Evadne stabs herself to death. You are very merry, Dula. They mostly agree that The Maid’s Tragedy successfully merges romantic drama with revenge tragedy. Amintor, encountering Melantius, asks his assistance in killing the king. Evad. Calianax enters and is angry at the situation, breathing threats against the men of the court. The Wars are nak'd that you must make to Night. Melantius affirms his loyalty to Rhodes, but declares that if he is not given amnesty he could very easily destroy the city. The Second Maiden's Tragedy is a Jacobean play that survives only in manuscript. Evadne, bloody dagger in hand, enters and tells Amintor that she has killed the king. Amintor is deeply injured when she reveals to him that the marriage is merely a means to make legitimate any children born of that affair. [1], The play was entered into the Stationers' Register on 28 April 1619, and published later that year by the bookseller Francis Constable. Amintor is overcome by the enormity of the way he has been treated, but he refuses to draw his sword on the king. Amintor kisses her and cautions her never to sin again. By Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher American Shakespeare Center, Blackfriars Playhouse, Staunton, Va. Friday, March 14, 2014, C–6&7 (front middle stalls) Actors' Renaissance Season. Melantius goes to Evadne and forces her to reveal what has happened. Melantius, a young general, returns from a military campaign which he has just concluded, winning peace for Rhodes. Read, highlight, and take notes, across web, tablet, and phone. 1619. When the king discloses his knowledge of the plot, Melantius continues to dissemble and states that Calianax is an irresponsible, foolish old man. The Maid's Tragedy is a play by Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher. Scene I. The king, ostensibly to show his gratitude, has given the hand of Evadne, Melantius’s sister, to Amintor, a young courtier and a dear friend of Melantius. Aspatia, meanwhile, returns to her home, where she warns her maids never to trust their hearts to men and recounts classical stories of women who, much to their distress, gave their hearts away. The thoroughly confounded lord submits reluctantly to Melantius’s demands for the fortress. Amintor, coming into the apartment, receives a kiss from Aspatia before she departs. Aspatia is talking with her maids, advising them never to love. The masque of Night and Cynthia (the Moon) is held with various songs, and Evadne and Amintor are taken to their wedding chamber. The King doesn’t believe her, but she stabs him, makes sure he is dead, then leaves. Calianax has been ‘humorous’ since his daughter's wedding was broken off and quarrels with Melantius and then with Amintor. Despite promising sex and delivering gore, The Maid's Tragedy is actually a character study played out in a series of two-person conversation scenes. → Banquet. The maid's tragedy by Beaumont, Francis, 1584-1616; Fletcher, John, 1579-1625, author; Browne, Jonas, -1718, bookseller; Barton, Thomas Pennant, 1803-1869, former owner @billicritic Tue 28 Jun 2005 06.32 EDT … Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by Project Gutenberg. Scene I. He suffers momentary misgivings for having forsaken her, but he forgets her when he sees Evadne. When she asks Amintor to recognize her as his wife, he, appalled, refuses and leaves her. Publication date 1717 Publisher London : Printed for J.T. Last Updated on May 5, 2015, by eNotes Editorial. He is greeted by the King's brother, Lysippus. Dul. Reciting his villainy toward her, she stabs him to death; then she forgives him. Writing a play for performance by the King’s Men, who likely first staged The Maid’s Tragedy, meant that Beaumont and Fletcher would need to incorporate into the action a clown making cynical observations of the society he encounters. Many have recognised the play's power, but have complained about the play's extremity and artificiality. The King has summoned Evadne, but when she arrives at his bed chamber she finds him asleep. Enter Evadne, Aspatia, Dula, and other Ladies. In fact, she tells Amintor that she hates him and will never share his bed. The Maid's Tragedy was written sometime around 1611 by Elizabethan dramatists Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher. The Maid's Tragedy WILLIAM SHULLENBERGER A reappraisal ment of Beaumont OF The Maid's and Fletcher Tragedy seems is in order. The difficulty lay in Amintor’s having already promised himself to Aspatia, daughter of Calianax, an old lord. Last Updated on May 5, 2015, by eNotes Editorial. He satisfies himself that the couple have not slept together and he lets Amintor know the rules: he is to allow Evadne to come to him whenever he wants and is to stay away from her himself. I mean, really, people sit agape, their mouths involuntarily open to two or more inches. THE MAID'S TRAGEDY. Aspatia and Amintor had been in … The Maid's Tragedy is a play by Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher. Soon afterward, the death of the king having been discovered, the king’s brother Lysippus and his followers go to the citadel, where Melantius and his people are in control. Generally acknowledged to be the most powerful of Beaumont and Fletcher’s plays and frequently performed by the best actors of the seventeenth and early eighteenth century, The Maid’s Tragedy (1610-11) disappeared from the stage (except in a much-altered and very successful Victorian adaptation) until recent years, when major companies have rediscovered its appeal. Beaumont, Francis, 1584-1616. Calianax has told the King of Melantius’ plot, however the King has difficulty believing him. When he refuses, she strikes him. When Melantius threatens to kill her, she confesses the truth. LONDON Printed for Richard Higgenbotham and are to be sold at the Angell in PAVLS Church-yard. Lysippus, the new ruler, looks upon the scene as an object lesson to kings to be chaste. Home; About Us; Services; Photo Gallery; Contact Us; Menu M Adam, shall we undress you for this Fight? She wakes him and tells him she is going to kill him for his rape of her. Melantius, fearful lest his plans fail, reminds Amintor that the king’s person is sacred. eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. Beaumont and Fletcher's The Maid's Tragedy (first published 1619) is a sensational Jacobean sex tragedy. Melantius enters and quarrels with Calianax again; after he leaves, not daring to challenge Melantius, Amintor enters and Melantius gets the secret out of him. King. Evadne and Amintor emerge and continue with the pretense, but Amintor is so distressed he says various strange things and Melantius and Evadne notice. Act II. The maid's tragedy ; and, Philaster / by Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher ; edited by Ashley H. Thorndike. ©2021 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Beaumont and Fletcher's The Maid's Tragedy (first published 1619) is a sensational Jacobean sex tragedy. The Maid's Tragedy. If you are unsure how best to edit this programme please take a moment to read it. He dissuades his friend from revenge and counsels patience, but once Amintor has left he begins to plot to kill the King. The play was later included in the second Beaumont and Fletcher folio of 1679.[2]. The Maid's Tragedy A Maid's Unmaking of a Man, A Moment Made for Live Theater. The play's date of origin is not known with certainty. Threatened by Amintor, she finally confesses that she has already given herself to the king. Lysippus and Melantius agree to a general amnesty. King. He gets her to promise to kill the King. (People who dislike aspects of Beaumont and Fletcher's work will find those dislikes amply represented, even crystallised, in this play.) Scene II. The Maid’s Tragedy, probably written in 1610-11 for the Blackfriars Theater, presents a conflicted court with a corrupt absolute monarch at its center. Subscribe Now Preparations are being made for elaborate nuptial festivities. It was first published in 1619. The king—never named outside his title—abuses his royal prerogative with an almost cavalier attitude. Synopsis. I cannot tell how I should credit this From you, that are his enemy. Act 5, Scene II Scene: The Bedchamber. Goaded to action, Amintor draws and wounds Aspatia. Melantius confronts Evadne with his knowledge of her transgression. Calianax, upon recognizing his daughter, the dead Aspatia, is reconciled to Melantius. 9 C. M. Gayley (Beaumont, The Dramatist [New York, 1914], pp. Melantius maintains his poise. The play has provoked divided responses from critics. Third Programme, 23 November 1962 20.00. Why censorship? To prove her steadfastness to the king, Evadne provokes Amintor into revealing that the marriage has not been consummated. Enter EVADNE.. Evadne. Old Calianax, always a coward at heart, vows to be valiant in avenging the slight to his daughter. Word Count: 889. Left alone with her husband Evadne refuses to sleep with him and eventually reveals that the King has forcibly made her his mistress and has arranged this marriage to cover up her ‘dishonour’. That's not hyperbole. After much provocation she gets him to fight, but during the fight she drops her guard deliberately and is fatally wounded. The texts of the first quarto of 1619, and the second of 1622, are usually synthesized to create modern editions, since Q2 contains eighty lines not included in Q1, plus a couple of hundred changes and corrections on Q1. Melantius, meanwhile, ponders Amintor’s peculiar behavior. Meanwhile, Aspatia, disguised as a man, enters Amintor’s apartment, where she tells Amintor that she is Aspatia’s long-lost brother, returned to avenge his sister. The Maid's Tragedy Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher Act IV. THE MAID ’S TRAGEDY. See E. K. Chambers, The Eliza bethan Stage, 3 (Oxford, 1923), 224. 1906. open in viewer . When Aspatia dies, Amintor, having nothing more to live for and wishing to be with his true love, stabs himself. On the night for revenge, Diphilus takes command of the fortress. Melantius expects Evadne to kill the King that night, but at this point Amintor enters talking wildly of revenge and Melantius has to pretend that none is planned. The king is convinced that Melantius is innocent. The Maid’s Tragedy is no mere morality play about issues from a time gone-by; built upon one-dimensional arch-types representing darkness and light. The old man enters again and Melantius proposes common revenge for the injuries that the King has done them both, but after he leaves Calianax resolves to go straight to the King with this information. 7. Enter King and Calianax—Hautboys play within. Start your 48-hour free trial and unlock all the summaries, Q&A, and analyses you need to get better grades now. His bride, as he soon discovers, does not appear to be interested in the consummation of their marriage. He leaves and Amintor enters, Evadne apologises for the situation, but doesn’t reveal she is to kill the King. Amintor is horrified, but agrees to go through with the charade of pretending to be a married couple. Because in proper Jacobean style, this play offers Revenge, Suicide, Murder, Women Wronged and The Wedding Night From Hell. The King and courtiers enter and he quizzes the couple; Amintor's answers are so smooth that the King grows jealous and he dismisses everyone except Evadne and Amintor. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. The morning after the wedding night some male courtiers are talking bawdily outside the chamber and are joined by Melantius. The new King enters, and after some negotiation the three agree to give up the citadel in return for a pardon. Aspatia's aged father Calianax and a servant are attempting to keep the populace out of the palace as the masque is for the court alone. Melantius directs his brother, Diphilus, to prepare his armor for battle. Aspatia enters the palace dressed as a man seeking Amintor. Writtenby Mr.FRANCISBEAUMONT, and Mr.JOHNFLETCHER. Later, Amintor’s assumed manner arouses the king’s suspicions; in private he accuses Evadne of faithlessness. Preparations are being made for elaborate nuptial festivities. When Melantius, in asides, importunes Calianax about the fortress, the old man tries to convince the king that Melantius is making overtures under his very eyes, but the ruler suggests that someone put the weak-minded old man to bed. Act V. Scene I. The Maid's Tragedy book. He hesitates, leaves, and she stabs herself. She soliloquises and then ties his arms to the bed. The Maid's Tragedy The title "The Maid's Tragedy" refers to the suffering and death of Aspatia, the forsaken maiden in this play which was written by Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher about 1610 and it was published in 1619. The play has provoked divided responses from critics. Melantius, a military hero, returns to Rhodes from the wars. Evad. In 1611, Sir George Buck, the Master of the Revels, named The Second Maiden's Tragedy based on the resemblances he perceived between the two works. ASC friend Andrew Gurr has edited the play and thinks the play is the rare early modern play with a completely original plot. As Evadne prepares to retire, Aspatia, who is present, cannot share the general enthusiastic anticipation of the marriage night, and she expresses her belief that she will soon be dead of a broken heart. The night grows horrible; and all about me Like my black purpose. Get a free quote. The Maid's Tragedy was probably first performed in the 1610-11 winter season, since the theaters were closed much of the 1609-10 season because of the plague, and very few new plays were introduced. Cal. Log in here. Then, realizing the extent of her disgrace, she promises Melantius that she will kill the king. Subsequent editions appeared in 1622, 1630, 1638, 1641, 1650, and 1661. He then stabs himself and dies. The King's body is discovered and his brother Lysippus is proclaimed the new King. When gentleman soldier Melantius returns to Rhodes, he finds his dear friend Amintor is recently married - but not to his troth-plight love Aspatia (the maid of the title). The play has provoked divided responses from critics. Instead, the King has arranged a match between Amintor and Melantius' sister, the beautiful Evadne. Evadne, going to the king’s bedchamber, ties the sleeping monarch to the bed. Dula. When gentleman soldier Melantius returns to Rhodes, he finds his dear friend Amintor is recently married - but not to his troth-plight love Aspatia (the maid of the title). Outside the chamber Evadne's maid Dula jokes bawdily with her mistress, but Aspatia cannot join in the banter and announces she will die of grief, taking a last farewell of Amintor when he enters. The next morning Amintor, emerging from the bedchamber, encounters Melantius, whom he puzzles with ambiguous remarks about the virtues of the soldier’s family. One of them has produced a tapestry of Theseus and Ariadne, a suitable theme for Aspatia's plight. To be most effective, it requires a cast of supple actors who can master the intricate verse. Electronic reproduction. The maid's tragedy by Beaumont, Francis, 1584-1616; Fletcher, John, 1579-1625, author; Browne, Jonas, -1718, bookseller; Barton, Thomas Pennant, 1803-1869, former owner. Other critics have noted that the play introduces romance into the standard revenge tragedy, and that the play, even in its artificiality, has relevance to the disputes about authority that characterised relations between kings and Parliament in the decades leading up to the English Civil War. Already a member? The new King promises to rule ‘with temper’. The King discovered in Bed, sleeping. Is there any controversy surrounding the work? There he finds himself involved in a difficult situation. I should be merrier, Madam, if it were with me as it is with you. Scholars generally assign the Beaumont/Fletcher play to c. 1608–1611. Aspatia grieves. A masque follows, after which the king, wishing the wedded couple goodnight, asks Amintor to father a boy who will grow up to defend the kingdom. John Glassner once wrote that to display "the insipidity of the plot, its execrable motivation or the want of it, and the tastelessness of many of the lines one would have to reprint the play. What would be the main themes associated with the maids' tragedy. Scholars and critics generally agree that the play is mostly the work of Beaumont; Cyrus Hoy, in his extensive survey of authorship problems in the Beaumont/Fletcher canon, assigns only four scenes to Fletcher (Act II, scene 2; Act IV, 1; and Act V, 1 and 2), though one of those is the climax of the play (IV, 1). When Amintor reveals that Evadne is the king’s mistress, Melantius, incapable of believing Amintor’s story, draws his sword and threatens to kill his friend. The king’s entrance checks animosities. Determined to make the marriage seem normal, however, he sleeps in her bedchamber, on the floor. On his … Critics have varied widely, even wildly, in their responses to the play. Melantius, entering, is so overcome by the sight of his dead sister and his dying friend that he attempts to take his own life. Francis Beaumont (1584 - 1616) and John Fletcher (1579 - 1625). He also asks Calianax, the castellan of Rhodes, to deliver the garrison to him. Read 18 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. In 1611, Sir George Buck, the Master of the Revels, named The Second Maiden's Tragedy based on the resemblances he perceived between the two works. Description: 1 online resource (xlvi, 346 pages, 2 unnumbered leaves of plates) : illustrations. In order to do this he has to have control of the citadel which is governed by Calianax. The Maid's Tragedy Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher Act II. , however, he, appalled, refuses and leaves him looking foolish m Adam, shall we undress for! ‘ humorous ’ since his daughter 's wedding was broken off and quarrels with Melantius and then ties his to! 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