (19).
an if
If.
esteem
Regard.
mortal foe
An opponent who will be thought beaten only when he or she is dead.
heart blood
Vital energy.
strain forth
Expend.
Video Sc. 7
Scene 7
This playful scene delighted the SQM audiences with its humour and the charmingly
sudden onset of love between Gallia and Cordella. It is typical of the Queen’s Men
style. Read more about the performance of Scene 7 .
My lord
Gallia is frustrated because Mumford is addressing him as a king, forgetting they
are in disguise as poor pilgrims. The SQM actors built great comic business around
Mumford’s inability or refusal to remember. Read more about performing Mumford in Scene 7 .
ʼSwounds
A common oath; abbreviated from “by God’s wounds”, in reference to Christ’s wounds.
Call me … Denapoll
These names do not correspond to any known historical or literary figures; instead,
they are quasi-classical/pastoral names indicating Gallia’s education and sophistication.
Mumford’s frustrated response indicates his distance from such courtly learnedness.
Mumford has shown himself capable of courtly formality in his previous scene but
here he separates himself from the king’s romantic pretensions. Read more about performing Mumford in Scene 7 .
Then … Jack
While these names are marked by their commonness when compared with the hyperbolically classicized Tresillus and Denapoll, they might also be evocative puns. Will in this case might suggest the will of the people or kingdom that the king is imagined
to embody; Jack is a name associated, according to the OED, with knavery and poor breeding.
Mumford’s choice of common English names is a sign of the character’s clownish inclinations.
Read more about performing Mumford in Scene 7 .
called Jack
Alon Nashman (Mumford) straddled his pilgrim’s staff at this point and thrust his hips giving
a clear reason why Mumford has deserved be called Jack, or a knave. Read more about performing Mumford in Scene 7 .
close
Hidden.
This … rod
Initially Julian DeZotti (Cordella) struggled to connect with the passivity we perceived in this speech. Our
efforts to connect with the text taught us much about the idea of divine providence
and the representation of women on the early modern stage. Read more about performing Cordella in Scene 7 .
fickle queen … chance
Fortune.
pattern
Example.
imbecility
Weakness.
brunts
Attacks or abuse.
Fortune
The personified figure of Fortune played a significant role in early modern literary
and dramatic traditions. Fortune was most often invoked by writers describing significant
reversals of fate or when parsing the orbits of the Wheel of Fortune.
The figure of Fortune was best known through the fall of Princes or de casibus, tradition, as in William Baldwin’s popular Mirror for Magistrates (Haslewood). Baldwin’s Mirror was significantly influenced by John Lydgate’s Fall of Princes , which was itself an adaptation of a French translation of Giovanni Boccaccio’s De Casibus Virorum Illustrium. It is this tradition to which Richard II refers in Richard II when he invokes the sad stories of the death of kings (R2 3.2.152).
embrace the rod
Appreciate moral correction.
The relationship between the rod and moral or parental authority is of biblical derivation.
See Proverbs 22:15: Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive
it far from him.
meaner habit
Less ostentatious or luxurious clothing.
smock and petticoat
A smock is an article of women’s underwear like a chemise; a petticoat is a woman’s
undercoat or decorative underskirt (OEDsmock, n. 1.a; OEDpetticoat, n. 2.a).
that she … together
Mumford wants to undress—or exchange clothes—with Cordella.
Mumford’s bawdy responses worked in delightful counterpoint to the sincerity of Cordella’s
commitment to a life of labour. Read more about medley style in Scene 7 .
I will … ends
The sincerity of Cordella’s commitment to a life of labour worked in delightful counterpoint
to Mumford’s bawdy responses. Read more about medley style in Scene 7 .
St. Denis
Saint Denis is the patron saint of France.
Without a rhyme word, it remains difficult to know precisely how Denis should be pronounced in the play. Early modern convention might have read Dennis here, rather than the Gallic De-nee.
sadly
Earnestly; with great seriousness and sincerity.
custom
Patronage. If Cordella vows to remain chaste—a maiden—then Mumford refuses to support
her in her new career as a seamstress.
Mumford’s desire turns here to disappointment and the sudden reversal was very amusing
in the hands of Alon Nashman our company clown. Read more about performing Mumford in Scene 7 .
ʼSblood, Will
Nashman (Mumford) played this moment with mock horror pretending to be the jealous lover
before encouraging his master to get in in his next line (Sc7 Sp22). Read more about performing Mumford in Scene 7 .
sempster
Seamstress.
labyrinth
Maze.
It was conventional in the period to describe love as a confusing and disorienting
labyrinth, as in Lady Mary Wroth’s Corona of Sonnets in her Pamphilia and Amphilanthus, which begins with the question, In this strange Labyrinth how shall I turne[?] (Wroth).
Literally, “give to me” or “provide me with”, though frequently used to refer to the
disclosure of a information.
what avails … cause
“Why bother discussing the matter?”
The silly … net
This story of the mouse and the lion—one of Aesop’s fables—was a commonplace in early
modern England (Tilley L315: A lion may come to be beholden to a mouse).
hapless
Unfortunate.
sometime
Former.
debars
Keeps out.
his honorable age
An epithet used to refer to Leir.
say … king
Paul Hopkins (Gallia), delivered this line with an awareness of the dramatic irony at play engaging
the audience both with the affectionate unfolding of the romance, and the comical
ironies raised by the disguise and the high level of coincidence in the situation.
Read more about medley style in Scene 7 .
spoil
Strip, as one is stripped of armor in military defeat.
sue to me
“Request of me”; in this case, request Cordella’s hand in marriage.
Except
Unless.
guise
Practice.
Hymen’s sacred bonds
Hymen is the Greek god of matrimony, imagined to bless happy marriages at the moment
of the wedding ceremony.
In early modern England, Hymen appeared regularly in wedding masques, as in Ben Jonson’s
Masque of Hymen or Hymenaei, performed 5 January 1606 at the wedding of Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, and Frances
Howard (Jonson). Hymen also appears in the wedding masques of Shakespeare’s As You Like It (AYL 5.4.89) and The Tempest (Tmp 4.1.97).
live
For this line we made one of the very few changes to the text to help clarify sense
for the actor: live was changed to love.Thou in the next sentence then referred to the personification of love. Andrew’s interpretation of the quarto colon at the end of line 96 makes new sense
of the line without changing a word.
Whilom whenas
Once when.
postulate
Claim or request.
light
Fallen.
surcease
Stop pursuing.
whereas … ensue
Because no dowry will come of it.
Cease … woo
Cordella is bold enough to declare her love rather than wait modestly to return the
love of the pilgrim.Julian DeZotti (Cordella) did an excellent job identifying moments of agency like this and transformed
my perception of his character. Read more about performing Cordella in Scene 7 .
Your birth’s … king
Thomas H. McNeal finds a parallel here with Henry VI, Part 1 where Suffolk, speaking of Margaret of Anjou, explains that her birth / Approves her fit for none but for a king (1H6 5.8.68–69).
low
Lowly, or modest. Contrary to Gonorill and Ragan’s earlier claims of Cordella’s haughtiness,
Cordella here claims here to be quite modest in her tastes.
so straight … penury
Strictly moral and without money.
The sense of straightness here likely comes—at least indirectly—from Matthew 7:14, where Christ is reported
to have said, Because straight is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and
few there be that find it.
Oh … can
Cordella here follows her heart not the dictates of her father or society developing
the play’s exploration of the conflict between romantic love and patriarchal authority.
To make the scene work it was necessary to build the actors awareness of the cultural
assumptions about marriage that would have made this scene more provocative in its
day. Read more about the performance of Scene 7 .
palmer’s staff
A walking stick used by itinerant palmers or pilgrims.
I’ll hold … queen
In the imaginary transformation of palmer’s staff into regal scepter, Jacqueline Pearson
detects a parallel with Richard II where Richard, abdicating, declares that he will exchange My sceptre for a palmer’s walking staf (R2 3.3.150).
bonnet
Palmers were usually depicted wearing large hats, presumably to protect them from
rain and sun as they travel. See Pilgrims and Pilgrimage.
cordial
Broadly, any restorative, though more specifically a medicine that stimulates or revives
the heart.
king of Gallia
Paul Hopkins (Gallia) ripped off his pilgrim’s garb at this point revealing his kingly attire
underneath. The company performane balanced the romance and the ironies beautifully
in this scene. Read more about the performance of Scene 7 .
Nashman (Mumford) expressed surprise and amazement that a pilgrim’s disguise should prove
so sexually attractive. Read more about performing Mumford in Scene 7 .
next that falls
Next woman who is won. Falls here bears sexual connotations.
weed
Garment, here indicating its coarseness and lowliness.
foppets
A little fop or fool.
According to the OED, this is the first and only usage of the word.
What resteth
“What else do we require”. The question is rhetorical, suggesting that they should
hurry to wed.
procure
Bring about or acquire.
I … wooing
Always a big laugh line in performance—it encapsulated the interplay of emotional
investment in the romance and an ironic awareness of its expeditious and fortuitous
qualities. Read more about performing Mumford in Scene 7 .
British ladies
Nashman (Mumford) used this line to flirt with women in the audience who in the original
production would have been British. Read more about performing Mumford in Scene 7 .
humor
Disposition, mood, or feelings.
alienated … France
“I’m no longer attracted to French women”.
Video Sc. 8
Scene 8
Perillus reports news we have already heard and events we hear about in the next
scene. Similar monologues are a consistent feature of the dramaturgy of the play but
why did the original company feel they were so important? Read more about medley style in Scene 7 .
The king … all
Robert Adger Law draws a parallel between Perillus’ description of Leir’s situation
and the description of King John’s abdication in Shakespeare’s King John: The king hath dispossessed himself of us (Jn 4.2.23).
sojourns
Stays temporarily.
mirror … patience
A model of Christian virtue and forbearance.
The Mirror was a popular genre of didactic literature in which tales of real or imagined figures
were recorded for the edification of readers. To declare Leir a mirror of patience is to declare that he is the model or mould of patience, from which individuals
might learn what the virtue is. See also Sc16 Sp5 where Gallia describes Cordella as a mirror of virtue; Sc13 Sp1 where Cordella describes to Gallia a mirror of zeal, justice, kindness, and care; and Sc24 Sp57 where Cordella describes Perillus as a Mirror of virtue and true honesty. In True Tragedy, Mistress Shore uses the same language when figuring herself as the mirror of the
country’s fall (Sc2 Sp17)
opprobrious sort
Vituperative way.
sets her … purpose
Directs her hangers-on to undertake certain tasks.
scoffing-wise
Contemptuously or derisively.
Oh … times
A conventional formulation through which one laments the present as a moment of broad
cultural debasement.
This vision of the iron age finds its locus classicus in Virgil’s fourth Eclogue (Virgil). Considering the play’s regular invocations of Ovid’s Metamorphoses, the source might be the first book in which Ovid describes the iron age as a time
when Truth, modesty, and shame, the world forsook: / Fraud, avarice, and force, their places
took (Ovid). The precise phrasing of this complaint echoes a famous line from Cicero’s First Oration Against Catiline, in which he declaims, O tempora! O mores or, Oh the times! Oh the customs! (Cicero).
vile
Vile.
alliance
Friends or kin.
redress
Make right, correct.
latest
Final.
Video Sc. 9
Scene 9
The dramaturgy of this scene contrasts Shakespeare’s approach to the same material
and reveals the different imperatives driving the work of the Queen’s Men. Read more
about the performance of Scene 9 .
I prithee … woe
Matthew Krist (Gonorill), in keeping with the conception of her character as a form of vice, played this speech with brazen outrage that her doting father (Sc9 Sp1) was interfering with her freedom to buy new gowns (Sc9 Sp1) and throw lavish feasts (Sc9 Sp1). Read more about the performance of Scene 9 .
our
As with Leir in the opening line of the play (Sc1 Sp1), Gonorill—as monarch—speaks in the first person plural.
quips … taunts
Critical comments and demanding or insisting verbal attacks.
I him … alms
“I maintain his lifestyle by my charity”; below Gonorill further claims that this
expense is vain, or unnecessarily extravagant.
To check … up
To correct and verbally reprimand for perceived ill-behavior.
old doting … wit
Matthew Krist (Gonorill) used the alliteration here to increase the vehemence of her vicious attack
on her father. Read more about the performance of Scene 9 .
doltish
Foolish (due to old age).
senseless check
Correction or chastisement for no reason.
banquet
An extra meal, usually consisting of sweets, fruit and wine, served to extend a main meal,
but usually in a room separate from the main meal.
To grace myself
To add dignity or honor to herself.
captious
Eager to point out the faults of others.
vain expense
Unnecessarily extravagant allowance.
I prithee … woe
Gonorill’s indirect request here parallels the famous ambiguity in Shakespeare’s Richard II where Bolingbroke refuses to ask for Richard’s execution but implies that Richard’s
death would be a great benefit. See Richard II, where Exton asks a servant, Didst thou not mark the King, what words he spake? / Have I no friend will rid me of this living fear? / Was it not so? (R2 5.4.1–3). As many scholars have pointed out vis-à-vis Richard II, Henry II is said to have had Thomas á Becket executed using a similar tactic.
Matthew Krist (Gonorill) gave this line a seductive quality as she asked Skalliger for guidance
knowing all the while she had already taken decisive action. Read more about the performance of Scene 9 .
For why
Because.
already
Gonorill reveals here that she has already taken action against her father. David Kynaston, performing Skalliger, played surprise at this moment. Read more about performing Skalliger in Scene 9 .
viperous
Literally, snakelike, but figuratively treacherous or duplicitous.
us the world
Kynaston gave the moment a reflective quality that highlighted the moral commentary on flattery
that was central to the purpose of this scene in the SQM production. Read more about
performing Skalliger in Scene 9 .
Exit.
Having played a prominent role to this point, Skalliger here exits from the scene,
never to be seen again. Read more about performing Skalliger in Scene 9 .
Video Sc. 10
Scene 10
The conflict between Gonorill and Leir that has been described for us previously
manifests itself in this scene, and in performance the energy of the show picked up
here and the action drove forward with more pace and vigour. Read more about the performance of Scene 10 .
Cornwall
At this point in the play Cornwall is a model son-in-law, genuinely concerned for
the old king’s well-being. It was curious to Jason Gray (Cornwall) that his character apparently has no inkling of his wife’s dissatisfaction
with her father. Read more about performing Cornwall in Scene 10 .
aileth … be
Causes you to feel.
worldly joys
Shakespeare’s Lear is depicted returning from the worldly joy of hunting. Leir shows no signs of engaging in such pleasures nor gives any sign
that Gonorill’s complaints are justified. Gonorill is clearly at fault in the Queen’s
Men play. Read more about performing Leir in Scene 10 .
frame himself
Orient himself, or open himself to.
What … began
Gonorill is inventing these concerns as Cornwall has expressed no such fears. In
the SQM production, Matthew Krist (Gonorill) launched into a performance of the wronged but loving wife. Read more
about performing Gonorill in Scene 10 .
a piece … cheese
Proverbially meager fare.
in a time
Shortly; inevtiably.
practise
Scheme or plot.
practice
Duplicitous and underhanded treachery or scheming.
cease th’effect … began
To cure the symptom (of marital discord) by eliminating the soruce (i.e., Leir).
partial
Biased or unfair.
ne’er complained
Jason Gray (Cornwall) took these words as the truth and responded to his wife’s anger with puzzlement
and a desire to make the peace. Read more about performing Cornwall in Scene 10 .
weigh
Treat with seriousness.
woman’s words
Cornwall’s attempt to reassure his father-in-law produced a sharp reaction from our
Gonorill and a big laugh from our 21st century audience. Whether this line would have
been as funny for the original audience is a matter of contention. Our Cornwall (Gray) had to find a way to justify his characters verbal blunder but perhaps because in
our society he was clearly being sexist. Read more about performing Cornwall in Scene 10 .
she breeds … bones
She is pregnant.
What … belike
Gonorill here objects to Leir’s suggestion that she’s is already pregnant: if she
is already breeding young bones, then she would have been pregnant prior to her wedding day, thus making her unchaste
before her marriage, or dishonest. Gonorill delivers this thanks ironically.
Gonorill twists the men’s words to defend her position and appeal to her husband
for allegiance against her father. Matthew Krist relished the manipulative qualities of his character in performance. Read more about
performing Gonorill in Scene 10 .
I cannot stay
Having attempted to mediate between father and daughter, Cornwall suddenly leaves—an
exit that proved hard for the SQM actor to motivate. Read more about performing Cornwall in Scene 10 .
go pack
Leave in a hurry and in disgrace; Gonorill is kicking Leir out.
Instead of halving his allowance as promised in the last scene, Gonorill throws her
father out. The escalation of her mistreatment serves to further establish her unambiguous
wickedness. Read more about moral dichotomy in Scene 10 .
wrested
Twisted; Gonorill accuses Leir of intentionally mishearing her words.
overlive
Live too long.
wight
Person or creature.
perfect zeal
Unadulterated enthusaism.
fatal dart
According to the iconography of the period, Death was often figured as the bearer
of a fatal dart, as in Book II of Milton’s Paradise Lost where Death bears his dart at the moment of his birth from Sin. In Sin’s words, describing
Death’s birth: he my inbred enemie / Forth issu’d from Sin’s womb brandishing his fatal Dart / Made to destroy: I fled, and cry’d out Death; / Hell trembl’d at the hideous Name, and sigh’d / From all her Caves, and back resounded
Death (Milton). See also Everyman, where Death declares: Lorde I wyll in the worlde go renne ouer all / And cruelly out searche bothe grete
and small / Euery man wyll I beset that lyueth beastly / Out of goddes lawes and dredeth
not foly / He that loueth rychesse I wyll stryke wt my darte (Everyman).
He weeps
Leir weeps after expressing his first wish for an early death—a motif that becomes
an important part of the dramaturgy of later scenes. Read more about moral dichotomy in Scene 10 .
disconsolate yourself
Render yourself sorrowful, without consolation; despair.
wasting
Undermining of strength. Perillus suggests here that Leir’s sorrow makes Leir weak.
case
Situation.
miserable
Both extremely sad and impoverished.
forsake
Abandon.
excrement
Superfluous trash.
I ne’er … it
The following exchange between Leir and Perillus is carefully patterned and demanded
an awareness of rhetorical technique from the SQM actors. Read more about narrative over-determination in Scene 11 .
Did … left
“Did I ever show you favor or supplement the income (by rents) that you inherited
from your father?”
confute
Convince otherwise, or confound; prove an argument wrong.
tribute
Payment due to a superior.
unkindness
Both cruelty and “unnaturalness”, acting against the laws of “kin and kind”.
th’unkind
Both cruel and “unnatural”, acting against the laws of kin and kind.
heavy doom
Desperate fate.
entreat me fair
Treat me fairly, or as I deserve.
I am … woe
Using try to mean “test” or “sample”, Leir here agrees to sojourn with Ragan in order to see
if things can get worse for him and Perillus.
Video Sc. 11
Scene 11
The series of monologues informing the audience of past and future action were a
puzzle for the SQM company. Read more about narrative over-determination in Scene 11 .
bodeth
Promises or foretells.
happy stars
Speaking astrologically. Ragan is happy that her fortune—foretold “by the stars” according
to a sense of astrological determination—have provided her with such happiness.
Ragan’s joy is presented in obvious contrast with the mood of the previous scene.
In performance, it gave her villainy a playful quality that was key to the play’s
affect. Read more about performing Ragan in Scene 11 .
vouchsafes
Bestows kindness, generally to an inferior.
I rule … king
The wicked sisters in the SQM productions took great relish in manipulating their
husbands. Read more about performing Ragan in Scene 11 .
states
The members of the body politic, particularly those of “estate” (i.e., the nobility
and clergy).
a cooling card
A term from an unknown card game for a card “played as a deterrent to other players”
(OEDcooling card, n.); it is applied figuratively to anything that dampens enthusiasm.
Though the game is lost, many references exist to the cooling card, as in The True Tragedie of Richard III where Buckingham, attempting to mitigate Richard’s ambition, asks him to lay down a cooling card because this game is gone too far (Sc7 Sp7).
As that … gall
A proverbial distinction between the sweetness of honey and the bitterness of gall
(Tilley H561). Gonorill’s otherwise happy life is, according to Ragan, tainted by Leir’s figuratively
bitter presence.
This scene sees the introduction of one of the most fascinating and engaging characters
in the play—the Messenger/Murderer who will be employed by Gonorill and Ragan to kill
Leir. The chemistry between Gonorill (Krist) and Nashman (Messenger) was very strong in this scene and the development of the character of
the Messenger was the subject to much debate in the rehearsal room. Read more about
the performance of Scene 12 .
Ah, Gonorill
Jason Gray, playing Cornwall, struggled with the balance between the apparently astute, caring
son-in-law and the character’s inability to see through his wife’s lies. Read more
about performing Cornwall in Scene 12 .
sequestered
Removed; isolated from.
Alas … well
Matthew Krist, performing Gonorill, played the aggrieved little girl here, undermining Cornwall’s
concern by claiming exclusive rights over any grief caused by Leir’s sudden departure.
Read more about performing Gonorill in Scene 12 .
longest home
The grave.
Figuring death as a home was common in the period, as when John Florio, defining Pelliccieria in A World of Words (1598), identifies death as “a mans last home” (LEME). The grave is the longest home because it is the home in which one will live the
longest.
Whom sorrow … well
Gonorill claims that she would be worried to death about Leir’s fate but that she
knows his qualities so she knows that he is being obstreperous.
stol’n upon
Contrived to spend time with.
I know … again
Matthew Krist (Gonorill) shifted tactics here adopting a calm reassuring tone as she described
her father’s supposed playful intentions. Read more about performing Gonorill in Scene 12 .
Therefore … long
For these last lines in the speech, Matthew Krist (Gonorill) openly flirted with Cornwall implying a particular type of frolicking
might now be on the cards. Read more about performing Gonorill in Scene 12 .
be frolic
Feel mirthful.
Cornwall
At this point, Cornwall seems quite astute but Jason Gray who played the role still had to balance this with the ease with which he is later
duped. Read more about performing Cornwall in Scene 12 .
temper
Control, direct, or guide.
sound rewards
Significant remuneration.
ratify
Confirm. The messenger will, in Gonorill’s plot, tell lies that coincide with the
lies she tells, thus making her seem sympathetic.
haply
Perhaps.
common passenger
A passenger was a traveler; Gonorill emphasizes commonness here in contrast with Leir’s kingliness.
exclaim against me
Gonorill worries here that Leir will speak ill of her.
Thus … expel
Proverbial (Tilley N17). Gonorill suggests that she will turn Leir’s words against him, making him seem
awful each time he tries to make her seem awful.
Enter the Messenger
In the SQM production, the Messenger was played by company clown Alon Nashman who hurried on the stage so fast (Sc12 Sp5) only to be pulled up short by Gonorill’s question creating a comic double-take that
established the tone for this character and scene. Read more about performing the Messenger in Scene 12 .
According to the law of the Benefit of Clergy, one could claim leniency in sentencing
or one could claim to be beyond the jurisdiction of secular courts if one could demonstrate
that one was a member of the clergy. Demonstrating one’s clerical status required
a demonstration of ecclesiastical literacy, performed by reading in Latin the first
verse of Psalm 51, known as the Miserere. Because reciting this verse could help one escape hanging, it was known as the neck-verse. This reference to a decidedly Christian custom is anachronistic.
Ay … trussed up
“You won’t be hanged because you’re the queen, but I might be hanged (because I’m
a mere messenger)”.
The Messenger’s reference to his handsomeness seems, at this moment, out of place,
unless we presume that the two are engaged in some sort of flirtation. The sense of
flirtatiousness seems probable if one reads the Messenger’s trussed up as a double entendre, referring to the tying of hose to doublet in order to support a man’s codpiece.
The SQM actors played on the sexual references they found in the text and turned
the scene into an extended flirtation between the two characters. The Messenger’s
reference to himself as a handsome man (Sc12 Sp12) was also used as evidence to support casting this role as a clown. Read more about
performing the Messenger in Scene 12 .
handsome man
While Andrew’s suggestion that reference to his appearance might be a sign of flirtation
is valid, I believe it is evidence that the role was played by the Queen’s Men clown,
Richard Tarlton. Read more about performing the Messenger in Scene 12 .
when … hanged
Possible double entendre. This possibility seems more likely considering that the speech is riddled with such
possible double entendres. See also next note.
Possible double entendre. The possibility of a double entendre seems more likely considering that the speech is riddled with such possible double entendres. See also previous note.
Alon Nashman (Messenger) indicated specifically which member he was referring to, making a comically
innapporpriate sexual advance on the queen. Read more about performing the Messenger in Scene 12 .
a scavenger’s horse
A scavenger in early modern England would have been responsible for cleaning filth
and detritus—such as dung—from the street.
A strong bond
Alon Nashman (Messenger) dangled the purse from its string, testing its weight and making it clear
that the strong bond was the power that money held over him. Read more about performing the Messenger in Scene 12 .
let … negligence
“If I’m negligent, then you can hang me”.
oysterwife
Women who sold seafood in markets; they were notoriously loudmouthed and vulgar.
Billingsgate
A ward in southeast London known in the sixteenth century as the site of a large market.
By the beginning of the seventeenth century, Billingsgate was known principally for
its fish market. Considering this association with a fish market, it is not surprising
to find an oysterwife there.
The reference to the London locale was a factor in our perception of the clownish
origins of the character. Read more about performing the Messenger in Scene 12 .
railing
Harshly complaining and scolding.
whetted
Honed, intensified, sharpened.
choler
Anger.
According to theories of Galenic humoralism, an overabundance of choler or yellow
bile in one’s body could make one short-tempered.
Palermo
Swords from Palermo, and from Italy generally, were said to be of the highest quality.
Commend me … me
Suddenly the messenger turns to verse and speaks like a courtly lover, lending support
to the actor’s interpretation of the character as a sophisticated social climber.
Read more about performing the Messenger in Scene 12 .
try me
Attempt to use me in your plan, but also a double entendre, reiterating the flirtatious tenor of the dialogue.
detracted
Defamed.
at variance
At odds, or in dispute.
the commons.
The non-aristocratic members of the kingdom.
a highway … friends
Success will guarantee that you and those close to you will be advanced—financially
and in terms of status—in the kingdom.
conceit
Conceive; “think it done”.
as … cony
A poulterer was a merchant who traded in poultry, eggs, and game; a cony was a rabbit,
and rabbits were generally sold skinned. Cony, often spelled cunny, was also female
pudendum, an endearment for one’s sweetheart, or the dupe of a trickster.
The use of reference points from the material world suggested the character is clownish
rather than courtly in conception. Read more about performing the Messenger in Scene 12 .
I thirst … it
Lines such as these could be used to create a blood-thirsty and heartless murderer
intended to cause fear rather than elicit laughter. In the SQM staging, Alon Nashman developed a more humorous interpretation. Read more about performing the Messenger in Scene 12 .
make him away
“Get rid of him”; kill him.
I fly, I fly
The line suggested a comically speedy exit to me but Alon Nashman created a laugh by speaking the line as he sauntered slowly off the stage. Gonorill
(Krist) followed him off stage fanning herself with the letter as if to cool her blood after
the heated sexual exchange of the scene. Read more about performing the Messenger in Scene 12 .
Video Sc. 13
Scene 13
Julian DeZotti (Cordella) had to struggle with the idea of divine providence that is central to
understanding this scene. Read more about the performance of Scene 13 .
over-negligent
Cordella’s pious modesty was particularly difficult for the SQM actor to perform.
Read more about the performance of Scene 13 .
mirror of his time
The Mirror was a popular genre of didactic literature in which tales of real or imagined figures
were recorded for the edification of readers. To declare Gallia a mirror of zeal, justice, and kindness is patience is to declare that he is the model or
mould of patience, from which individuals might learn what the virtue is. See also
(Sc16 Sp5) where Gallia describes Cordella as a mirror of virtue; where Cordella describes
to Gallia a mirror of zeal, justice, kindness, and care; and where Cordella describes Perillus as a
Mirror of virtue and true honesty (Sc24 Sp57). In True Tragedy, Mistress Shore uses the same language when figuring herself as the mirror of the
country’s fall (Sc2 Sp17).
pine
Exhaust or languish, as well as inflict pain and suffering.
sackcloth
A coarse fabric, often worn by mourners or penitents, which indicates extreme poverty
or humility.
The image of herself that Cordella offers is drawn from Lamentations 2:10 where the
elders of Zion respond to the Chaldean attacks on Jerusalem and the holy land: The elders of the daughter of Zion sit on the ground, and keep silence: they have
cast up dust on their heads; they have girded themselves with sackcloth: the virgins
of Jerusalem hang down their heads to the ground. The allusion to a nation’s trauma seems particularly apposite at this moment in Leir.
mourning-wise … head
The image of herself that Cordella offers is drawn from Lamentations 2:10 where the
elders of Zion respond to the Chaldean attacks on Jerusalem and the holy land: The elders of the daughter of Zion sit on the ground, and keep silence: they have
cast up dust on their heads; they have girded themselves with sackcloth: the virgins
of Jerusalem hang down their heads to the ground. The allusion to a nation’s trauma seems particularly apposite at this moment in Leir.
O sisters
Cordella expresses her bitterness towards her sisters but then subjugates those negative
feelings through an act of forgiveness. This kind of action is particularly challenging
for modern actors. Read more about the performance of Scene 13 .
In rehearsal and performance, the SQM company were struck by the close connections
between the scenes like this one depicting Leir’s suffering and Shakespeare’s scenes
on the heath. Read more about the performance of Scene 14 .
stay yourself
Hold yourself up or support yourself.
In performance the exhaustion of the old men was made clear and their physical attempts
at supporting one another underlined the dialogues concern with friendship and the
inversion of hierarchy. Read more about the performance of Scene 14 .
uncouth
Unfamiliar and strange.
tireful
Exhausting.
a whit
The smallest possible amount. According to Perillus, Leir has not given himself even
the smallest break.
guerdon
“Repay” or “reward”; Leir is concerned that he has no token with which to acknowledge
Perillus for his friendship, service, and loyalty.
To think … do
Perillus is despondent that Leir—once a king—is now powerless: Leir wants (i.e., lacks)
the power that would automatically turn his will or desire into action.
lord
Like the Gallian King in Scene 7 but for different reasons, Leir does not wish to
be addressed as lord. In performance the difference between the Queen’s Men’s treatment of the inversion
of authority and Shakespeare’s was striking. Read more about the Queen’s Men and Shakespeare in Scene 14 .
Performed as an aside to the audience, this line underlined the insincerity of Ragan’s
upcoming welcome. Read more about performing Ragan in Scene 14 .
indurable.
Unbearable.
This usage of indurable antedates the OED’s first usage of the word in 1607.
The moment was made more moving in performance by the audience’s awareness of Ragan’s
insincerity. Read more about performing Ragan in Scene 14 .
with finger … eye
While feigning tears, or while sympathy seeking. See also Taming of the
Shrew where Kate accuses Bianca of similar trickery (Shr 3.79–82).
I do know
Derek Genova (Ragan) found it strange that she professes to know the import of the message she
receives in the next scene. Read more about performing Ragan in Scene 14 .
vain
Foolish or thoughtless.
Upon a spleen
Acting with apparent caprice.
According to Galenic humoral theory, the spleen produced black bile which was the
cause of splenetic melancholia. Often, and more generally, disturbances in the spleen were associated
with moodiness and erratic behaviour.
made on
Fussed over.
fair weather
Since Ragan has made her wicked intentions towards her father clear, the only justification
for her reaction to Gonorill’s letter is that it marks the abandonment of her performance
of fair weather. Read more about narrative over-determination in Scene 14 .
Video Sc. 15
Scene 15
Through this section of the play the complex Messenger character became an increasingly
dominant presence. In this scene the character shifts between courtly poetry and colloquial
prose making interpretation of is background difficult. Read more about the performance of Scene 15 .
The messenger appears at this point to be a master of courtly etiquette, an impression
that contradicts his behavior and language elsewhere in the play. Read more about
performing the Messenger in Scene 15 .
residue
The rest of the message—besides the greeting from Gonorill—is contained in the letter.
The messenger appears to be a courtly sophisticate at this point but the impression
is not sustained throughout the scene. Read more about performing the Messenger in Scene 15 .
See how … me
David Roberts detects a parallel here with Shakespeare’s Henry VIII where Norfolk describes how Wolsey has reacted to news of Henry’s discovery of Wolsey’s correspondence with the Pope (Roberts 302): Some strange commotion / Is in his brain. He bites his lip, and starts, / Stops on
a sudden, looks upon the ground, / Then lays his finger on his temple; straight /
Springs out into fast gait, then stops again, / Strikes his breast hard, and anon
he casts / His eye against the moon (H8 3.2.113–119).
dumbshow
Part of a play featuring action but no speech.
Dumbshows were quite popular in early modern drama, and were sometimes included an
onstage interpreter who would explain the action to the audience. At this moment in Leir, the messenger is playing the role of interpreter. The Mousetrap scene in Hamlet provides another example of the dumbshow with interpreter (Ham 9).
In performance the Messenger’s observations of the dumbshow was funny even though
Ragan’s reaction would lead her to order the murder of her father. Read more about
medley style in Scene 15 .
crowns
A gold coin worth five shillings, named for the image of a crown imprinted upon it.
That … head
According to the visions of marriage operating in early modern England, the wife was
often figured as the body to her husband’s head.
According to this homology, the husband provided direction and guidance as the head of a household while the wife enacted or performed those tasks that the husband thought
fit. The precise language here is informed by a passage in St. Paul’s letter to the
Ephesians (5:22–25): Ye women, submit your selves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband
is the wife’s head, even as Christ is the head of the Church, and he is the saviour
of the whole body. Therefore as the Church in congregation is subject unto Christ:
so likewise let the wives be in subjection unto their own husbands in all things. English priests were directed by The Book of Common Prayer to read to new husbands
and wives. See also Shakespeareʼs Life and Times.
Thomas H. McNeal finds a parallel here with Henry VI, Part 2 where Margaret of Anjou declares that she Would make thee quickly hop without thy head (2H6 3.136).
fact
Crime.
cavillations
Quibbles or unfair objections.
stratagem
Scheme or plot.
compact
Packed tight with.
adamant
A fabulous mineral valued by alchemists for its remarkable hardness.
Throughout the sixteenth century, the precise nature of adamant remained unclear.
At times, it was figured to be diamond, though it was also said to share properties
with lodestone or magnetite. As the OED notes, it was generally used as a synonym for diamond during the seventeenth century.
A reference point that suggests the Messenger is well educated. What exactly is the
social status and background of this character? Read more about performing the Messenger in Scene 15 .
respect … flea
Care about the killing of a flea.
The Messenger here uses a reference point out of keeping with his presentation as
a courtly sophisticate prior to this moment in the scene. Read more about performing the Messenger in Scene 15 .
we make … thee
“We are certain of your trustworthiness”.
drink … sake
Ragan says that she’d like the messenger to buy a drink with the tip she gives him;
this tip is clearly payment for the murder she expects him to commit.
Why … neither
As with many of the messenger’s lines, this one is sexually loaded.
The challenge for the SQM company was to decide whether his sexual references defined
him as rude and brash, or soave and courtly. Read more about performing the Messenger in Scene 15 .
Video Sc. 16
Scene 16
This scene featres two virtuous characters being nice to each other—not the common
recipe for high drama. The SQM actors worked hard to uncover the charm of this scene.
Read more about the performance of Scene 16 .
“It is natural that I would be sad at the bad wishes of he who first gave life to”.
If … remain
A confusing metaphor: “If the trunk is dried (with cruel indifference?) then the branch
growing from that trunk will be withered and desiccated”. According to the logic of
the analogy that she draws here Cordella imagines that she will remain sad as long
as Leir remains unkind
graft
Splice a shoot from one stock into the body of another stock, producing a hybrid.
Gallia persuades Cordella using arguments she used earlier to justify her response
to her father in the love test. Read more about performing Gallia in Scene 16 .
stock
Gallia puns on stalk and stock here, suggesting that Cordella has become part of his stock, or family.
my root
Hopkins (Gallia) gave these lines a sexual connotation that lent the scene a flirtatious
quality and made one aspect of his motivation clear. Read more about performing Gallia in Scene 16 .
Forget thy father
As husband, Gallia can expect to be given priority over her father but asking her
to forget him pushes the matter a little too far. Hopkins (Gallia) used this as a sign of youthful impatience with Cordella’s grief. Read more
about performing Gallia in Scene 16 .
inhumane
Not exhibiting characteristics of the human.
unkindly
Cruelly, but also against the law of kin or kind.
Embrace the joys
Paul Hopkins played Gallia as a young prince, passionately in love with his wife but here showing
some signs of impatience. His desire to end his wife’s grief became the driving force
in the scene. Read more about performing Gallia in Scene 16 .
present
Here and now.
pack
Leave.
Not … father
Cordella’s virtuous dedication to both husband and father presented the SQM actor
a difficult challenge. The list of metaphors in this speech all justify Cordella’s
continuing grief for the loss of her father’s love. Read more about performing Cordella in Scene 16 .
distemperate
disordered.
According to theories of Galenic humoralism, character was in part determined by the
relative proportion of four humors (choler, blood, black bile, and phlegm) circulating
in the body. Because each of these humours was associated with a specific degree of
heat and humidity, to suggest that one is distemperate is to suggest that one is humorally out of balance.
“All of which preceding examples are opposite to the normal course of nature”.
Mirror of virtue
Hopkins (Gallia) directed this line to members of the audience as if presenting his wife
as an examplar of virtue. Read more about performing Gallia in Scene 16 .
Phoenix … age
The phoenix is a mythical bird said to immolate itself every 500 or 1000 years; from
the ashes of the fire, a young phoenix emerges. By declaring Cordella the Phoenix of our age, Leir suggests that her kindness speaks to a redemption of the cultural debasement
that Perillus identifies at Sc8 Sp1.
whereas
Where.
kindest
Most well bred, most gracious, most generous.
suffice the turn
Serve the purpose.
we’ll furnish … fleet
This was clearly an attractive prospect for the adventure loving prince in the SQM
productions. Read more about performing Gallia in Scene 16 .
Video Sc. 17
Scene 17
The SQM actors found the less formal style of this scene more familiar and were able
to track the course of the action with little difficulty. Read more about the performance of Scene 17 .
It … world
“It’s wonderful”.
flush
Carrying significant amonuts of money.
kiss their hands
A sign of respect.
The lowly messenger from Billingsgate has risen to become an important courtier.
The defintion of the social status of this character was an on-going issue in the
SQM rehearsals. Read more about performing the Messenger in Scene 17 .
for to derive
To get.
crowns
The Messenger’s desire for wealth drives him towards murder. The corrupting influence
of money was a common topic in early modern England and it will lead the Messenger
into a moral crisis in Scene 19. Read more about performing the Messenger in Scene 17 .
poor man
The reference to the Messenger as a poor man supports the idea that the character
might have been conceived as a clown. Read more about performing the Messenger in Scene 17 .
yesternight
The previous night.
a thing … consequence
A matter of extreme importance.
Ah … be done
Derek Genova (Ragan) played this moment with a lack of sincerity that belied the modesty his character
was professing. Her murderous intent was perfectly clear in the SQM production. Read
more about performing Ragan in Scene 17 .
Ay
The scene is less formal than others in the play but is still carefully structured
around this one syllable. Read more about the performance of Scene 17 .
According to Ovid in Book I of the Metamorphoses, Mercury was sent by Jove to kill Argos, a hundred-eyed giant who was guarding the
nymph Io. Jove loved Io, and transformed her into a cow to protect her from Juno,
his jealous wife, before Juno gained control of Io and had her guarded by Argos. Mercury
played his pipe until Argos fell asleep; subsequently, he beat Argos to death with
a rock. See the Metamorphoses, Book 1.
The poor man (Sc17 Sp4) here reveals he has has a classical education. The social status of this character
was much debated in the SQM rehearsals. Read more about performing the Messenger in Scene 17 .
A loaded quibble: to dispatch might mean “to finish the chore”, but also might mean, euphemistically, “to murder”.
I’ll find … him
“I’ll find a way to have you killed”.
In spite of her earlier protestation of shame for her intentions (Sc17 Sp8), Ragan here reveals her true ruthlessness. Read more about performing Ragan in Scene 17 .
Video Sc. 18
Scene 18
A fascinating scene that depicts high diplomacy between nations through repeated
comic misunderstandings but I felt we never quite made it work in performance. Read
more about the performance of Scene 18 .
I wonder … suspense
Cornwall shows himself more concerned with his affairs of state and less easily deflected
by the manipulations of his wife in this scene. Read more about the performing Cornwall in Scene 18 .
stay
Tarry.
dispatched for Cambria
Sent, with messages, to Cambria.
And he … delay
Cornwall obviously means the opposite here: if the messenger does not show good reason for delay, then the messenger would be punished. It is possible
that we are to take And for An or An if, meaning, “if”.
Enter Servant
In the SQM production the actor that played Cornwall’s servant in Scene 5 (Kynaston) also played this servant. Having established the idea that the servant was constantly
tired in the earlier scene, he created comic business that was not implied by the
text, arriving on stage out of breath and then forgetting where the Ambassador has
come from. The SQM company were encouraged to add physical comedy to their performances
in this way.
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An’t
If it.
Is not … thither
Since Leir has not yet left for Gallia, and thither appears to refer to Gallia, this line is odd and we never really found an adequate
way to justify it. In the video of performance this is apparent from the way Cornwall
(Gray) rushes through the words.
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Enter Ambassador
Effectively interpreting this character proved a complex challenge for the SQM company.
Should he be given respect for his status or treated as a figure of fun? Read more
about the performance of Scene 18 .
Why … him
Gonorill took immediate offence to the Ambassador’s refusal to deliver the message
to her. The vehemence of her objection surprised our Ambassador but cannot alert him
to her true intentions as he remains oblivious to this throughout this scene. Read
more about the performance of Scene 18 .
had in charge
Was ordered.
brook … France
Enjoy the French climate. The question is conspicuous in its superficiality considering
the circumstances—after Cordella has been disowned—in which they are uttered.
sorry
Gonorill is speaking the truth here but then twists her words to convince the Ambassador
of her good intentions. The SQM company approached Gonorill’s double-speak as if intended
to produce laughter but the scene never really worked in this way. Read more about
the performance of Scene 18 .
Why, her health
Gonorill delivered this line with an insincerity that was apparent to the audience
but not noticed by the Ambassador. We expected the scene to be funny and yet it never
quite worked. Read more about the performance of Scene 18 .
send
Put.
expiate
To mitigate or assuage, generally by paying a penance or making reparations.
It shows … mind
This implies the Ambassador is completely fooled by the Queen. Should be be a figure
of fun? Read more about the performance of Scene 18 .
It shows … blind
Is Gonorill’s assessment of the Ambassador’s understanding accurate? His statement implies he is completely fooled by the Queen (Sc18 Sp34). Should be be a figure of fun? Read more about the performance of Scene 18 .
Video Sc. 19
Scene 19
The mix of high drama with traditionally comic devices make this scene one of the
most intriguing in the play. The SQM company process revealed the effectiveness of
the combination and the dymamic possibilities of the Queen’s Men dramaturgy. Read
more about the performance of Scene 19 .
’Tis news
“It’s novel”.
rathe
Early or before the usual hour.
extreme heavy
Very tired.
book
As it becomes subsequently clear—when the Messenger points out that Leir and Perillus
have prayed themselves to sleep (Sc19 Sp10)—the book in Leir’s hand is a bible or a prayer book.
good-fellows
Thieves.
We … them
Ironic; two old exhausted men are not in a good position to fight with thieves.
stand upon … hands
Battle, or use hands or weapons to fight.
I fear … legs
Responding to Leir’s preceding line where he describes their inability to stand—or
rely on—their hands in a fight, Perillus puns on stand to emphasize that they are incapable of defending themselves.
pray to God
Leir’s trust in God to protect him proves well-founded in this play. The SQM company
worked to make the power of God’s providential justice apparent in their production.
Read more about the performance of Scene 19 .
They fall … asleep
The ease with which the characters fall asleep while out in the wilderness was charming
and playful. The scene operates in the world of romance and its mix of comic devices
and high drama worked very well for our modern audience. Read more about medley style in Scene 19 .
Were … mad jest
A potential parallel with the Gadshill scene in the Queen’s Men’s Famous Victories of Henry V (Sc2 Sp33). See also Shakespeare’s Gadshill scene, Henry IV, Part 1 (1H4 2.2).
The Messenger enters speaking colloquial and light-hearted prose. Balancing the comedy
with the violent intent of the character proved challenging for the SQM actor playing
the role. Read more about performing the Messenger in Scene 19 .
Sees them … starts
The stage direction implies a comic double-take, one of several traditional comic
devices in this high stakes scene. Should the scene be played for laughs or to generate
suspense? Read more about medley style in Scene 19 .
starts
Is markedly startled.
youths
An ironic diminutive, one Shakespeare borrows in Henry IV, Part 2, when Falstaff insists on referring to himself and the Lord Chief Justice as youth (2H4 3.141–150).
Mass
A mild oath; short for “by the mass”.
unawares
Without their being alerted to my presence at first.
They wake … rise
Robert Adger Law draws significant scenic parallels between this scene of failed assassination and Act 1, Scene 4 of Richard III where Clarence, faced with his murderers, claims that Richard will reward them, even
though the murders were sent by Richard (R3 1.4).
Persuade him … true
The Messenger’s asides here could be used for comic effect or to increase the anticipation
of danger. The SQM actor found a balance between the two. Read more about performing the Messenger in Scene 19 .
what … it
“What was your dream about?”
portends
Foretells or bodes.
grim aspects
Angry faces.
falchion
A broad, curved sword; often used to refer to a sword of any kind.
poniard
A small, slim dagger.
balsam
A balm or an oily ointment regarded for its fragrance curative properties, often derived
from the secretions of trees or herbs.
erst
At first.
I’ll make … presently
In the SQM production, the Messenger’s threat escalated the drama in the scene but
also had a playful quality, as if he was performing a mad jest (Sc19 Sp10) on the old men. Read more about performing the Messenger in Scene 19 .
presently
Immediately.
Stand
“Halt!”
They reel
The stage direction suggested more comic action to the SQM company and the actors
needed to decide how much of a clownish quality could be given to the performance
of Leir and his friend. Read more about performing Leir in Scene 24 .
Deliver, deliver
The standard request of highwaymen, insisting that their victims deliver their goods to the hands of the robber.
halberds
A military weapon that combines a spear and a battleaxe. The Messenger is here speaking
figuratively of the prayerbooks that Leir and Perillus had been reading when they
fell asleep. In this analogy, the prayerbooks are imagined to offer the same sort
of protection that a halberd can provide.
delivered
Rescued.
stay
Resources; “staying power”.
watch and pray
This line—much like the action of the scene—echoes the biblical description of Christ’s
disciples at the Mount of Olives when they slept as Christ wept and prayed, even though
Christ had asked them to keep watch. See Matthew 26, esp. 26:41, Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation.
’Sblood … scraping thus
Another aside that could be delivered vindictively or with a more light-hearted touch—the
Messenger can playfully share his reaction to the old men’s fear with the audience.
Read more about performing the Messenger in Scene 19 .
claws me … elbow
Acts obsequiously. Scraping—as in “to bow and scrape”—is characteristic behaviour
of a dog.
belike
“Or so it seems”; “it’s as if”.
scraping
Exaggerated subservience; the phrase expands on the image of clawing in the preceding line.
Puts them … pocket
It always got a laugh in performance when the Messenger put the purses in his pocket
immediately after he said he would have none of them (Sc19 Sp30). This was another sign of the dynamic mix of comedy and high drama in this scene.
Read more about medley style in Scene 24 .
to use … queen
Employ me in discussions or negotiations with the queen.
pleasure thee
Provide you with satisfaction.
They … to go
The first of three false exits indicated in the text—another staple device of physical
comedians. Finding the right balance of comedy and high drama was an exciting challenge
for the SQM company. Read more about performance of Scene 29 .
proffer
To propose or to make an offer for the consent of another.
Do … ask
These lines begin an elaborate jest the Messenger plays on Leir and Perillus, getting
them to promise to do a favour for him, and then asking them to kill themselves. The
mix of comic and serious intent was fun to play with in performance. Read more about
the performance of Scene 19 .
Here … it
Leir raises his hand towards heaven, a sign that accompanies the taking of an oath.
The SQM company did not understand the significance of this line and Leir offered
to shake the Messenger’s hand. A gesture that seemed odd to me at the time but was
never corrected.
proffers to go
The second of three false exits indicated in the text—another staple device of physical
comedians. Finding the right balance of comedy and high drama was an exciting challenge
for the SQM company. Read more about the performance of Scene 24 .
dissemble with
Deceive or “play games with”.
vantage
Advantage.
gear
Stuff, matter, property.
recant
Disavow a previous statement.
try him … wilt
“Test his promise whenever you like (and you will find that he lives up to it)”.
They proffer … out
The third of three false exits indicated in the text—another staple device of physical
comedians. Finding the right balance of comedy and high drama was an exciting challenge
for the SQM company. Read more about the performance of Scene 24 .
Do me … yourselves
This line is the punchline of a joke started by the Messenger at Sc19 Sp32. It always got a laugh in performance in spite of the fact that the king’s life was
in danger. Read more about the performance of Scene 24 .
Damon
Properly Damon, Leir refers to the Greek story of Damon and Pythias who were often figured as ideal
friends in early modern England.
The story of Damon and Pythias resonates powerfully here. According to the story told
by Cicero, Pythias was accused of plotting treason against the tyrant of Syracuse,
Dionysius I, and was sentenced to death. Knowing that Pythias needed to have his family
affairs in order before death, Damon offered to stand in for Pythias while Pythias
traveled to their home city and bid loved ones farewell. After the date of Pythias’
planned return had passed, Dionysius I prepared to execute Damon in Pythias’ stead,
thinking that Pythias had betrayed Damon. As the executioner prepared to execute Damon,
Pythias arrived in Syracuse, explaining that his ship had been wrecked when returning
to Syracuse and that he had struggled to get back and face his fate. After Damon offered
his explanation, Damon and Pythias each pleaded to be executed instead of the other.
Seeing this display of friendship and loyalty, Dionysius I granted Pythias a reprieve
and invited both men to serve as councilors in his court. The story was dramatized
c.1574 by Richard Edwards in Damon and Pithias and ridiculed in the Act 5 puppet-show of Ben Jonson’s Bartholomew Fair, where Dionysius has another role as resolver of conflict.
And make … come
Leir thinks that they should prepare themselves for death by praying.
of purpose
On purpose.
are so wicked
Alon Nashman played the Messenger as if he had been presuming Leir was getting what his just desserts
for mistreating his daughters. Read more about the performance of Scene 24 .
short
Shorten.
Cam’st thou … this
Leir here presumes that Cordella has sent the Messenger to murder him; the Messenger
is understandably surprised. Read more about the performance of Scene 24 .
From France
The offence that the Messenger takes at being thought French is overtly comic and
the character reverts back to colloquial prose as he shares his outrage with the audience.
Read more about performing the Messenger in Scene 19 .
ʼZoons
An oath; abbreviated from “by God’s wounds”, in reference to the wounds of the crucifixion.
Sirrah
A term of address indicating the subservience of the person addressed; it generally
indicates the speaker’s contempt.
the fashion
Characteristic attractiveness (potentially despoiled by his angry glares). The Messenger
might also mean that he will cut his own face just to be sure that it no longer looks
French. Because of the ambiguous pronoun in this face, it is also possible that the Messenger is threatening to cut Leir’s face because
he is angry that Leir has described his face as French-looking.
Literally, a peasant farmer, but used figuratively for any mean-minded old man.
thou are
“Thou art” would be typical early modern usage.
For her except
Excluding her (i.e., Cordella).
heaven’s bright eye
The sun.
sure thou … mark
“Certainly you have missed your target” (as in archery).
Thy own
“Thine own” is typical early modern usage.
thy own
“Thine own” is typical early modern usage.
issue
Children.
t’abridge thy fate
“To cut short your life”.
And thou … doomsday
According to many early modern theologians such as William Tyndale and Martin Luther,
the soul remained dormant after the body’s death until the body and soul were reunited
at the final judgment. There was little consensus on so-called soul-sleeping in early modern England, just as there was little consensus on the precise state
or location of the soul between the moment of corporeal death and the final judgment.
James H. Jones detects here and in the following lines a parallel with Matthew 5:33–37:
Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear
thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not
at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his
footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt
thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let
your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh
of evil (Matthew 5:33–37). Shakespeare’s Lear also draws from the same section of Matthew 5, where Lear declares, speaking of Gonerill
and Regan: They flattered me like a dog, and told me I had white hairs in my beard ere the black
ones were there. To say ‘ayʼ and ‘noʼ to everything I said ‘ayʼ and ‘noʼ to was no
good divinity (Lr 20.93–95).
Swear not … acts
Don Allison (Leir) demanded proof of his daughter’s murderous intent with commanding tones, lending
justification to the Messenger’s fear that Leir is some strong magician (Sc19 Sp58). Read more about performing Leir in Scene 24 .
Thunder and lightning
The SQM company tried to emphasize the power of the thunder and an extension of Leir’s
power as God’s anointed ruler, emphasizing one of the key differences with Shakespeare’s
play. Read more about the Queen’s Men and Shakespeare in Scene 24 .
I would … again
In the hands of Alon Nashman (Messenger) this line was laugh line delivered even at the dramatic climax of the
scene. The clown here becomes focus of his own moral dilemma. Read more about performing the Messenger in Scene 19 .
Shall … credit
The company clown (Nashman) is now locked in a moral dilemma. His lines were directed to the audience and continued
to combine comedy with an emotioinal engagement with the stakes of the scene. Read
more about performing the Messenger in Scene 19 .
crack my credit
Spoil my reputation.
Oh … first
The phrasing here echoes Matthew 12:34: O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the
abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. The play’s viperous children also match up with early modern folk knowledge of vipers, which were thought
to eat their parents. As Pericles explains in Pericles: I am no viper, yet I feed / On mother’s flesh which did me breed (Per 2.65–66).
latest
Final.
Withal
At the same time; while you are doing this.
charity
Godly felicity.
meaneth
Will be able to.
passport … sealed
Referring to the money in his pocket, the messenger figures the money given to him
by Ragan as the money paid for Perillus’ ticket to the afterlife. The seal authorizing a passport here becomes the seal on the coins that gives them their value.
ride post
Deliver a message on horseback.
It skilleth … me
It doesn’t matter from my point of view.
rife
Prevalent or widespread.
Upon … Lord
A reference to the divine right of kings, according to which monarchs were thought
to be chosen by God.
The rhetoric of divine right saturated political discourse in early modern England,
and was most clearly formalized in the early seventeenth century with reign of King
James. In an address to parliament in 1610, for instance, James unambiguously declared
the State of Monarchy is the supremest thing on earth: for kings are not only God’s lieutenants
upon earth and sit upon God’s throne, but even by God himself they are called Gods (Sommerville 181). This same sentiment informs Richard II’s famous speech in Richard II where he declares that Not all the water in the rough rude sea / Can wash the balm off from a ’nointed king.
/ The breath of worldly men cannot depose / The deputy elected by the Lord (R2 3.2.50–53) On the political theology of early modern England, see Ian Ward, Shakespeare and the Legal Imagination, esp. 20–43.
commission
Official work order.
whereas
Where.
like
Similar.
I am … little
Having maintained his conviction to follow through on the queen’s instructions for
several lines, the Messenger reveals he still has his doubts. The comic understatement
of the line and Nashman’s plaintive delivery encouraged laughter in the SQM prodution. Read more about performing the Messenger in Scene 19 .
My friend … tell
As Perillus makes his final plea to spare his king’s life, the Messenger was placed
between the two old men with daggers ready to strike. The effect of Perillus’ words
was made apparent on Nashman’s face, increasing in intensity as the speech built towards its climax. Read more
about the performance of Scene 19 .
We have … presently
“We don’t have it on hand at the moment”.
It thunders
The SQM company designed this moment to make the thunder a sign of God’s justice
and the final argument that makes the Messenger relent. Read more about the Queen’s Men and Shakespeare in Scene 24 .
spark of grace
Innate, God-given virtue.
Beshrew you
Curse you.
The Messenger’s frustration with the old men for finding his spark of grace (Sc19 Sp80) brought a laugh to accompany the happy resolution of the scene. Read more about
performing the Messenger in Scene 19 .
parlousest
Most dangerously clever.
Well … flat
To speak plainly.
why … stands
Why the situation is what it is (i.e., why you are alive).
It shall … re-greet
It will be difficult, but I will salute you (despite your recent actions).
Exit Messenger
The precise moment of the Messenger’s exit is unclear. It is possible that he begins
walking out at this point and that Perillus’ subsequent line to the Messenger is delivered
to his quickly disappearing back. Otherwise, it is possible that the Messenger leaves
only after Perillus delivers his farewell.
overpast
Already traversed or “behind us”.
hie us
Let’s go.
succor
Assist or aid.
not … desert
“Not because I have earned it”; any forgiveness Leir receives—either divine or from
Cordella—will be an act of grace.
Video Sc. 20
Scene 20
Another of the series of short monologues here featuring the Gallian Ambassdor. The
function of these monologues, and the best approach to this character, proved challenging
in the SQM production. Read more about the performance of Scene 20 .
louring
Scowling.
Would take exceptions
We have already seen Gonorill take exception at his words so the repetition of this
information was puzzling to the SQM company. Read more about narrative over-determination in Scene 20 .
undermined
Compromised; the term is drawn from the world of warfare where tunnels would be dug
under a wall and that wall would be blown up with mines from beneath, or undermined.
fain
Gladly.
import
Foretell.
But she … hope
She will likely be explosively angry if her will remains unfulfilled. The phrase may
anticipate the first use of hopping mad in 1665 (OEDhopping, adj.1).
Phil Borg (Ambassador) used the alliteration in this line to give his speech a playful tone
in keeping with our comic interpretation of his character. In retrospect, this may
not have been the best approach. Read more about performing the Gallian Ambassador in Scene 20 .
Video Sc. 21
Scene 21
This playful little scene helped the cast build strong relationships between Gallia,
Cordella and Mumford. Read more about the performance of Scene 21 .
By this
Ambiguous. Gallia perhaps gestures towards a letter he intends to send—by way of this letter—to reinforce the message his ambassador has already delivered.
It makes sense that Gallia would carry on a letter here but this textual clue was
missed in the SQM production.
I fear … unkind
Cordella is still deeply concerned about her father but this scene presented DeZotti (Cordella) the opportunity to reveal a more playful side to his character. Read more
about performing Cordella in Scene 21 .
The last … first
If Leir refuses to respond to their first overtures, then this most recent overture
will.
Maiden; unmarried woman; virgin. The senses are confused in this exchange, leading
to bawdy quibbling over the virginity of Mumford’s beloved.
Cordella here begins a bawdy conversation with Mumford, an opportunity for the actor
to reveal a more playful side of the character. Read more about performing Cordella in Scene 21 .
but … one
She passes for one.
at all adventures
Despite the risk (that she is not a virgin).
Ay … in
“Well said”, with double entendre on put in.
The sexual word play in this scene at first seemed out of keeping with the virtuous
Cordella but by embracing it the SQM actor (DeZotti) created a more rounded character, moving beyond our initially limited conception
of her role in the play. Read more about performing Cordella in Scene 21 .
were … she
Were I in her positio.n
behind you
Ambiguous; perhaps a word is missing from Q: I’d stay behind with you.
proper
Handsome.
In our production, Mumford was cast as a clown and Cordella’s reference to his appearance
was ironic. Read more about performing Mumford in Scene 21 .
more than … do
More than she would usually do, or more than she desires to do.
I have … nonce
“I have a pair of breeches that will serve the purpose”. Dutch slops were particularly
baggy breeches that would be roomy enough to hold anything one wanted to put inside.
Richard Tarlton, the famous Queen’s Men clown, was known for wearing slops. This evidence
influenced the casting of the role of Mumford. Read more about performing Mumford in Scene 4 .
More bobs, more
“Continue to insult me; it’s fine” (ironically). A bob is “a trick, deception, or befoolment” (OEDbob, n.2 1).
bombast
Stuffing used to add fullness to clothing.
my mistress’ quarrel
My struggle to win my mistress.
Ay … turn
Carting—or public exposure, dragged behind a car—was a punishment for premarital sex. Cordella
and Gallia are teasing Mumford for boasting that ten teams of horses couldn’t separate
him from his beloved, but they turn this declaration into a sex joke: serve the turn is also a euphemism for “have sexual contact”, as in Othello where Othello declares erroneously that Desdemona can turn and turn (Oth 4.1.235).
I’ll … over
“I give up”.
by this hand
Nashman (Mumford) raised his hand at this point as if swearing in at court. Picking up on
his character’s legal language, he parodied the style of a trial for the following
exchange. Read more about performing Mumford in Scene 21 .
Prithee, Lord Mumford
The SQM Gallia (Hopkins) was always willing to engage with Mumford’s foolery. The playful and adventurous
prince brought much comic spirit to the play and helped drive the action towards its
happy conclusion. Read more about performing Gallia in Scene 21 .
very now
Right now.
go in progress
Travel elaborately. Generally, a progress involved a significant degree of formality,
and was undertaken only by those of high standing.
The virtuous Cordella here acknowledges her obedience to her husband but this scene
has also revealed a less contained and conventional side of her character. Read more
about performing Cordella in Scene 21 .
So … pleased
“If it will make you happy”.
Yet as
Though. She means that she is leery of public displays even though she would love
to see the sea where she will be subject to such displays.
We’ll go disguised
There was nothing the SQM Gallian king liked better than a disguise and this line
was delivered with great gusto and enthusiasm. Read more about performing Gallia in Scene 21 .
But what disguises
Following their adventure in Britain as pilgrims, Mumford and his king were great
lovers of disguising. Read more about performing Mumford in Scene 21 .
Roger
Nashman (Mumford) pulled a face here to indicate he was not impressed with the lowly role
given him as a disguise. Read more about performing Mumford in Scene 21 .
’Twere … time
“It’s about time”. The precise meaning in context is unclear: Is it about time that
Cordella and Gallia waited on Mumford? Is it about time that they went to the seaside?
In the SQM production, Nashman made it clear that Mumford thought it timely that he should be waited upon by the
royals, building on the disappointment he registered when first assigned the role
of Roger, their man (Sc21 Sp24). Read more about the performance of Scene 21 .
Video Sc. 22
Scene 22
This scene never really worked for me in performance and in retrospect I believe
the approach I encouraged in the actors was misguided. Read more about the performance of Scene 22 .
Nobles
Due to the limitation of our cast, the SQM company could only muster one noble. Visit
Performing the Queen’s Men for a discussion of casting and doubling.
Cambria
Cambria expresses genuine concern for his father-in-law and appears here as a good
statesman but subsequently he is duped by his wife. Finding the right tone for his
character proved challenging in this scene. Read more about performing Cambria in Scene 22 .
light-horse
Horse-mounted soldiers.
regiment
Kingdom.
a post
A man on horseback who will deliver a message.
Ragan
Ragan’s manipulation of her husband was openly apparent in the SQM production as
it had been from the start, but did this scene demand a different approach? Read more
about the performance of Scene 22 .
counterfeit
An approximation or spurious imitation.
Mine … seem
Ragan claims that her sorrow is more authentic than the sorrow of others, whihc is
only a show. Her description of an authentic sorrow contrasted with performed sorrow
echoes Hamlet, where Hamlet famously claims to hold that within which passeth show while his mourning clothes are but the trappings and the suits of woe (Ham 2.85–86). This speech also echoes Richard II where Richard discusses the distinction between the shadow and substance of sorrow where the substance of sorrow swells with silence in the tortured soul (R2 4.1.A144).
innovation
Rebellion.
timeless
Prematurely.
them whom … suspect
Those individuals whose fealty she questions. Ragan here claims—as a matter of show—that
she cannot remain quiet about her suspicions of Cordella.
sifted
Carefully scrutinized and resolved.
Ambassador
The SQM company developed a comic interpretation of the Gallian Ambassador in Scene 18 and found it difficult to reconcile with the action in this scene. Read more about
the performance of Scene 22 .
embassage
The business or message that is conveyed between nations by an ambassador.
to repair
To come.
There … you
“You and your king have been plotting”; this reading follows the OED’s sense of pack: “To enter into a private arrangement; to participate in a plot; to scheme, conspire”
(OEDpack, v.2 1.1.a).
color
To paint; figuratively, to conceal. See also Sc22 Sp15, where Ragan refers to the color of a feigned embassage.
law of arms
A set of explicit and implicit rules that governed the actions of states and individuals
during times of war. The Hague and Geneva Conventions are roughly modern analogues.
your threats … mind
“Your threats don’t worry me at all”.
ill-beseeming … love
Not in keeping with the behaviour of a loving sister.
Till … light
Until more information makes the situation clearer.
enforce
Inspire.
She strikes him
The SQM performance of this scene did not account for the degree to which this violence
would have transgressed social codes for the original audience. Read more about the
performance of Scene 22 .
Ragan’s manipulative tactics were played with obvious irony in the SQM performance
but was this the right choice? Read more about the performance of Scene 22 .
obloquy
Slanderous verbal abuse.
put up
Tolerate.
She’ll
Cordella will.
nought
Worth nothing.
parricide
The act of killing one’s father.
For after-ages … penance
“So that posterity will marvel in awe at her punishment”. Penance in this case refers not (only) to a religious repentance but (also) to a decidedly
judicial form of punishment (OEDpenance, n. 2).
prosecute
Perform; undertake.
as best … fits
As most adequately suits the situation.
Video Sc. 23
Scene 23
Watching the king exchange clothes with the comical mariners in this scene was both
funny and touching in the SQM production. It is a great example of the medley style
of the Queen’s Men. Read more about the performance of Scene 23 .
two mariners
The SQM mariners were also given comically long beards and their accents had a hint
of the pirate about them. Read more about the performance of Scene 23 .
sea-gowns
Long habits with short sleeves worn by mariners.
sea-caps
Hats worn by mariners.
extremity
Extreme poverty.
good-fellows
Thieves.
wanting
Lacking.
use the mean
Find a way.
looks on Leir
The First Mariner took his time to survey Leir’s gown (Sc23 Sp2), stepping back and assessing its potential value. Read more about the performance of Scene 23 .
Of low quality. Contrast with Sc3 Sp6 where meanest refers to social status.
stand
Hesitate.
Here’s … gaberdine
The First Mariner grabbed his jacket cloak by the lapel to show it’s strength, but
it was clear he knew we would be getting the best of the bargain. The Mariners both
enjoyed tricking these gentlemen out of the fancy cloaks, which we felt would have
been worth far more than the cost of passage. Read more about the performance of Scene 23 .
motley gaberdine
A smock made from multicolored coarse fabric. Motley was often associated with fools
and jesters.
Putting on the motley gaberdine and new hat gave Leir a clownish, pathetic appearance. It encouraged associations
with Shakespeare’s relationship between Lear and his fool and the similar tone of
the scenes on the heath between Lear and Gloucester. Read more about the Queen’s Men and Shakespeare in Scene 23 .
shillings
Former English money valued at 1/20 of a pound, or 12 pence.
Billingsgate
Billingsgate is a ward in southeast London known in the sixteenth century as the site
of a large market; by the beginning of the seventeenth century, it was known principally
for its fish market.
When trading ships grew larger at the end of the sixteenth century, they were unable
to pass under London Bridge to the once popular wharf at Queenhithe; instead, they
would stop at the wharf at Billingsgate, which subsequently became the most popular
wharf for traders.
forgive
Remit your debt.
changeth
Exchange clothing.
The exchange of clothing would have been far more significant in a society governed
by sumptuary laws but even for our contemporary audience the sight of the king dressing
in the motley cloak and hat was highly evocative. Read more about the performance of Scene 23 .
because … friend
The Second Mariner placed his arm around Perillus’ shoulder and this over-familiarity
was clearly a ruse to persuade the old man into a bad bargain. The comedy relied on
the difference in status between the characters. The old men’s desperate circumstance
was affecting and yet comical at the same time. Read more about medley style in Scene 23 .
sheep’s russet
Coarse, homespun wool; generally a sign of lower social status.
But would
If only.
my friend
Leir.
keep his garment
Higginson (Perillus) worked hard to communicate Perillus’ discomfort at the sight
of his king dressed in common clothes. This evocative image was central to the affect
of this scene. Read more about the performance of Scene 23 .
doublet
A close-fitting buttoned jacket.
powdered beef
Beef preserved with salt.
to hinder … bargain
To scuttle a significantly beneficial deal.
The First Mariner played this line quite aggressively asserting his right to the bargain
but clearly motivated by the fear that the old men might have second thoughts and
take their expensive clothes back. For the SQM Mariners the exchange was a wonderful
trick, played on the old men. Read more about the performance of Scene 23 .
Hark, hark
The two mariners gathered together conspiratorially at this point, fearing the old
men might renege on the bargain, and planning their swift exit. Read more about the
performance of Scene 23 .
passage back again
Fare for the return leg of your trip.
I’ll use … another
The Mariner’s malapropism ironically speaks the truth of this situation: he seems
to mean that he will be as fair with Leir as he is with others, but he claims instead
to be as unfair to Leir as he is to others.
This malapropism was one of the the key pieces of evidence that lead us to explore
the comical possibilities of this scene. Read more about the performance of Scene 23 .
ready money
Cash to hand, in the form of coins.
Exeunt Mariners
The two comical Mariners dashed off stage at this point before Leir had a chance
to change his mind. Read more about the performance of Scene 23 .
serve our turns
Give us what we need.
or ever
Before.
Can kindness … aslope
Leir expresses his fears about Cordella’s reception in an extended series of metaphors
which is carefully countered by his good friend Perillus. The scene demands careful
manipulation of the rhetorical devices from the actors. Read more about rhetoric of emotion in Scene 23 .
henbane
Commonly known for its poisonous properties.
Henbane is possibly synonymous in Hamlet with Hebenon, the poison used by Claudius to kill King Hamlet (Ham 5.61). Throughout this list of herbs, fruits and vegetables, Leir outlines a set of imagined
opposites: bitter/sweet, poisonous/medicinal, etc.
mithridate
A cure all that, considered sweet by Leir.
wormwood’s
Wormwood is a famously bitter component of many herbal remedies.
sloes
The bitter plum-like fruits of the blackthorn tree.
respectless
Careless; discourteous.
paps
Breasts.
rancour
Animosity, or a deep and abiding contempt.
flower of grace
Rue—the aromatic leaf of an evergreen shrub—was called the herb of grace in early modern herbal lore.
Rue makes a famous appearance in Shakespeare’s Hamlet where Ophelia distributes flowers to members of the court and gives rue—associated
with repentance and adultery as well as with grace—to Gertrude: There’s rue for you—and here’s some for me. We may call it herb of grace o’ Sundays (Ham 15.173–175). Leir’s vision of the herb of grace choked by weeds—suggesting the suppression of
natural grace by Leir’s unnatural or unkind selfishness—continues to develop the herbal
and horticultural imagery that is used throughout the play to figure familial relationships.
go quite aslope
Decline precipitously or grow significantly worse.
gall
Bile.
The honey … mithridate
Perillus punctuates with his argument with this clever list, naming each of the objects
used by Leir to express his fears. The rhetorical clarity in performance gave justification
to Leir’s following line: Thou pleasing orator to me in woe (Sc23 Sp17). Read more about rhetoric of emotion in Scene 23 .
pleasing orator … woe
Perillus has indeed been such an orator to Leir throughout the play. This is the third of three occasions in which he has
persuaded his friend to live with hope and avoid despair. Read more about rhetoric of emotion in Scene 23 .
nought but crosses
In his reference to nothing but burdens (or crosses); Leir quibbles on noughts and crosses, the early modern name for the game now known in North America as Xs and Os.
ill-apaid
Unsatisfied.
Video Sc. 24
Scene 24
A climactic scene in performance. Finding the right approach to the reconciliation
between Cordella and Leir was key to the company understanding the spirit of the play.
Read more about the performance of Scene 24 .
and table
The SQM company did not follow the editors selection here and Mumford entered only
with a basket. With the goal to satisfy the majority of textual evidence available,
the SQM production delayed the arrival of the table until later in the scene. Read
more about stage directions in Scene 24 .
disguised … folk
Although the content of the scene is deeply emotional the royals arrived on stage
full of excitement about their adventure to the sea. Nashman (Mumford), who ends up playing the role of Roger, / Their man (Sc21 Sp24.) after all, created comic business around the fact he was left to carry the extremely
heavy picnic basket. Read more about medley style in Scene 24 .
And … wits
It is unclear what, precisely, the country folk are doing, and it is unclear why they are doing what they are doing. Their quirks (or witty remarks) and their antic fits (or odd movements while dancing) put them beyond the moon (or make them seem mad). Tilley includes he casts beyond the moon as a proverb meaning that one has engaged in wild conjecture (Tilley M1114). In this case, it seems to indicate a different sort of wildness or bizarre behavior,
perhaps as part of rural merrymaking or a festival. It is also possible that the three
have run into a jovial crew, or a gang of beggars or gypsies.
Mumford continued in his search for fun until Cordella spied their old men’s distress.
Read more about medley style in Scene 24 .
o’ergone with
Overwhelmed by.
harken
Listen to.
unfruitful soil
Leir figures his current experiences in terms of agrarian fecundity, emphasizing that
here—as a castaway in France—he is unable to find spiritual or physical nourishment.
case
Condition.
conducts
Guides.
betide
Befall.
strips … arm
Pulls up his sleeve exposing his arm.
The audience always found the invitation to cannibalism hilarious but I feel it was
intended sincerely in the text and asked the actors to play through the laughter in
this instance. Later in the scene acknowledging the laughter at the repeated kneeling
was part of the success of the happy resolution in performance. The mixture of laughter
and emotion is extremely complex in the Queen’s Men plays. Read more about medley style in Scene 24 .
virtue
Substance of value; nutriment.
Ah … blood
Martin Mueller points out a parallel here with Thomas Lodge’s Rosalynde (1590) where the hero Rosader and his servant Adam Spencer find themselves close to starvation
in the forest of Arden (Mueller 198). When Rosader complains about their impending starvation, Adam suggests that they
let the death of the one preserue the life of the other: I am olde, and ouerworne with age, claims Adam, you are young, and are the hope of many honours: let me then die, I will presently
cut my veynes; master with the warme bloud reliue your fainting spirits: sucke on
that till I ende, and you be comforted (Lodge).
slake
Satisfy my.
What … hear
Not recognizing her father due to his Mariner’s clothing, Cordella here responds to
the sound of his voice. DeZotti’s empathic responses to the king in this scene were key to its emotive power. Read
more about performing Cordella in Scene 24 .
How they … truth
In one of the SQM staging configurations, important personages were seated on the
stage behind the actors. Allison (Leir) would always address this warning to the most important audience member—in
the video performance it was the Dean of University College at UofT. Read more about
performing Cordella in Scene 24 .
will hardly … like
“Are unlikely to do what I do (and forgive you)”.
of all
Of her entire inheritance.
ground
Source.
some … meat
Meat here does refers any solid foodstuff.
In the SQM production this line was taken as the cue for Mumford to hurry off-stage
to fetch a table. Read more about stage directions in Scene 24 .
Cordella … table
The stage direction in Q is ambiguous and this direction is interpolated from the
implied stage action. According to Q, Mumford enters carrying only a basket, but if
Leir is seated at a table later in this scene, then the arrival of the table is confusing.
It seems possible that Mumford, carrying a basket, would also carry a small, foldable
table. If the table is a realistic assemblage of boards and trestles, however, it
is unlikely that Mumford carries it here; instead, the table may simply be thrust
on stage prior to the scene’s beginning. This unrealistic use of a prop—appearing
conveniently at the moment it is needed—abides the representational logics of early
modern theatre where verisimilitude was not particularly valued.
Because Mumford carries a lone basket of food, it seems unlikely that this banquet is an elaborate feast. It is possible to read banquet here in the OED’s second sense—“a slight repast between meals” (OEDbanquet, n.1 2)—though it seems more likely that Perillus’s perception of a feast bespeaks his own
ravenous hunger.
men and women
Perillus sees women and yet only Cordella is on stage at this point. The SQM company
had country folk bring on the banquet at this point to help justify Perillus’ line and satisfy the textual evidence. Read
more about stage directions in Scene 24 .
comfort … near
The fact that Perillus sees comfort coming towards him was evidence used in the development
of the SQM staging. Read more about stage directions in Scene 24 .
Cordella … table
Presumably, because Perillus leads Leir to the table at a later moment, Cordella is
leading Perillus rather than Leir to the table at this point.
Here … drink
It is likely that Cordella delivers the first part of this line to one of the men
and the second part of this line to the other. Though father could be used—as it is later in the scene—as a respectful name for all of one’s male
seniors, it seems likely that Cordella addresses her actual father here.
This was difficult to manage in performance, as it was strange for Cordella to address
the first part of the line to Leir when she was in the process of leading Perillus
to the table. Ultimately, the evidence of the stage directions is inconclusive and
the company has to make the best-informed, creative choice. Read more about stage directions in Scene 24 .
anon
Soon.
I warrant … grace
“My guess is that he will not pause to say grace”.
Even in moments of high drama Mumford throws in the odd joke a style of dramaturgy
typical of the Queen’s Men. Read more about medley style in Scene 24 .
there’s … stomach
There’s no sauce like appetite. Proverbial (Tilley S870).
draught … drank
According to the story of Aeson found in Book VII of Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Aeson, Jason’s father, survived in prison under Pelias while Jason sought the golden
fleece. After Jason returned with the fleece, Medea—Jason’s wife—provided Aeson with
a magical potion that returned him to youth. Ovid’s version of the story is the only
one that involves Aeson’s rejuvenation; other versions of have Aeson’s kill himself
while imprisoned. See Ovid.
Elias
The biblical Elijah, who wandered for forty days through the desert after eating bread
and water supplied by an angel. This Greek form of the name is the form found in the
King James Bible (see 1 Kings 19:4–7).
Lest … office
For fear that his intellect goes (i.e., that Leir goes mad or dies).
manna
“Bread of heaven” sent to the Israelites when journeying through the wilderness (see
Exodus 16:15).
That rained … Israelites
According to Exodus 16:15, God provided the Israelites with manna at a moment of desperation
as they wandered desert after escaping Egypt.
congratulate
Provide adequate thanks.
best mean
Best way.
Nay … mine
The sight of the old men competing to exchange their doublets for the meal, always
brought a laugh from our modern audience. Read more about medley style in Scene 24 .
Perillus … doublet
In spite of the audience’s laughter at this point, Higginson (Perillus) played this
moment sincerely. The refusal of the offer of payment is an example of the kind of
hospitality that Leir found lacking in his other daughters. Here strangers are found
kind and this fundamental generosity marks a key difference between this play and
Shakespeare’s. Read more about the Queen’s Men and Shakespeare in Scene 24 .
strange
Foreign.
those … best
Individuals (i.e., Ragan and Gonorill) who have the best reason to be generous to
Leir (i.e., the father who gave them their kingdoms).
like a daughter
The ironies created by the characters’ disguises are exacerbated here enhancing the
pleasant affect of the scene as it leads us towards its happy resolution. Read more
about medley style in Scene 24 .
owe
Own; lay claim to.
interest’s
His claim or stake.
A man … own
“A man can do what he wants with his own family”.
While, legally speaking, women and children were subject to their husbands and fathers,
it was unlikely—contrary to Cordella’s claim—such broad leeway would have been given
to husbands and fathers in early modern England. Men who beat their wives unreasonably, for instance, were often subject to formal and informal censure; they might be carted
through the streets as part of a charivari, a very public form of punitive humiliation.
than … had
“Than I wish I had”.
adamant
A mineral valued by alchemists for its remarkable hardness.
Throughout the sixteenth century, the precise nature of adamant remained unclear,
though the OED notes that it was generally identified with diamond during the seventeenth century.
Dost weep already
Leir is about to reiterate the main action of the play to this point. In performance
it became clear that the tearful effect on his daughter was central to the dramaturgical
strategy of repetition. Read more about narrative over-determination in Scene 24 .
Then know … grief
Leir recalls the past events of the play in some detail but in doing so both relives
his experience and performs his own penitence for his treatment of Cordella. Read
more about narrative over-determination in Scene 24 .
sped
Literally, successful; “to be sped” also means that one is well endowed with a certain
quality.
care
Worry.
entreated
Treated.
lived … content
“Had a life that fit my position”.
contumelious
Disgraceful.
harbor
Reside.
to repair
To journey to.
sore
Severe or harsh; cruel.
betime
Early.
’Pointing
“Appointing”, or setting the time for a rendezvous.
No doubt … will
In performance the pleasant pressure of the dramatic ironies reached its climax hereas
the audience eagerly anticipated Cordella’s revelation. Read more about medley style in Scene 24 .
She kneels
In the obsessive kneeling of this scene, Jacqueline Pearson detects a parallel with
the comic kneeling in Act 5, Scene 3 of Shakespeare’s Richard II.
The SQM company learnt to embrace the audience’s laughter and the obsessive kneeling
and make it part of the characters’ joyful reconciliation. Read more about medley style in Scene 24 .
kneel again
It was usually at this point that the kneeling became funny for the SQM audience.
The SQM company learnt to embrace their laughter making it part of the characters’
joyful reconciliation as they competed to outdo each other in repentance and forgiveness.
Read more about medley style in Scene 24 .
resigned
Granted.
beseems
Suits; befits.
respective duty
Respectful reverence; Gallia says that Cordella treats Leir as if Leir were the monarch
of the world.
committed any way
Ambiguous; this phrase might mean “committed along the way” (i.e., over the course
of her life from first birth to present day), or it might refer to the ways that one may commit a sin, by omission or by commission (i.e., by doing something,
or by accidentally failing to do something).
The blessing … Judah
From Genesis 12:2: I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great;
and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him
that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
He kneels
Hopkins (Gallia) knelt with a self-conscious awareness that there had already been a lot
of kneeling in this scene, aligning himself with the audience’s amusement but still
sustaining the sincerity of his commitment to help Leir. Read more about medley style in Scene 24 .
perjured’st
Most purjured or deceitful.
never prayed before
Mumford makes light of his own kneeling and Nashman (Mumford) added to the humor by trying to make the sign of the cross only to forget
how to do it. While the purpose of the kneeling is heartfelt for Leir and Cordella
the Queen’s Men’s dramaturgy allows the audience to find it funny at the same time.
Read more about medley style in Scene 24 .
resalute
Regreet, or return to, remembering the he has been there before when dressed as a
Palmer with Gallia.
gelded
Castrated or emasculated.
Video Sc. 25
Scene 25
This scene stood out in our modern performance of the play as this wicked character argued for female agency. It added much complexity to the audience response
especially since our approach to this character was moralistic. Read more about the
performance of Scene 25 .
fact
Actions or, more specifically, crimes.
make him sure
“Be sure of his actions,” or, “Kill him”.
white-livered
Having livers lacking bile. According to theories of Galenic humoralism, a lack of
bile made one cowardly.
that I … man
Jacqueline Pearson detects a parallel here with Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing where Beatrice declares, O God that I were a man (Ado 4.1.295). See also Lady Macbeth’s description of her willingness to stab a king, despite
her gender: I dare do all that may become a man. / Who dares do more is none. (Mac 1.7.47–48).
Beatrice is a very sympathetic character but the SQM Ragan was unambiguously wicked.
Her resonant monologue added much complexity but likely had a different effect for
its original audience. Read more about the performance of Scene 25 this scene.
pre-eminence
Preference, privilege, or legal authority and superiority.
I’ll make … one
“I’ll devise as good a plot as I can for me”.
repines
Articulates discontent.
howe’er it stands
In this or any situation.
best … hands
Derek Genova (Ragan) remained true to our moral interpretation his character, leaving the stage with evil intent and the threat of
violence. Read more about performing Ragan in Scene 25 .
Video Sc. 26
Scene 26
The Gallian King’s preparation for war proved an awkward scene in performance as
we were unable to stage the French army due to our limited number of actors available
at this point in the play. Read more about the performance of Scene 26 .
the army
The SQM company only had 12 actors for the performance of this play and had to find
a way to stage this scene without the army referenced here. Read more about stage directions in Scene 26 .
Gallia
Now Leir is reunited with Cordella, Gallia carries the action of the play through
to its final conclusion. The energy and charisma of Paul Hopkins (Gallia) was key to the success of the later scenes of the play. Read more about
performing Gallia in Scene 26 .
Wherefore
On account of which.
resolve
Stand firm; dedicate yourself to the cause.
as forward … first
As close to the front of the battle as the first attacker.
wight
Person.
second him
Have his back; reinforce and protect him.
This sentiment echoes sentiments in the famous St. Crispin’s Day speech that Henry
delivers prior to the battle of Agincourt in Shakespeare’s Henry V (H5 4.3.18–67).
next unto ourself
“After me”. According to Gallia, Mumford will be second in command of the army. Gallia
here is using the royal pronoun where a monarch, thought to embody the collective will of his subjects, uses
plural, rather than singular, pronouns.
wonted
Typical.
that sweet … eyes
Mumford refers to the eyes of either Cordella or his English love. It is also plausible
that he refers to St. Denis, the patron saint of the French, who is mentioned often
in the play. If Mumford describes St. Denis here, the brightness of the eyes might
refer to a tradition in medieval painting where saints’ eyes were overlaid with gold
leaf.
To the soldiers
As we had no actors to play the soldiers, Nashman (Mumford) directed his lines to the audience, casting them as the Gallian army. Read
more about the performance of Scene 26 .
Genovestan Gauls
Gallic soldiers from Genoa, in northern Italy?
Because Genoa in Northern Italy was never considered to be part of Gaul, Lee’s explanation
of this nonsensical designation seems the most plausible. Lee argues that the playwright
likely wrote Cenouenses Galli and that the printer misread the phrase to mean “Genovestan”; Cenovenses Galli makes sense because Orleans seems to have been originally called Cenabum or Genabum, and its inhabitants Cenabenses
or Genabenses (Lee 117).
Surnamed Redshanks
Generally applied by early modern writers to Irish Celts or Gaelic Scots who went
barelegged. The phrase is applied here to indicate the blood spattered on the soldiers’
legs, or is a matter of confusion. As Joan Fitzpatrick points out, Roman Gaul was
often called Gallia Celtica, and Caesar identified the people from Middle Gaul as Celtae; the homonymy might have confused the writer or writers of Leir. Fitzpatrick argues that the most likely source of this confusion for the writer
of Leir is Spenser’s Faerie Queene (Fitzpatrick 109).
as bitter … gall
A punning quibble on the homonymy of Gaul and gall, or bile, which was bitter.
brave shot
The soldiers who fire artillery.
brave halberds
The people who fight with halberds, a weapon that combines spear and battleaxe.
bills
Weapons like halberds, but with a simple concave blade; Mumford uses the names interchangeably.
Video Sc. 27
Scene 27
The Captain of the Watch initially gives the impression of competence but the two
English watchmen reveal that Gallia will have little resistance to his invasion. The
battle scenes of the SQM production were part high drama, part slapstick, with the
two watchmen in this scene providing much comedy. Read more about the performance of Scene 27 .
beacon
A signal station and watchtower. The guard on the beacon is expected to light a fire
(fire the beacon) to warn the town if an enemy force is approaching.
raise the town
Awake the townspeople.
Exit
As soon as the Captain left the stage, the two watchmen who had been standing to
attention slouched drunkenly and started looking for ways out of their duties. Read
more about the performance of Scene 27 .
ʼvice
Advice, but also a quibble on vice as moral weakness.
Goodman
The host of an inn or pub, often used as a nominative, as here.
excuse us
An apparent malapropism for “accuse us”. The watchman worries that they will be exposed
by witnesses, though the OED records no examples of excuse being used in that way.
As Andrew suggests, the SQM actors played the watchmen as if already drunk (Sc27 Sp5). Read more about the performance of Scene 27 .
ass for example
A malapropism—for “as for example”—picked up in the next line. The watchman’s slurring
here and his previous malapropism indicate that he is already drunk.
by craft
By design. The watchman here mishears the slurred as in the preceding line as ass. As with earlier quibbles on hole and nothing, this joke is based on a miscommunication; see Sc5 Sp15 and Sc6 Sp11.
I must … red
A red nose was taken to indicate alcoholism or drunkenness.
salt bacon
Bacon cured and preserved in salt.
construe right
Understand my meaning.
Video Sc. 28
Scene 28
The intercutting between the French and the English begins to increase in pace as
the French army arrive secretly on the English shore but the SQM company missed a
crucial clue for the staging of this scene. performance of Scene 28 .
still march
A muffled drum beating to the time of a march.
The implication of this stage direction is that Gallia and his army should creep
onto the stage trying to effect a surprise attack. Unfortunately this clue was missed
in the SQM production. Read more about the performance of Scene 28 .
ensigns
Banners.
near approaching
Coming close.
mistrustful
Untrustworthy.
secure
Confident of their safety.
naked
Unclothed or wearing only undergarments.
assail
Attack.
God … us
In retrospect, this should have been the line in which the Gallian army threw off
their quiet approach and charged the town. Although followed by a scene break, the
charge leads directly to the alarums that begin the next scene and the action through
the whole battle is a fluid series of entrances and exits. performance of Scene 28 .
Video Sc. 29
Scene 29
The climactic battle opens comically and SQM company worked with a fight director
to develop slapstick routines that captured the spirit of the stage directions. Read
more about performance of Scene 29 .
Alarum
A call to arms by the sound of bells or trumpets.
without doublets
The Gallian army’s quiet approach and the failure of the English watchmen lead to
the town beind surprised by the attack, indicated here by the Captain’s lack of clothing.
The staged direction invited the SQM company to develop a comic battle sequence. Read
more about stage directions in Scene 28 .
whirlwind … whirlpool
According to OED, whirlwind and whirlpool are both used figuratively to refer to impetuous, powerful, unruly, and unwieldy
forces (OEDwhirlwind, n.; OEDwhirlpool, n.2). The captain here—frustrated—is hoping for a rapid and unpleasant destruction of
the drunken watchmen and of the townspeople who seem incompetent in battle.
slaves
A term of contempt.
Enter … drunk
Knowing the Queen’s Men company was full of skilled clowns, the SQM company took
every opportunity to develop pieces of physical comedy. Here the watchmen entered
in a panic and got their halberds entangled. Read more about stage directions in Scene 28 .
pot
A tankard.
To fire … beacon
I.e., To set fire to the town and awake the beacon. He means to order the watchman
to fire the warning beacon and to call up the sleeping town.
He kicks … pots
In the SQM company, the actor playing Mumford was the principal clown and this stage
direction was used as an opportunity for him to show his prowess. Read more about
performing Mumford in Scene 29 .
meanspace
Meantime.
tall men … weaponed
Well built and wall weaponed; potentially ironic.
choler’s
Of anger.
According to theories of the bodily humors, one who had an excess of choler or bile
would be prone to anger.
stand
The watchmen finished the scene sitting on the floor having been tripped by Mumford.
Here they struggled to their feet and exited drunkenly. Read more about stage directions in Scene 28 .
Alarum … half-naked
A wonderful stage direction that we took as an open invitation to invent comic business
for the battle. Read more about stage directions in Scene 28 .
excursions
Actors running about, as if in battle.
The term excursions appears frequently in stage directions of the period and indicates
a series of small fight sequences between different contestants used to represent
the battle at large. The SQM company adopted a simple protocol that all entrances
would be made stage left and exits stage right to avoid collisions. Read more about
stage directions in Scene 28 .
Video Sc. 30
Scene 30
Following the comical start to the battle the company had to shift the tone to convey
the high significance of the action for the people of England and the emotional intensity
of the conflict between the central characters. Read more about the performance of Scene 30 .
subscribe
Sign your name on a document; here it signifies assent that Leir—rather than Cornwall
or Cambria—is the legitimate monarch.
revoke your fealty
Fealty is the duty a feudal tenant shows to his or her lord. Gallia here wants the
people of the town to renounce or revoke their sense of duty to Cambria and Cornwall.
in justice of
Seeking justice for.
perforce
By necessity.
constrained
Required, having no other option.
Long have … lord
The Nobleman’s deeply felt delight and relief at the sight of his king was key to
turning the mood of the battle, preparing the way for the high conflict of this scene.
Read more about the performance of Scene 30 .
And had … grace
The nobleman says that they thought the army was a French invasion rather than the
return of Leir; had they known it was the return of Leir, they would not have fought.
the country … pride
The countrymen have been heavily taxed to maintain their (i.e., Gonorill and Ragan, and possibly Cornwall and Cambria) pride (rank displayed through the possession of luxury goods).
This relationship between capricious taxation and disloyalty is central to Richard’s
fall in Shakespeare’s Richard II. As Lord Ross points out, The commons hath he pilled with grievous taxes, / And quite lost their hearts. The
nobles hath he fined / For ancient quarrels, and quite lost their hearts. (R2 2.1.247–249).
skirmishes
Irregular, non-central, disorganized battles involving small groups of troops.
naked women
Mumford has been consistently attracted to the English women and his pleasure at
encountering them semi-clad on the battle field always brought a big laugh from the
audience. Read more about performing Mumford in Scene 30 .
feeble
Cordella has shown much inner strength in the play but on the battlefield accepts
a traditional female role. Read more about performing Cordella in Scene 30 .
The while … foil
While the army fights, Leir, Perillus, and Cordella will remain behind and pray for
victory of the Gallian troops and the foil, or defeat, of their enemies.
victory … right
That victory pursue what is just.
amplify
Exaggerate.
adverse drum
The opponent’s drum.
Saint George
Patron saint of England.
Enter … army
With this multiple entrance our tiny stage was very crowded. This scene features
the largest number of actors in the play and presented many staging challenges. Read
more about stage directions in Scene 30 .
Cornwall
Cornwall’s attack was vehement in the SQM production shifting the emotional mood
of the battle. Read more about performing Cornwall in Scene 30 .
perforce
By force.
fell
Fierce.
Cambria
At this moment in this battle scene, the stately and commanding Cambria came to the
fore. Read more about performing Cambria in Scene 30 .
Except
Unless.
Welshman
Though not identical in geographical terms, the borders of Cambria—the area west of
the Severn river—approximate the borders of modern Wales.
Mumford’s unexpected xenophobic attack was funny in performance in spite of the high
emotion being felt by the main characters. Read more about medley style in Scene 30 .
Literally, to paint, but figuratively to cast an event in a good light or to make
(what Ragan sees as) an unjust attack seem like a just attack.
broach
Declare publicly.
puritan … hypocrite
Aparticularly abstemious group of Protestant, often accused of hypocrisy on the early
modern stage.
Which art … naught
“You pretend to be so absurdly good that clearly the opposite will be proved true—that
you are hard-hearted and worthless!”
Anon
Immediately.
toad
The type of anything loathsome.
You … patience
“You owe us more patience (because we have shown you patience)”.
What … thicket
Ragan’s brazen denials bordered on the comic but were played vindictively prompting
outrage for Leir and Perillus. Read more about performing Gonorill in Scene 30 .
See Jaques famous All the world’s a stage speech from As You Like It, which ends by describing the Last scene of all in a human life: the Last scene of all, / That ends this strange eventful history, / Is second childishness,
and mere oblivion, / Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything (AYL 2.7.162–165). The sentiment is repeated again in King Lear, where Gonerill explains that Old fools are babes again (Lr 4.19). See also, David Bevington, Shakespeare: The Seven Ages of Human Experience, where he describes the parabolic shape of life in Shakespeare’s plays (Bevington 2–6).
latter day
The day of the final judgment, also known as the second coming. According to Christian theology, the latter day is the day when Christ will return to the earth to pass judgment on sinners while
redeeming those who are to be saved. The nature of punishments, the nature of rewards, and the timing of this return were
often debated in early modern England.
Video Sc. 31
Scene 31
On the page, the final scene reads like a summary end to a long play, but the short
stage directions are an invitation to create further spectacle on the stage. Read
more about the performance of Scene 31 .
excursions
This open stage direction was taken as an invitation to choregraph a series of short
fights that would form a climactic battle sequence. Read more about stage directions in Scene 31 .
Mumford … Cambria
Another great stage direction indicating one key piece of action that should be included
in the climactic battle to satisfy the needs of the text. The SQM company also included
a battle between Gallia and Cornwall and the English forces. Read more about stage directions in Scene 31 .
Cambria
Having been chased around the battlefield by Mumford, Cambria gives up the fight and
Clarkson returned to the more naive bumbling characterization he had used earlier
in the play. Read more about performing Cambria in Scene 31 .
ʼZounds
A mild oath; abbreviated from “by God’s wounds”, in reference to the wounds of the
crucifixion.
Video Sc. 32
Scene 32
The play finishes with victory for the good characters; the SQM company attempted
to give the ending a celebratory spirit in which all are united in a happy England
ruled by its rightful monarch.
sound victory
A trumpet sound that marks the victorious end of a battle.
excursions
The scene divisions in the text become increasingly meaningless as the fluid battle
moves on—the stage direction here indicating another series of skirmishes before victory
is sounded on the trumpet. Read more about stage directions in Scene 32 .
possessed
In possession of.
Leir
The rightful monarch is restored and Don Allison gave his character renewed vigour, leaving the suffering behind and giving thanks
of the happy ending. Read more about performing Leir in Scene 32 .
scathe
Damage; Leir here thanks Mumford for making himself vulnerable in battle.
never stained
Unblemished (in a moral sense); guiltless.
grutch
Complain or begrudge. Though obsolete—replaced, according to the OED, by grudge—the word remains here in its non-modern spelling for the sake of the rhyme.
unkind
Lacking in filial respect (OEDunkind, adj. 1.4.b), with a pun on unkindness as ungenerous.
requite
Repay.
laid on
Battled.
the fugitives … play
The escaped daughters Gonorill and Ragan did dally live proudly.
Sound drums … trumpets
The play finishes in triumph for the English monarch firmly aligning it with the
politics of the company. Read more about politics in Scene 32 .
While the parentheses in Q contradict modern usage, it is problematic to follow Michie
and Stern and to ignore them completely. The punctuation here emphasizes a stress—perhaps
a mournful aside—that Q indicates with parentheses.
The punctuation in Q, Steevens, Lee and Michie is confusing. With a semi-colon or
colon at the end of the line, we have to assume that fashioned refers to Leir’s zeal, even though it obviously refers to his daughters: they have
all been fashioned in the same mould (their mother’s womb?) and, therefore, they deserve
equal dowries.
At stake in the capitalization of his is the question of reference: the capitalization suggests—as is clear from the context—that
his refers to God rather than to Gallia.
According to the OED, “indurable” is obsolete and rare, meaning “unendurable.” This
usage of “indurable” antedates by two years the OED’s first (and only) exemplary usage
in Edward Topsell’s The historie of foure-footed beastes (1607).
Michie’s and Stern’s use of fain’d is confusing. According to the OED, “fain’d” means gladsome or welcome. The sense
here is clearly “dissimulation,” hence “feigned.” For “fain” meaning gladsome or
welcome, see QLN 27 and QLN 138.
Not in Q. This stage direction is implied by the dialogue and stage action. It is
clear from Perillus’ sighting of men and women at QLN 2160 that the stage direction at QLN 2091 is incomplete: there are more female
characters on stage than Cordella. The stage direction at QLN 2177 also indicates
the presence of a table for which no stage direction in Q accounts. It is possible,
as in Michie, that A table with food and drink is brought forward at QLN 2165 when Cordella calls for but some meat to feed Perillus and Leir. In fact, the stage direction might fit anywhere between
QLN 2097 and QLN 2164.
Not in Q. It is unclear exactly what happens on stage at this point. It is possible
that Cordella, by calling for meat, is urging Mumford to unpack the contents of his basket onto the table, rather than
unpacking the basket herself.
Alon Nashman was an actor and musical director with Shakespeare and the Queenʼs Men
Project. He played Keeper and Miles in Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay (2006) and Derrick in Famous Victories (2006).
Andrew Griffin
Andrew Griffin is an associate professor in the department of English and an affiliate
professor in the department of Theater and Dance at the University of California,
Santa Barbara. He is general editor (text) of Queen’s Men Editions. He studies early
modern drama and early modern historiography while serving as the lead editor at the
EMC Imprint. He has co-edited with Helen Ostovich and Holger Schott Syme Locating the Queen’s Men (2009) and has co-edited The Making of a Broadside Ballad (2016) with Patricia Fumerton and Carl Stahmer. His monograph, Untimely Deaths in Renaissance Drama: Biography, History, Catastrophe, was published with the University of Toronto Press in 2019. He is editor of the
anonymous The Chronicle History of King Leir (Queen’s Men Editions, 2011). He can be contacted at griffin@english.ucsb.edu.
Anonymous
Christopher Matusiak
Christopher Matusiak (Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay) is an Associate Professor of English at Ithaca College in New York where he teaches
courses on Shakespeare and early modern drama. His research on seventeenth-century
theatre management at the Drury Lane Cockpit has appeared in Early Theatre and Medieval and Renaissance Drama in England, and in Shakespeare Quarterly on the use of John Aubrey’s manuscripts in studies of Shakespeare’s life. He is currently
writing a book (with Eva Griffith) about Christopher Beeston and the Cockpit playhouse,
and researching another on the persistence of illegal stage-playing during the English
Civil Wars, Shakespearean Actors and their Playhouses in Civil War London. He also prepared REED London: The Cockpit-Phoenix: an edited collection of seventeenth-century manuscripts and printed documents illustrating
the history of the Cockpit-Phoenix playhouse in Drury Lane (for The Records of Early English Drama). He can be contacted at cmatusiak@ithaca.edu.
David Kynaston
David Kynaston was an actor with Shakespeare and the Queenʼs Men Project. He played
Jaques Vandermast,Burden, and Serlsby in Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay (2006) and Jockey,Lord Chief Justice,Constable,Burgundy in Famous Victories (2006).
Derek Genova
Derek Genova was an actor with Shakespeare and the Queenʼs Men Project. He played
Eleanor,1 Scholar,Hostess, and Post in Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay (2006) and Tom,Boy,Dauphin,Second French Soldier in Famous Victories (2006).
Don Allison
Don Allison was an actor with Shakespeare and the Queenʼs Men Project. He played King Henry and Voice of the Brazen Head in Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay (2006) and King Henry and Charles VI in Famous Victories (2006).
Eric Rasmussen
Helen Ostovich
Helen Ostovich, professor emerita of English at McMaster University, is the founder
and general editor of Queen’s Men Editions. She is a general editor of The Revels Plays (Manchester University Press); Series
Editor of Studies in Performance and Early Modern Drama (Ashgate, now Routledge),
and series co-editor of Late Tudor and Stuart Drama (MIP); play-editor of several
works by Ben Jonson, in Four Comedies: Ben Jonson (1997); Every Man Out of his Humour (Revels 2001); and The Magnetic Lady (Cambridge 2012). She has also edited the Norton Shakespeare 3 The Merry Wives of Windsor Q1602 and F1623 (2015); The Late Lancashire Witches and A Jovial Crew for Richard Brome Online, revised for a 4-volume set from OUP 2021; The Ball, for the Oxford Complete Works of James Shirley (2021); The Merry Wives of Windsor for Internet Shakespeare Editions, and The Dutch Courtesan (with Erin Julian) for the Complete Works of John Marston, OUP 2022. She has published
many articles and book chapters on Jonson, Shakespeare, and others, and several book
collections, most recently Magical Transformations of the Early Modern English Stage with Lisa Hopkins (2014), and the equivalent to book website, Performance as Research in Early English Theatre Studies: The Three Ladies of London in Context containing scripts, glossary, almost fifty conference papers edited and updated to
essays; video; link to Queenʼs Mens Ediitons and YouTube: http://threeladiesoflondon.mcmaster.ca/contexts/index.htm, 2015. Recently, she was guest editor of Strangers and Aliens in London ca 1605,
Special Issue on Marston, Early Theatre 23.1 (June 2020). She can be contacted at ostovich@mcmaster.ca.
James D. Mardock
James Mardock is Associate Professor of English at the University of
Nevada, Associate General Editor for the Internet Shakespeare Editions,
and a dramaturge for the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival and Reno Little
Theater. In addition to editing quarto and folio Henry
V for the ISE, he has published essays on Shakespeare, Ben
Jonson, and other Renaissance literature in The
Seventeenth Century, Ben Jonson
Journal, Borrowers and Lenders, and
contributed to the collections Representing the Plague
in Early Modern England (Routledge 2010) and Shakespeare Beyond Doubt (Cambridge 2013). His
book Our Scene is London (Routledge 2008)
examines Jonsonʼs representation of urban space as an element in his
strategy of self-definition. With Kathryn McPherson, he edited Stages of Engagement (Duquesne 2013), a collection
of essays on drama in post-Reformation England, and he is currently at
work on a monograph on Calvinism and metatheatrical awareness in early
modern English drama.
Janelle Jenstad
Janelle Jenstad is a Professor of English at the University of
Victoria, Director of The Map
of Early Modern London, and Director of Linked Early Modern Drama
Online. With Jennifer Roberts-Smith and Mark Kaethler, she
co-edited Shakespeare’s Language in Digital Media: Old
Words, New Tools (Routledge). She has edited John Stow’s
A Survey of London (1598 text) for MoEML
and is currently editing The Merchant of Venice
(with Stephen Wittek) and Heywood’s 2 If You Know Not
Me You Know Nobody for DRE. Her articles have appeared in
Digital Humanities Quarterly, Elizabethan Theatre, Early Modern
Literary Studies, Shakespeare
Bulletin, Renaissance and
Reformation, and The Journal of Medieval
and Early Modern Studies. She contributed chapters to Approaches to Teaching Othello (MLA); Teaching Early Modern Literature from the Archives
(MLA); Institutional Culture in Early Modern
England (Brill); Shakespeare, Language, and
the Stage (Arden); Performing Maternity in
Early Modern England (Ashgate); New
Directions in the Geohumanities (Routledge); Early Modern Studies and the Digital Turn (Iter);
Placing Names: Enriching and Integrating
Gazetteers (Indiana); Making Things and
Drawing Boundaries (Minnesota); Rethinking
Shakespeare Source Study: Audiences, Authors, and Digital
Technologies (Routledge); and Civic
Performance: Pageantry and Entertainments in Early Modern
London (Routledge). For more details, see janellejenstad.com.
Jason Gray
Jason Gray was an actor with Shakespeare and the Queenʼs Men Project. He played Friar Bacon in Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay (2006) and John Cobbler,Bruges, and Captain in Famous Victories (2006).
Julian DeZotti
Julian DeZotti was an actor with Shakespeare and the Queenʼs Men Project. He played
Margaret in Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay (2006) and Lawrence Costermonger,Clerk,First French Soldier, and Katherine of France in Famous Victories (2006).
Kate LeBere
Project Manager, 2020–2021. Assistant Project Manager, 2019–2020. Textual Remediator
and Encoder, 2019–2021. Kate LeBere completed her BA (Hons.) in History and English
at the University of Victoria in 2020. During her degree she published papers in The Corvette (2018), The Albatross (2019), and PLVS VLTRA (2020) and presented at the English Undergraduate Conference (2019), Qualicum History
Conference (2020), and the Digital Humanities Summer Institute’s Project Management
in the Humanities Conference (2021). While her primary research focus was sixteenth
and seventeenth century England, she completed her honours thesis on Soviet ballet
during the Russian Cultural Revolution. She is currently a student at the University
of British Columbia’s iSchool, working on her masters in library and information science.
Mahayla Galliford
Research assistant, remediator, encoder, 2021–present. Mahayla Galliford is a fourth-year
student in the English Honours and Humanities Scholars programs at the University
of Victoria. She researches early modern drama and her Jamie Cassels Undergraduate
Research Award project focused on approaches to encoding early modern stage directions.
Martin Holmes
Martin Holmes has worked as a developer in the
UVicʼs Humanities Computing and Media Centre for
over two decades, and has been involved with dozens
of Digital Humanities projects. He has served on
the TEI Technical Council and as Managing Editor of
the Journal of the TEI. He took over from Joey Takeda as
lead developer on LEMDO in 2020. He is a collaborator on
the SSHRC Partnership Grant led by Janelle Jenstad.
Matthew Krist
Matthew Krist was an actor with Shakespeare and the Queenʼs Men Project. He played
Rafe Simnell,Richard,Friar Bungay, and Devil in Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay (2006) and Ned,Cobblerʼs Wife, and Drummer in Famous Victories (2006).
Michael Best
Michael Best is Professor Emeritus at the University of Victoria, BC. He is the Founding
Editor of the Internet Shakespeare Editions, of which he was the Coordinating Editor
until 2017. In print, he has published editions of works of Elizabethan magic and
huswifery, a collection of letters from the Australian goldfields, and Shakespeare on the Art of Love (2008). He contributed regular columns for the Shakespeare Newsletter on Electronic Shakespeares, and has written many articles and chapters for both print and online books and journals,
principally on questions raised by the new medium in the editing and publication of
texts. He has delivered papers and plenary lectures on electronic media and the Internet
Shakespeare Editions at conferences in Canada, the USA, the UK, Spain, Australia,
and Japan.
Navarra Houldin
Project manager 2022-present. Textual remediator 2021-present. Navarra Houldin (they/them)
completed their BA in History and Spanish at the University of Victoria in 2022. During
their degree, they worked as a teaching assistant with the University of Victoriaʼs
Department of Hispanic and Italian Studies. Their primary research was on gender and
sexuality in early modern Europe and Latin America.
Nicole Vatcher
Technical Documentation Writer, 2020-present. Nicole Vatcher completed her BA (Hons.)
in English at the University of Victoria in 2021. Her primary research focus was womenʼs
writing in the modernist period.
Paul Hopkins
Paul Hopkins was an actor with Shakespeare and the Queenʼs Men Project. He played
Prince Edward and Other Clowns in Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay (2006) and Prince Henry in Famous Victories (2006).
Peter Cockett
Peter Cockett is an associate professor in the Theatre and Film Studies at McMaster
University. He is the general editor (performance), and technical co-ordinating editor
of Queen’s Men Editions. He was the stage director for the Shakespeare and the Queen’s Men project (SQM),
directing King Leir, The Famous Victories of Henry V, and Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay (2006) and he is the performance editor for our editions of those plays. The process
behind those productions is documented in depth on his website Performing the Queen’s Men. Also featured on this site are his PAR productions of Clyomon and Clamydes (2009) and Three Ladies of London (2014). For the PLS, the University of Toronto’s Medieval and Renaissance Players,
he has directed the Digby Mary Magdalene (2003) and the double bill of George Peele’s The Old Wives Tale and the Chester Antichrist (2004). He also directed An Experiment in Elizabethan Comedy (2005) for the SQM project and Inside Out: The Persistence of Allegory (2008) in collaboration with Alan Dessen. Peter is a professional actor and director
with numerous stage and screen credits. He can be contacted at cockett@mcmaster.ca.
Phillip Borg
Phillip Borg was an actor with Shakespeare and the Queenʼs Men Project. He played
Thomas,Lambert,Constable, and Spirit in Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay (2006) and Lord Mayor,Porter,Captain,Third French Soldier,English Soldier, and French Secretary in Famous Victories (2006).
Tracey El Hajj
Junior Programmer 2019–2020. Research Associate 2020–2021. Tracey received her PhD
from the Department of English at the University of Victoria in the field of Science
and Technology Studies. Her research focuses on the algorhythmics of networked communications. She was a 2019–2020 President’s Fellow in Research-Enriched
Teaching at UVic, where she taught an advanced course on Artificial Intelligence and Everyday Life. Tracey was also a member of the Map of Early Modern London team, between 2018 and 2021. Between 2020 and 2021, she was a fellow in residence
at the Praxis Studio for Comparative Media Studies, where she investigated the relationships
between artificial intelligence, creativity, health, and justice. As of July 2021,
Tracey has moved into the alt-ac world for a term position, while also teaching in
the English Department at the University of Victoria.
William Shakespeare
Bibliography
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Bourus, Terri, ed. A Midsummer Nightʼs Dream. By
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Jowett, John, ed. King Lear and his Three Daughters.
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Gabriel Egan.
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London,
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Loughnane, Rory, ed. Pericles, Prince of Tyre. By
William Shakespeare and
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Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 2016.
2663–2722. WSB aaag2304.
Loughnane, Rory, ed. The Life of Henry the Fifth. By
William Shakespeare. The New Oxford Shakespeare. Ed.
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Gabriel Egan.
Oxford: Oxford
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Loughnane, Rory, ed. The Second Part of Henry the Sixth; or,
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Oxford: Oxford
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255–330. WSB aaag2304.
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Shakespeare. The New
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Terri Bourus, and Gabriel
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Oxford University Press,
2016. 3073–3131. WSB aaag2304.
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2016. 927–996. WSB aaag2304.
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Gabriel Egan.
Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 2016.
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1H4.
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Orgography
LEMDO Team (LEMD1)
The LEMDO Team is based at the University of Victoria and normally comprises the project
director, the lead developer, project manager, junior developers(s), remediators,
encoders, and remediating editors.
QME Editorial Board (QMEB1)
The QME Editorial Board consists of Helen Ostovich, General Editor; Peter Cockett, General Editor (Performance); and Andrew Griffin, General Editor (Text), with the support of an Advisory Board.
Queenʼs Men Editions (QME1)
The Queen’s Men Editions anthology is led by Helen Ostovich, General Editor; Peter
Cockett, General Editor (Performance); and Andrew Griffin, General Editor (Text).
University of Victoria (UVIC1)
https://www.uvic.ca/
Witnesses
Anonymous. The true chronicle history of King Leir, and his
three daughters, Gonorill, Ragan, and
Cordella. London:
John Wright,
1605. STC 15343. ESTC S111094
Lee,
Sidney, ed. The Chronicle
History of King Leir. By
Anonymous.
London: Chatto &
Windus, 1909.
Michie,
Donald, ed. A Critical
Edition of the True Chronicle History of King Leir
and His Three Daughters, Gonorill, Ragan and
Cordella. By Anonymous.
New York: Taylor
& Francis, 1991.
Steevens, George, ed. The True Chronicle History of King Leir and his Three Daughters. Twenty of the Plays of Shakespeare: Being the Whole Number Printed in Quarto During
his life-time, or before the Restoration. Vol. 4.
London: J. and R.
Tonson, 1766. 2K5r–2P8r. ESTC
T140378.
Stern,
Tiffany, ed. The Chronicle
History of King Leir. By
Anonymous.
London: Nick Hern
Books, 2002.
University of Victoria on the Linked Early Modern Drama Online Platform
Series
Queenʼs Men Editions
Source
This modern text was prepared by Andrew Griffin. First published in the QME 1.0 anthology on the ISE platform. Converted to TEI-XML
and remediated by the LEMDO Team for republication in the QME 2.0 anthology on the LEMDO platform
The Queen’s Men Editions anthology is led by Helen Ostovich, General Editor; Peter
Cockett, General Editor (Performance); and Andrew Griffin, General Editor (Text).
Encoding description
Encoded in TEI P5 according to the LEMDO Customization and Encoding Guidelines
Document status
published, peer-reviewed
Licence/availability
Intellectual copyright in this edition is held by the editor, Andrew Griffin. The
XML files of the semi-diplomatic transcription and the modern texts are licensed for
reuse under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license, which means that they are freely downloadable
without permission under the following conditions: (1) credit must be given to the
editor, QME, and LEMDO in any subsequent use of the files and/or data; (2) derivatives
(e.g., adapted scripts for performance) must be shared under the same CC BY-NC-SA
4.0 license; and (3) commercial uses are not permitted without the knowledge and consent
of QME, the editor, and LEMDO.
Production photographs and videos on this site may not be downloaded. They appear
freely on this site with the permission of the actors and the ACTRA union. They may
be used within the context of university courses, within the classroom, and for reference
within research contexts, including conferences, when credit is given to the producing
company and to the actors. Commercial use of videos and photographs is forbidden.
*, Skalliger, Perillus and a Nobleman
