THE KNIGHT OF THE BURNING PESTLE: A

SHOWCASE OF BURLESQUE TECHNIQUES

by

NOYCE JENNINGS BURLESON, B.A.

A THESIS

IN

ENGLISH

Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Texas Technological College

in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for

the Degree of

MASTER OF ARTS

Approved

August, 1968

m

T3 •

No. 93 ^ ^ FOREWORD

Lop. '^

Knee deep in the scholasticism of Renaissance and

Elizabethan studies, a careful researcher for mention of

Beaumont*s (or Beaumont and Fletcherts!) The Knight of the

Burning Pestle goes almost unrev/arded. Whether the play has

missed the careful scrutiny and dissection given most v;orks

of the period, or whether the dissection occurred out of

print and was not deemed v/orthy of sharing, the play has not

received its just publicity for the edification .of students

of the hilarious, students of the bav/dy, and students of a

skillful use of language arts. To parody an old play title

of the same period, "*Tis pity - she^s a roar".

The function of this paper, as well as the thesis by

which the evidence v/ill be presented, is quite sim.ply to

show that The Knight £f the Burning Pestle is a showcase of

dramatic burlesque techniques. A scarcity of published worl

concerning burlesque as a sub-genre of satire has allowed

the v/ord to degenerate into its current usage as "ecdy-

siastic," though the definition of this word holds more

historical truth than appears at first glance. Far ahead

of its time and completely unrecognized as the "outstripper' 11

Rk

Ill

of most burlesque dramas for the almost four hundred years

since its first presentation, The Knight personifies all of

the devices employed by the Restoration dramatists v;ho have

received literary applause for Beaumont and Fletcher*s

precocity in this field.

An interest in this play began with a reference to its

humorous qualities mentioned in a class lecture; a further

interest flowered when the play was selected as the one-act

play entry for Meadow High School (see Appendix). As the

research deepened, my own personal reaction was a laughing

appreciation of the skill and artistry with which these pla}'--

builders wove together the complicated plots, allusions,

parodies, and puns with a consimimate sense of language. V7hy

should The Knight remain on a shelf, hidden from entertain­

ment-seekers, with only a few references to its innovative

style of "comical satyre" amid the frequently repetitive and

jaded references to "Philaster," "A King and No King," and

"The Maid^s Tragedy"? The dramatists have been acknowledged

by even their severest critics as entertainers first and

authors second; and who but a real pedagogue v/ould argue with

this goal? If The Knight entertained Elizabethans, why not

today*s harried status-seekers? In this age rampant with

sordid domestic drama and a morbid emboweling of the problem

IV

plays, a good laugh seems in order. A by-product of this

paper, then, is to give small but dedicated recognition,

long denied since their Restoration zenith, to these deft,

clever, ribald, merry entertainers and craftsmen, v;ho have

so long been knov/n only as the innovators of the hazy

generic drama, tragi-comedy, and contemporaries of the

current "glory boys" of the period, William Shakespeare and

Ben Jonson.

A well-meant but inadequate mention must certainly be

made concerning my gratitude to Dr. J. T. McCullen, Jr., v;ho

has suffered most patiently and courteously through the

rather lengthy gestation period of this issue. A Southern

gentleman and recognized scholar. Dr. McCullen has been

invaluable in his assistance and encouragement in the pre­

paration of this paper; and, with his help and suggestions,

delivery has at last been accomplished.

Last but in no way least, for their uncounted sacri­

fices J. B. and H. B. must be content with an inadequate

thank-you. V/ithout them, this paper would never have been

born.

CONTENTS

FOREV/ORD ii

I. A HISTORY OF BURLESQUE

A. Divers Definitions 1

B. Ancient Contributions • 6

C. English Contributions 12

D. Basic Characteristics .22

II. THE KNIGHT OF THE BURNING PESTLE

A. The Play s Background 2?

B. Characters 30

C. References 44

D. Staging .* 60

E. Language 66

F. The Situations 73

III. CONCLUSIONS AND INTERPRETATIONS

A. Dramatic Value. c .82

B. Historical Value ..B5

C. Influential Value 8?

V

VI

APPENDIX 90

A. Introduction 91

B. One-act Cutting of The Knight 95

C. Musical Notes 131

D. Stage Plot Illustration 133

E. Costume Notes 134

F. Make-up Notes 141

G. Property List 145

H. Placard Cues 147

I. Rehearsal Schedule ". 150

FOOTNOTES 151

BIBLIOGRAPHY 154

CHAPTER I

DIVERS DEFINITIONS

"Powerful emptiness," to borrow a phrase from Mary

Renault, may be a more apropos definition of "burlesque" than

most critical definitions. Because of a marked absence of

good satirical writing before the age of Elizabeth, even

satire as a genre has never been clearly defined because of

the v/ide diversity of form, tone, and subject-matter, the

three elements of satire.' No certain form of evolution has

occurred because of the diversity possible v/ith all three

elements. John Gay in his Preface to Polly (1729) states

that satire "is to lash in general the reigning and fashion­

able vices and recommend and set virtue in as amiable a

light as possible." Another exponent of the satirical,

Henry Fielding, in his Preface to Joseph Andrev/s, more

closely defines burlesque as "what is monstrous and un­

natural, and where our delight if v/e examine it, arises from

the surprising absurdity, as in appropriating the manners of

the highest to the lo;7est, or _e converse. "

To find a working definition of burlesque as a synonym

and/or pseudonym for satire, more recent sources have at­

tempted to delineate betv/een satire for the sake of reform

and satire for the sake of entertainment. Richmond Bond

classifies burlesque as follows: "The essence of humor

lies in incongruity, and when imitation is added, burlesque

is the result."^ Bond further divides burlesque itself into

two sub-classes: serious material v/hich is debased by a

trivial style (or an incongruous imitation); and, trivial

material given in an elevated style. A sort of mathematical

equation, according to Bond, burlesque may be referred to as

magnifying or diminishing, low or high, degrading or ele­

vating. An inconsistency must occur, however, before this

formula may apply, an inconsistency between form and content,

how with what, act with thought.

Tucker makes the distinction that satire is destruc­

tive, while all other genre are constructive; the satirical

words attack the system or status quo. However, some

distinction must also be made in the purpose of the attack.

If burlesque, or satire, is realistic as opposed to idealis­

tic, humor must appear. Vituperation can be called satire;

it most certainly cannot be called amusing unless the author

has planned this effect. In the planning of these effects,

the author must possess a certain sense of the godlike, a

sense of being on Olympus, of toying with mortals; further,

he must certainly know xvhat to make fun of.

To divide the spirit of burlesque from the general

field of satire further yet, V. C. Clinton-Baddeley adds

that "burlesque employs laughter as a means of criticism.^

If pure comedy is the reflection of nature , . . .satire

has no meaning except as a reflection of truth."^

Of the three types of burlesque—travesty, parody,

and mock heroic—no choice must be made as to the exact

form of the fun-poking. If the purpose of the burlesque

is to get closer to truth, the truth must not be lost in

the amusement*s form:

Satire is the schoolmaster attacking dishonesty v/ith a v;hip. Burlesque is the rude boy attack­ing pomposity with a peashooter. Satire holds up the m.ultiple mirror of the tailor^s shop, pitilessly revealing shameful idiosyncrasies. Burlesque holds up the concave mirror and shows the world, not hov; contemptible it is, but hov; funny. Satire must laiigh not to v;eep. Bur­lesque must laugh not to burst—and best of all it likes to laugh am.ong friends, for burlesque discovers laughter not in the objects of its hatred but rather in the objects of its af­fection: and that is the abiding difference between the tv;o arts.^

To flourish, burlesque, v;hich is alv;ays killed by

censorship, must be presented in a free society, a prospe­

rous democracy such as ancient Greece of Aristophanes, v;hich

might perhaps explain the paucity of anything laughable in

current times. Meant only for adults, vdth a poignard meant

only to tease yet expose, burlesque is laughter for laugh­

ter *s sake, not cutting too deeply and with no malice

aforethought. In fact, the best burlesque pretends to be

unfunny—deadly serious—until the realization com.es and

the put-on has been acknowledged.

In the maze of lexicography, definitions of burlesque

abound. The derivitive of the word is found in the Italian

burla, meaning "ridicule of or m.ockery." The word was used

in the French as early as 1594, but as late as 1637 its use

v;as almost unknown in English.

The word is listed in Blount's Glossographia (I656) as

"drollish, mierry, pleasant," long after the type of writing

had been established, while Flecknoe's Diarum advertised

burlesque as "rhime or drolling verse." In most listings

of the early periods before Restoration delineations, "parody,"

"travesty," "satire," and "ridicule" were often interchanged.

Webster's iimerican Dictionary of the English Language

(IS2S) declares that burlesque is "composition in v;-hich a

trifling subject or lovf incident is treated v;ith great

gravity, as a subject of great dignity or importance; or

a composition in which the contrast betv;een the subject and

the manner of considering it renders it ludicrous or ridi­

culous. . . . " This definition is not far removed from that

of Bond as stated before.

Thrall, Hibbard, and Holmxan define burlesque as a "form

of comic art characterized by ridiculous exaggerations"; ' and

to bring the word full circle, the latest in a prolific pro­

fusion of modern lexicons of literary terms lists burlesque

nor any of its aliases not at all.

Aristotle's view of any problem, especially the develop­

ment of man, was to interpret the beginning by the end results.

Bond supports this argument by saying burlesque is a legiti­

mate and worthwhile genre, apart and distinct from all

others. It is the doing that counts in projecting burlesque's

tVTin prongs of criticism and creativity: not an easy com­

bination. In defining this elusive term, Heiserman aids the

distinction v/hen he states: ' The satirist^ . . .must appear

to be wiser, more virtuous, more knowledgeable than his

object; and his reader must believe that the satire pene-

trates appearance to reveal actual folly and sin."° This

definition does not always produce burlesque, however.

To write a true burlesque, then, an author must be more

clever and wittier—superior in all facets to his audience.

Exposing phoniness in social, religious, and governmental

high places—heady v/ine, indeed!—the spirit of burlesque

must enter into any definition: "Satire and burlesque are

distant relations. Parody and burlesque are mother and

6

child. "9 Never with bitterness, alv/ays with impropriety,

burlesque dreams of the ridiculous v/ith its incongruities

and exaggerations and produces a real sense of humor.

Hereafter in this paper the word burlesque v/ill be

used in the framework of a simplified definition of "ridicule

for entertainment" in lieu of a more satisfactory phrasing,

and the word will be substituted for satire v;henever it is

applicable.

Ancient Contributions

Burlesque is almost as old as literature itself. One

has only to turn to the Bible to find the mild prodding of

the rapier buried in the great swords of scripture. When Job

says, "?^serable comforters are ye all" (Job xvi 2), the

incongruity is the very essence of ridicule. Perhaps a

m.ost obtuse example from the ancient writings can be found

in Psalms: . ". . .the seat of the scornful:" (Psalms i 1)«

Two further references illustrate that the ancient authors

minded little the balloon-puncturing of pomposity and a mild

scolding of recalcitrant sinners: "Am I my brother's keeper?"

(a modern connotation is even more pungent—Genesis iv 9);

and "It is better to marry than to burn-" (To Elizabethans

this statem.ent v/ould be an especially funny pun—Cor. I vii 9)

Diomedes defined the word "satire", or satura lanx, as

a "bowl of mixed fruits or a full platter of various fruit

offerings to Ceres and Bacchus." A literary potpourri,

classical satire mixed the serious with the comic, with each

practicioner having his own particular style of presentation.

Homer himself used an occasional jab in The Odyssey and

Margites, while Horace, Persius and Juvenal produced a

distinctive type of literature which still bears their cred­

its. Martial greatly influenced the evolution of verse drama

with his epigrams, v;hich still have a pungently modern

flavor.

The ancients divided Classical Satire into tv;o separate

classes: one, a subjective poem, comparatively short, writ­

ten in a dignified and uniform meter utilizing direct ad­

dress, narrative, or dialogue, depending on the fancy or

choice of the author; and two, the indirect or dramatic,

as exemplified by the burlesque, by far the most prevailing

and employed technique. Tucker states that ancient burles­

que can'be either pictorial or literary: "the pictorial,

called caricature, consists of the selection of character­

istic features of an original and the exaggeration of those

features with ludicrous effect, . . .(v/hile) the grotesque in

literature is the further exaggeration of the burle:i;quc. "- 0

The end product is the same.

The great Greek satirist Lucian (c. I65 A. D.) used

a subdivision of burlesque named travesty very effectively.

Others chose parody as a v/eapon of humor. The Greeks gain

credit for being the first to employ a direct burlesque,

especially the mock-heroic. V/ars were favorite subjects;

expeditions, either successful or not, were others. A

pseudo-Homeric-mock-Epic, the Batrachomyomachia (150 B. C ) ,

presents mice and frogs engaged, in heroic combat. The gods

came in for their share of the play-making, especially in

the v/orks of Aristophanes, the Neil Simon of the Golden Age,

who managed to include both travesty and parody in The

Frogs (405 B. C ) , a drama so successful that it was re­

quested a second time at the Lenaean festival. The literary

contest between Aeschylus and Euripides allowed the play­

wright to lampoon the v/orks of the author-characters:

Dionysus: I mean a man Who'll dare some novel venturesome conceit. Air, Zeus's chamber, or Time's foot, or this, "Twas not my mind that sv/ore; my tongue committed A little perjury on its ovm account."

(The Frogs, 132-136)

Aristophanes allov/s himself a punning allusion to the

holy ceremonies of initiation in the calling forth of lacchus

(this calling forth is done in a serious, mock-heroic style)

as Xanthias calls, "Holy and sacred queen, Demeter's

daughter,/ 0, what a jolly v/hiff of pork breathed o'er me!"

(the sacrifice of pigs was an im.portant part of the initia­

tion service). This play includes most of the fundamental

characteristics of burlesque drama to be examined further in

this treatment, and is the first great burlesque drama of

any language.•'•

Aristophanes caricatured high schemes and ambitions,

neither discouraging nor encouraging them as would true

satire, in The Birds; he laid bare the Sophistical system

of education in The Clouds; he made the word demagogue

achieve its just due in The Wasps. As the originator of

the so-called Greek "Nev; Comedy," begun in his latter years,

the playt-Tright began an era of comic genius v/hich was to

last through the great Latin v/riters, especially Plautus.

Though most of Aristophanes' burlesque concerned topical

matters, full of jibes at contemporary Athenian politics

and politicos, education and educators, writings and ^riters,

the style he began--poking fun at classes, not personal­

ities—was to flov/er some two thousand years later in

English Restoration drama.

In briefly mentioning the contributions of the ancient

dramatists to the form of literature knov/n as burlesque.

10 f

one Latin, Titus Maccius Plautus, achieved the greatness

expected of the New Comedy of Aristophanes and Menander. He

employed the dramatis personae of his predecessors in parti-

cular: the father of the household (either irascible or

stupid), his formidable v/ife, idler of a son, schem.ing

servants, lovers v/ith problems, happy rascals, military

braggarts, foppish rivals, et . aj . G. K. Chesterton, in his

essay "On the Comic Spirit," states: "It is obvious on the

surface that all fun depends on some sort of solemnity."

This basis found a resting place in the dramas of Plautus.

Free from restraint, often gross, shaking v/ith large laughter,

the works of Plautus are not original (he was probably the

first "adapter" and would have rivalled David Merrick today

as an entrepreneur). Although, and this is the important

contribution of this dramatist, his plays have many flav/s--

elementary blunders in the learned skill of pla /v/righting--

he did not care. The play was not the thing; the laughs

v/ere. This may explain v/hy "A Funny Thing Happened on the

Way to the Forum" and "The Boys from Syracuse" are seen to­

day, while other, more erudite authors are aften read but

seldom seen (FO^ example, "Amphitryon 3^", an adaptation by

Giradoux, was produced by the Department of Drama at Te::a5

Technological College as recently as July, 196£.). Kis

11

Pseudolus set the style for the burlesque character of the

sly servant and his inept m.aster:

Calidorus: (almost in tears) But I'm heartbroken!

Pseudolus: Harden your heart.

Calidorus: (piteously) No, im.possible.

Pseudolus: Do the impossible. Start.

Calidorus: (dumbly) I'm to start the impossible? How?

Pseudolus:

Calidorus:

(as before) Fight your heart. . Turn your m.ind to v/hat' s good. Heart' s in tears? Close your ears!

(sadly and thoughtfully) Oh, that's nonsense. A lover must act like

a fool. Otherv/ise it's no fun.

Pseudolus : (throv/ing up his hands in disgust) Since you won't stop this drool—

Calidorus: (piteously) My dear Pseudolus, please! Let me stay just a fool!

' 13 (Pseudolus Act I)

Burlesque v/as only to peep rather than trumpet during

the Dark and Middle Ages, with focus on survival of the

fittest. Food, shelter, clothing, and v/ar occupied the

writers of this lengthy span; and a requirement noted earlier,

a free society, v/as missing and thus stifled any notion of

ridicule. It was too dangerous. People afraid to laugh v/ill

12

avoid the opportunity, and so it v/as v/ith these ancestors

oppressed by kings and church. Only in England, and with

little fanfare, does an av/akening interest in laughing, an

embryonic kick to be sure, begin to infiltrate the litera-

ture, an osmosis for v/hich the v/orld ov/es an eternal debt.

God bless the English!

English Contributions

In order to perpetuate the burlesque as a genuine

genre, one must lean precipitously backward to find a trace

in early English literature. In a brief survey only the

stars of magnitude deserve specific mention, and before the

Sixteenth Century the stars are somev/hat dim in their

burlesque galaxy.

Of the four areas available as targets for burlesque--

religion, politics, morals, and society—religion received

more than its fair share during the novitiate period, for

the obvious reason that churchmen v/ere the only literate

v^riters. Some satire but no burlesque occurs until Nigellus

V/ireker's Speculiun Stultorum (1190), a jackassian allegory

aimed at the Benedictine Order to v/hich Wireker belonged.

This story tells of Burnellus the Ass, who, in a series of

many misfortunes of a humorous nature, seeks a v/ay to

13

elongate his tail. The entire journey of Burnellus cul­

minates in the founding of the Order of the Ass, an effec­

tive ridicule of all the weaknesses harbored secretly in the

various Orders of the church. Because the author knev / of

what he pithily spoke, the Speculum Stultorum is especially

humorous. The humor doubtless v/as not dampened too much by

the author's close friendship with V/illiam de Longchamps,

Bishop of Ely, a good choice of a second in a duel with the

church institutions.

Golias, real or legendary, is the next important name

to appear in the list of contributing sponsors to the field

of burlesque. Clericus ribaldus, synonymous vath Goliards,

poked raucous fun at both the church and women, particularly

at the abuses to man by both. Goliardic verse is the first

ridiculing verse in the literature, and is medieval with no

trace of the Latin heritage. In his approach to womiOn, the

Goliardic poet looked upon them as the temptress, the poten­

tial siren; however, this attitude might have been sour

grapes among the vineyards of celibate (officially) monks.

R characterizing lack of humor accounts for most of the

Anglo-Saxon poetry or Latin v/riting of this period, for

there seemed again no reason to laugh, perhaps accounting

for the English propensity for often missing the point of

a joke to this day.

14

Hot after the fox of the Speculum came a real burlesque,

written by an anonymous monk, which included two hundred and

fifty lines of imitation, called "The Order of Fair Ease,"

the first really hum.orous piece of writing since Wireker's

effort. Similar in tone and of the same period is The Land

of Cokaygne, or the literal translation. The Land of Idle­

ness. In one hundred and ninety lines this obscene but

amusing piece parodies heaven, an imaginary place where the

monks and nuns have ideal conditions to happily pursue all

of the privileges denied in their vows. The church receives

its proper due in the roasting of this small verse.

During the reign of King John (1202) the beginnings of

political satire raise their timid cries, but find no

listeners until the reign of Edv/ard III, the Unv/ise and

Unruly. Of the period Tucker states: "The Soldiers and the

free population of the tov/ns gained expression for their

sentiment. But the great multitudes still were silent; and

it was very long before the lov/est class either contributed

anything to this vast body of satirical verse or was

affected by it."-^^ And v/ho could blame them?

Next to crop up among the soothseekers is the author of

Piers Plov/man. Although the great burgher class rose during

the later part of the reign of Edv/ard I and continued through

15

the time of Edward II, when the guilds caused a lack of

individuality and formed individuals into classes and when

the English language became the language of a homogeneous

nation as opposed to the Latin, Anglo-Saxon, and English

separations used previously, a hearty chuckle at the follies

of men was still in the infant state. To call Piers Plovmian

a burlesque is perhaps a terrible sin against William

Langland, the winner of the speculation prize as to its

author. Aside from Chaucer, hov/ever, this offering may be

the onl}'- work of value to come from the Fourteenth Century,

although it is technically a burlesque only in the charac­

terizations used, such as Gluttony and Avarice.. Believably

it is really only a condem.nation of the classes, but this

work leads into the only other figure of the period who

possessed a sense of humor fine enough to make him deny

the very essence of English life, Geoffrey Chaucer, who

practiced, as Nigellus Wireker stated, the theory of satire

by which "the more diseases may be cured by unguents than

by caustic. "-*-

Geoffrey Chaucer better exemplifies the spirit of

burlesque than does any of his predecessors and m.ost of his

immediate followers. Tucker makes a distinction concerning

16

Chaucer's art: "He (Chaucer) laughs but does not despise."^^

The direct or descriptive method of unveiling emerges in

the Prologue and introductory prologues; the indirect or

dramatic technique of burlesque occurs in The Tales them­

selves. But, and this reveals Chaucer's superiority, the

characters reveal their idiosyncracies themselves in most

instances, as Chaucer prefers the fools to be self-made.

Only in The Tales and The House of Fame does Chaucer allov/

himself the pleasure of real humor; but, in the church

figures of Tales, with the exception of the Plowman, is

found some of the most pungent baiting in the language:

"His tipel v/as ay farsed ful of knyves And pinnes, for toy yeven faire v/yves." (Friar)

"He 'v/as, if I shall yeven him his laude, A thief, and eek a Somnour, and a baude."

("Pardoner's Tale")

Chaucer's Monk, Sunmioner, Friar, and Pardoner stand as

naked, little men before the scalpel of v,dt. Of the four

great pictures of the Pardoner in burlesque. The Tales,

Cock Lorell, The Four Pj_s_, and Th£ Satire of tlie Three

Estates, Chaucer's stands as the most revealing, as the

fav/ning hypocrisy and pretentions of "pigges bones" make

the Pardoner a harlot of his church. Chaucer's ov/n tale of

17

Sir Thopas, a parody of medieval romances of knight errantry,

used incongruity as a weapon ("Sir Thopas was a doghty

swayn./V/hit was his face as payndemayn." L 13-14); and "The

Nun's Preestes' Tale", one of the brightest of the tales,

tells of Chauntecleer and Pertelote, who are geniune

caricatures, not the stock characters of the animal fables.

Chaucer remains medieval in background in his choice of

topics for ridicule: the church and women. The distinc­

tion made between Chaucer and previous v/riters remains in

his spirit, that ephemeral spirit which changes a satire to

burlesque. The only new character he introduced v/as the

Doctor, but the new spirit v/as a part of the grov/ing

dissatisfaction with the status quo of the•Fourteenth

Century revolt.

The crudities of John Lydgate and an anonymous "London

Lickpenny" carry the ram of the ridiculous through the

barren Fifteenth Century, livened only by a series of

Beast Fables such as "The Taill of the Dog, the Scheip,

and the Wolf," funny only if the title is to be taken as a

pun. These fables were obvious ridicule, and as dis­

cussed before, no user of burla must advertise his inten­

tions; put in the open, they lose their aroma. VJilliam

Dunbar, again a sharpshooter against the church t^.vA the

IB

fairer sex, along with Alexander Barclay and his The Ship of

Fools (itself copied from Sebastian Brandt's Narrenschief),

gains some sort of recognition in the hierarchy of burlesque

masters; but, the highlight of the century occurs in the

verses of John Skelton, rude, crude, and uncouth verses but

still readable. Skelton's The Boke of Colyn Clout, a jibe

at the ecclesiastics, and "V/hy Come Ye not to Court", a

Cardinal V/olsey personality vendetta, mark him as the pro­

fessional, the man v/ho rakes the coals with the ails of

society itself. Skelton says of the clergy in Colyn Clout:

Yet take they cures of soules, And v/oteth neuer what they rede. Pater noster nor Crede; Construe not worth a v/hystle Nether Gospel nor Pystle; Theyre Mattins madly sayde. Nothing deuoutly prayde; Their learning is so small. Their prymes and houres fal And lepe out of their lyppes Like sav/dust or drye chippes.-'-'

If the rev/ards had not been so great* in prestige and social

influence, a man should have been afraid to enter the cleri­

cal service for fear of the "seekers in the night"!

With the turn of the century comes an addition of tv/o

topics to relieve the oppression of the holy-seemers, those

topoi of politics and social v/elfare. Supposing that

19

Aristotle's statement that man is the only animal v/ho laughs

is true, he must first learn to appreciate what is laughable.

Until the divine right of kings is questioned, until the

abandonment of the liege-serf relationship, until the theater

is freed from censorship, a taste for laughter could not be

acquired.

V/ith Cock Lorelle's Bote enters a new type of humor,

a ridicule of the lower strata of society. A sibling of

The Ship of Fools, Cock Lorell's bote transports only

rogues of all classes, and excludes "the clergy with the

words.

"—ermytes, m.onkes and freres, Chanons, chartores, and inholders; And m.any v/hyte nonnes v/ith whyte vayles,"

who are turned av/ay until another voyage at another time,

a sort of segregation in reverse.

The early part of the Sixteenth Century occupies itself

with the Reformation v/ith little humor inserted into the

diatribes and invective hurled at the causes of the revolt.

Nestled among the spears, in 1540, hov/ever, is found the

first really burlesquing play v/ritten especially for amuse­

ment. Sir David Lyndsay's Satire of th£ Three Estates,

written with a m.oral viev/ tov/ard the church, classes of

k^k^k.

20

society, and the politics of the land. This play crosses the

bridge from the past to the future, from the old broad­

sword to the new stiletto, from the churchman to man of

affairs. The subject matter of this play is the ails of the

people, a rich lode for mockery. The three estates--Com-

monalty. Nobility, and Clergy--are a part of the Renais­

sance, not medieval England, and as such bring into

literature a new outlook on the art of entertainment.

A return to the classical techniques of mockery comes

v/ith the publications of Sir Thomas V/yatt, the progenitor

of such masters of the burlesque as Dryden and Pope. V/yatt

knev/ courtly foibles from first-hand knov/ledge and did not

hesitate to impale the court members in his three books of

satires. V/ith the advent of V/yatt, burlesque v/riting begins

to acquire the polish and style v/ith v/hich it is to become

knov/n.

Carrying the tradition to the popular drama of the day

came George Peele and his The 03-d V/ives Tale (1592), a play

which introduced a lightness and some of the saving grace of

humour to the public. V/ith Peele's beginning, playv/rights

made clear to the public that they felt free to try any

innovations subject to box office approval. In the last

decade of the Sixteenth Century burlesque pi^oliferates.

k. k

21

The most skillful of these nev/ entertainers v/as Thomas

Heywood, the author of the first really good burlesque drama.

The Four P's, a direct ancestor of The Knight of the Burning

Pestle, to be discussed later in this paper. Perhaps best

knov/n for the epigram concerning the kiss ("These that

stonge Eve shall not stynge me"), this irreverent interlude

tells of a lying contest among a "Potycary", a Pardoner, a

Palmer, and a Pedlar. The tall-tale club begins its meeting

vrith the Pothecary's cure for a woman's internal congestion

and the cyclonic force with which it is relieved; the

Pardoner adds his tale of the v/om-an Satan was only too glad

to release;''' and the Palmer v/ins the contest v/ith his short

statement advertising the fact that he had never kno;vn a

woman out of patience. The Pedlar, loathe to judge, cannot

refute the high sense of the incongruous displayed by the

Palmer and makes the decision. Still humorous today,

Heyv/ood's sacrileges ("great toe of the Trinity"!) took on

a distinctly Protestant tone and became very popular.

Prose v/riters follow the trend: Robert Greene, Thomas

Nash, Sir Thomas Overbury. In the theater, V/illiam Shakes­

peare, Thomas Middleton, Thomas Kyd, Ben Jonson, Thomas

"O. Henry's "Ransom of Red Chief"?

22

Dekker,—all names too well-knov/n to credit v/ith individual

v/orks—continue to refine the beginnings made by Peele and

Heyv/ood. They lead the way for tv/o playwrights v/ho try a

new kind of burlesque, embodying the techniques begun v/ith

Wireker and continuing, v/ith the pattern set by The_ Knight

of the Burning Pestle, to the Restoration he3 day.

Basic Characteristies

If the genre of burlesque cannot be precisely defined,

how then does the burlesque itself become recognizable? The

form may be prose, poetry, or drama, v/ith any of the diverse

types available; the tone may be any intensity from light

raillery to heavy invective; and, the subject matter covers

man himself and all the acti-ons and people v/ho make up his

world. To find a common denominator for such myriad forms

on myriad topics of myriad values, the definition settled

upon at the beginning of this paper may be recalled: ridi­

cule for entertainment. In attaining this entertainment

certain devices have been employed by the various authors

mentioned earlier, and these devices, or burlesque trade­

marks, have become beacons to clue the unsuspecting patron

that he is being taken—joked to, about, and with by Thalia,

Muse of Comedy, v/ith just a touch of the Furies throv/n on

the fire for warmth.

k. L k.

23

Any sort of labeling is dangerous, for, as E. B. V/hite

wisely states, "Humor can be dissected, as a frog can, but

the thing dies in the process and the innards are dis­

couraging to any but the pure scientific mind."!^ Bond

lists the paraphernalia of heroic vrriting (which would apply

through imitation to mock-heroic) as "invocation, proposition,

dedication, battle, games, harangue, celestial intervention,

lamentation, description of heroes, extended comparisons,

and division into cantos."^9 Such divisions are general

and still ambiguous as to burlesque, an already ambiguous

field.

Certain basic trademarks have already been listed:

parody, travesty, and mock-heroic. These broad fields

may be broken into smaller divisions in order to classify

the traditional weapons of the man v/ith the impish pen.

Keeping in mind that burlesque has a purpose, Clinton-

Baddeley concludes that "farce raises a laugh from a

broken head, . . .(while) burlesque 'requires liberty to

criticize: the head must be worth breaking."^^ The

following list of burlesque techniques has been compiled

from various sources and personal experience:

Characters:

tell-tale names

24

miles gloriosus miserly parent foppish rival bombastic hero comic tradesman distraught heroine thinking actor nit-v/itted pomposity stereotypes of any sort

References:

allusions to drama, art, m.usic, mythology, politics

puns witticisms precise parodies

Staging:

thunder and lightning music and song dance placards asides pile of bodies exaggerated death confidential opening machines stage effects and the failure of these effects sentimental song audience involvement costumes over and under-sized properties stage managerial direction stage business

Language:

contrast imperfect logic

25

cultured obtuseness a defense of the non-sequitur mixed metaphors repetition imitation broken conversation split-word jokes bad rhymed couplets inverted joke academic jargon blank verse heroic couplets plagiarism similes pastoral language oaths exaggeration of any sort

Situations

scapegoat ritual uninteresting hero and heroine indecent indulgence and interest in food

and drink tv/o man army ghost whispering scenes pantomime prison scene a mad speech rudeness dying speech recognition scenes revelation of secrets happy ending including feast or marriage coffin scene loss of dignity or sudden fall enlargement of the lov/ly ill-rehearsed battle foolish opera love triangle tell-tale birthmark melodrama murders

26

duels suicides patriotic jokes processions discovery scene battles of any sort

Though this list is by no means exhaustive, hov/ever

exhausting, these needles, when sunk into the pin cushion of

society, bring forth a drop of blood with the tingles of

laughter they project. This list also brings to the front

the purpose of this paper: if this catalogue of character­

istics can be applied to any one drama with remarkable

success, then that drama is The Knight of the Burning Pestle,

a shov/case of burlesque technique, to be discussed at length

in Chapter Two.

CHAPTER II

THE KNIGHT OF THE BURNING PESTLE

The Play's Background

If the twenty-sixth pageant of Coventry plays, in which

Satan calls himself a gallant v/ho uses contemporary man­

nerisms and dresses in the current mode, is the first

specimen of dramatic "satire," hov/ can The Knight of the

Burning Pestle belong to the sam.e family? The same v/ay that

man and ape are akin--evolution.

This play, which arouses such hot arguments as to the

authorship but only acknov/ledgement that it is a dramatic

v/ork, reaches the zenith in the grov/th of the burlesque

technique sometime between July 10, 1607, and March, 1608,

v/hen the first production hit the boards at Blackfriars,

performed by the Queen's Revels' Children, an active com­

pany of child actors. Not a success, the play v;as rejected,

according to V/alter Burre, the publisher of the first quarto

of 1613, v/ho claimed the audience "v/ho, for v/ant of judgment,

or not understanding the privy mark of ironie about it

(v/hich showed it was no offspring of any vulgar brain)

utterly rejected it."' -'-

27

2B

The consensus of opinion divides the authorship between

Beaumont the polisher and Fletcher the rough gem of wit. If,

as is stated by Burre, the play was v/ritten in eight-days,

a remarkable background of English material, phrases, ideas

and methods are compiled. Both men were aristocrats v/riting

for the new private theatres whose prices, like those of

Broadway today, eliminated their use by the common citizen.

The Knight follov/s a certain pattern: induction, five

'acts, four interludes, epilogue. Each act begins v/ith a

part of the Jasper-Luce-merchant plot and ends v/ith a song

from "the old stringer,'^ Merrythought. Unlike Shakespeare's

works, this burlesque requires little footnoting and is far

ahead of its tim.e in the use of modern language. In every

conceivable way this play treats irreverently the founda­

tions of society, such as Motherhood, Home, Country, and

Church. Perhaps a play such as The Knight would have served

as an antidote to the Lear, Hamlet, and Othello of Shakes­

peare; but the audience for v/hich it was intended did not

understand the lampoon (their tastes being too similar to

those being lampooned), or thought the love plot idiotic

(v/hich it is v/ith a serious approach), or believed Ralph's

interruptions tedious (v/hich they are out of context of the

burlesoue). V/hatever their reasons, the theater-goers

29

rejected this hilarious effort; ironically, it is the only

effort by the playwrights given public shov/ings today.

The play draws strongly from Heyv/ood's The Four P's,

(1599); Dekker's The Shoemaker's Holiday. (1600); Thersites,

(1537); Ben Jonson's Sir Puntarvolo, the country knight

(Everx Man Out of His, Humor-1599); the bombast and exciting

events of Kyd's Spanish Tragedy, (15^5); the Spanish Amadis

21. Greece, Prince and Knight of the Burning Sword; Robert

Anton's Heroical Adventures oj; the Knight of the Sea, the

cow turned knight-errant (1600); and Chapman's Eastward Hoe,

with Sir Petronel Flash (1605). Other courtly references,

such as Falstaff's "Knight of the Burning Lamp", are common

and are the subjects for another such paper; yet, one

reference must be cleared. The Knight and Don Quixote,

contrary to some later criticism, are but distant cousins.

Burre states that The Knight is "his (Quixote) elder above

a year";^^ and no one who knovvs the two knights and the two

accomplices can see any comparison betv/een the bittersv/eet

Man of La Mancha and the egotistical Ralph, or betv/een the

reticent Tim and the dv/arf Sancho. This play is a burlesque

v/ith a style of its ov/n, for no one had v/ritten a play just

like it before.

30

John Dryden said of the playwrights: "English humor

arrived to its highest perfection in the works of Beaumont

and Fletcher"^ (Dryden also thought Shakespeare obsolete,

however!). In I665, Richard Flecknoe perceived that

"Beaumont and Fletcher first writ in the Heroick way. . . . "

(Love's Kingdom, V/ith a_ Short Treatise on the English

Stage). James Russell Lov/ell called Beaumont and Fletcher

the "double Stars of our Poetical firmament" (v/hich, I

believe, they would have found quite amusing); and Tucker

Brooke concludes that "if The Knight is not the greatest

dramatic burlesque in English, it is certainly the most

genuinely mirth-provoking and the most genial." The proof

of the vine is in the drinking, and a close examination of

the burlesque techniques listed at the end of Chapter One

reveals that Beaumont and Fletcher v/ere indeed double stars

who have not to present-day criticism received their recog­

nition for The Knight--not a fluke, but a v/ell-made v/ine.

The Characters

Names

The first clue to any comedy, and particularly burles­

que, is the use of epithet names. Begun long ago v/ith the

k. k.

31

ancients, especially Plautus, this name-calling often sets

the characterization for the audience before the entrance or

speech of the character. This device was used quite suc­

cessfully in the morality plays v/ith the same purpose; only

the spirit is different in burlesque.

The title of the play. The Knight of the Burning Pestle,

has as ancestors many "knights of" whatever the plots found

in the Renaissance Iberian romances, especially Amadis of

Greece and the Knight of the Burning Sword, one of the

literary v/orks parodied in this play. The use of Ralph in

the knight errant's role parodies the v/hole tradition of

chivalric romance. Another interpretation of the ambiguous

title playfully might be a pun on the v/ords "burning"

(having syphyllis) and "pestle" (a v/ord with certain phallic

overtones). A two-for-the-price-of-one bargain, then, the

title congenially, depending upon one's higher or lov/er

thoughts, may render the first inkling of the fun to follow.

Ralph, or Rafe, as he is called in some texts, is the

grocer's apprentice; and appropriately his name comes from

the word "rafe" or "raff", meaning the lowest class of

people, a v/orthless, low fellov/. The term "Ralph-spooner"

means fool, also.^^ There are many Ralphs v;ho precede

Beaumont and Fletcher's: notably, Ralph Roister Doister;

k k.

32

Ralph, the Journeyman husband who is off to war in The Shoe­

maker's Holiday; and Rafe in Marlowe's Dr. Faustus, to name

a fev/. One interesting note is that nowhere in Shakespeare's

multitude of names is found the appellation "Ralph," a

matter for end-stopped conjecture. Other similarities

between Ralph (The Knight) and his antecedents can be found

among the other burlesque techniques to follow.

A designation of "George" goes to three different

characters in this drama, the reason for which may be a

burlesque of unknov/n origin; however, George the Citizen,

George the Apprentice, and George Greengoose the Poulterer

all lay claim to the name. The Latin georgicus translates

as "husbandry"; and knowledgeable as they were in Latin,

Beaumont and Fletcher v/ould have thought George the Citizen

a picture of hen-pecked husbandry! A geprgic v/as also a

type of poem on husbandry first introduced by Virgil.

Nell the V/ife, as far as can be determined, had no

particular pun or allusion as to her name. Nell could be

associated v/ith "kneel," meaning "to give obeisance to,"

and this certainly v/ould have been an incongruity in this

play.

The name Venturev/ell , the merchant, has a mul t i tude of

punning con jec tu re s . A s t ra ightforv/ard i n t e r p r c t - ' t i o n v/ould

33

simply refer to his business background, but more fun is had

when the word "venture" is taken to mean "merchandise risked

in speculation" (his daughter Luce?). The word 'Vent" also

means "to puff out," "snuff up air," "to sell," "a hole for

wind," and "a chance or luck." The Latin also gives the

word another meaning, "to smell." Only mindreading could

choose the intended pun, but all definitions pointedly

relate to the character as he is portrayed in the drama.

Jasper, the hero, has a name which signifies a precious

(or semi-precious, and there's the rub!) stone v/hich is

marbled or speckled v/ith bands of a. contrasting color. John

Heyv/ood's son named Jasper translated plays by Seneca into

English, and in the records of the age is found evidence

that all of the playwrights generally knev/ each other.

Perhaps Jasper Heyv/ood v/as the model for the Jasper in The

Knight, but this statement is only speculation.

Sir Humphrey, a regal name to be sure, may also be the

butt of a punning joke. "To dine v/ith Duke Humphrey" v/as

an expression meaning to have no dinner at all. There v/ere

public walks in Old St. Paul's called Duke Humphrey's V/alk,

v/hich v/as used to procure invitations to a tavern. The

word "hump" had a risque meaning, also, brought to recent

use in Edward Albee's play, "V/ho's Afraid of -Virgin:'a

V/olfe," with the game of "hump the hostess."

^

34

The Merrythought family name may also have a high and

low interpretation, depending upon the reader's inclination.

"Merry-thought" implies no seriousness and a lack of respon­

sibility, or tipsy in thought. In the vernacular of the

time, a "merry-bout" was a bedding and a "merry-turned" was

27 an illegimate child. Either interpretation links v ith

Master Merrythought, and especially the latter wdth Mistress

Merrythought.

The heroine Luce presents two selections for punning:

one, loose, "free for disposal" or "free from moral re­

straint"; and tv/o, "a fish," or an object to be caught by

man. Lucent, or "shining brightly," could vaguely apply,

but only with a stretch of the imagination. Luce, or Lucy,

its derivative, seems to haye been a fairly common name.

riichael Merrythought, his mother's favorite, would

take casting note from his name, if the authors so intended;

Michael means "of great size," or "too large." In casting

the play this meaning makes the burlesque only funnier.

Tim the Apprentice may take his name from "timdd" or

"timorous," as he is in the drama; or he may take the title

from "timber," or "v/ood," meaning v/coden~headed. The

inclination here is to disregard these possibilities and

merely give him a handle to which he can attach hr'nself to

Ralph.

35 The Lady Pompiona, in addition to the mockery of the

Polish court in her lines, is insulted with the name "pom-

pi on," meaning pumpkin. "Pomp," meaning "ostentation,"

might have a bearing on her characterization. Her interest

in food, however, would seem to point to the first meaning.

William Hammerton and George Greengoose, the soldiers >

who answer Ralph's muster in Act V, have simple puns refer­

ring to their occupations. Hammerton the Pev/terer and

Greengoose the Poulterer (what a foul picture that conjures)

lend themselves as examples of the rhetorical periphrasis.

The three remaining characters carry on the tradition

of name-calling with valor. Nick the Barber, or Barbaroso,

seems self-explanatory. Barbaroso could also refer to the

Rabalaisian red-head Barbarrosa, or to the word "barbarian,"

meaning a ''man of rude, uncivilized state." Again, all

translations fit. Sir Pockhole the Knight has the unfor­

tunate distinction of being called a syphillitic, as pox

was synonymous with the disease. Chamberlin, Tapstero,

and Ostlero (considered as one group) adopt the names of

their occupations m.uch as Hamjnerton and Greengoose.

Generic Characters

The miles gloriosus tradition of Latin comedy is realized

36

in the performance of Ralph. In Act I Ralph gloriously

states:

But what brave spirit would be content to sit in his,shop,

vath a flappet of wood and a blue apron before him, selling

mithridatum and dragon's v/ater to visited houses, that

might pursue feats of arms, and through his noble achievements

procure such a famous history to be written of his heroic prowess?^^

(1.249-54)

Ralph says "V/hy should not I then pursue this course, both

for the credit of myself and our company?" (1.2^6-57). Are

these the v/ords of the boastful soldier confident v/ith his

superior pov/ers? The ansv/er must be yes. A tradition is

carried forv/ard as Ralph tells Mistress Merrythought,

Young hope of valor, v/eep not. I am here That v/ill confound thy foe and pay it dear Upon his cov/ard head, that dares deny Distressed squires and ladies equity.

(11.1^9-92)

The miserly parent takes a female form as Mistress

Merrythought denies her son Jasper his first-born rights

v/ith her entrance speech:

37

Give thee my blessing? No, I'll ne'er give thee my blessing.

I'll see thee hang'd first. It shal ne'er be said I gave thee

my blessing. Th'art thy father's ovm son, of the right blood

of the Merrythoughts. I may curse the time that e'er I

knew thy father. He hath spent all of his ov/n, and mine too,

and when I tell him of it, he laughs and dances, and sings,

and cries, "A merry heart lives long-a." And thou art a

wastethrift, and art run away from thy master, that lov'd thee well, and art come to me; and I have laid

up a little for my younger son, Michael, and thou think'st

to bezzle that; but thou shalt never be able to do it.

(I.30B-319)

This withholding of the parental blessing, much against the

Great Chain of Being concept, initiates one of the conflicts

of the play; the battle between Jasper and Michael for the

parental approval. Mj.stress Merrythought also tells her

husband much the same that she has told Jasper, as she says.

You shall not think, when all your ov/n is gone, to spend

that I have been scraping up for Michael. (I./4.23--24)

The lady is at least consistent.

The foppish rival appears in the person of Sir Humphrey,

suitor to Luce Venturev/ell. Having been told by his potential

38

father-in-law that the marriage vd.ll take place in three

days, Humphrey's thoughts run to appearance in a truly

revelatory statement:

-- •'Three days, let me see, Tis somewhat of the most; yet I agree. Because I mean against the appointed day To visit all my friends in new array.

(IV.152-55)

Humphrey is not noted for his courage, as the developing

plot shows. Venturewell gives him a beating at the insti­

gation of Jasper's "ghost," to which Humphrey replies:

\"/hat shall I do? I have been beaten tv/ice. And Mistress Luce is gone. Help me, device: Since my true love is gone, I nevermore, V/hilst I do live, upon the sky v/ill pore. But in the dark will v/ear out my shoe-soles In passion in Saint Faith's Church under Paul's.

(V.45~50)

The rival is gulled by Luce and Jasper; and with his

cov/ardice and interest in appearances, the audience is

satisfied v/ith the gulling.

In only one speech is found a trace of bombast and

perhaps a part of this can be added by a director. Ralph

is readying his troops for the final battle in Act V and

serves as an exhortive cheerleader v/ho admonishes his great

39

army of two in the style of the great'evangelists to glorious

victory:

. . . .Gentlemen, countrymen, friends, and my fellov/ soldiers, I have brought you this day from the shops Of's'ecurity and the counters of content, to • measure out in these furious fields honor by the ell, and prov/ess by the pound. Let it not, 0, let it not, I say be told hereafter the noble issue of this city fainted, but bear yourselves in this fair action like men, valiant men and freemen. Fear not in the face of the enemy, nor the noise of the guns, for believe me, brethren, the rude rumbling of a brewer's cart is far more terrible, of v/hich you have a daily experience; neither let the stink of pov/der offend you, since a more valiant stink is nightly with you. To a resolved mind, his home is everyv/here. I speak not this to take away the hope of your return; for you shall see, I do not doubt it, and that very shortly, your loving v/ives again, and your sv/eet children, v/hose care doth bear you company in baskets. Remember, then, whose cause you have in hand, and like a sort of true-born scavengers, scour me this famous realm of enemies. I have no more to say but this: stand to your tacklings, lads, and shov/ to the v/orld you can as well brandish a sv/ord as shake an apron. Saint George, and on, my hearts!

(V.135-155)

A parody of all generals' pep talks before battle, this

speech, v/ith its implied and spoken insults couched in

shuddering rhetoric, is one of the most humorous in the

play, v/ith its overtones of Shakespearean parody (Julius

Caesar seems reflected in several lines) and the metaphor

of the druggist-soldier. V/hen lifted to a rising crescendo,

this oration can bring the house dov/n with Daughter. Ralph

40

borders on the bombastic in other smaller speeches, but

the above-mentioned elocution reaches classic grandiosity.

The distraught heroine takes her place in this show­

case in Act IV upon the discovery of the supposedly dead

body of her lover. Again parodying Shakespeare (Romeo and

Juliet), Luce begins her soliloquy:

Hold yet a little, life, and then I give thee To thy first heavenly being. 0, my friend. Hast thou deceiv'd me thus, and got before me? I shall not long be after, but, believe me. Thou wert too cruel, Jasper, 'gainst thyself In punishing the fault I could have pardoned V/ith so untimely death. Thou didst not wrong me But ever wert most kind, miost true, most loving; And I the most unkind, most false, most cruel.

First will I sing thy dirge, Then kiss thy pale lips, and then die myself. And fill one coffin and one grave together.

(IV.246-263)

Luce's rhetoric is skillful, and with a burlesque tone of

voice this speech can be full of phony pathos. The char­

acterization of Luce, hov/ever, does not allow her to remain

distraught for very long.

Nit-witted pomposity occurs in the characters of Ralph

and to some extent Sir Venturewell. Ralph's May Day speech

at the end of Act IV conjures a spark of eloquent verbiage

but says absolutely nothing:

41

London, to thee I do present the merry month of May. Let each true subject be content to hear me what I say: For from the top of conduit head, as plainly may appear, I v/ill both tell my name to you and v/herefore I came

here. My name is Rafe, by due descent thou not ignoble I, Yet far.inferior to the flock of gracious grocery. And by the common counsel of my fellows in the

Strand, V/ith guilded staff and crossed scarf, the May Lord

here I stand. Rejoice, 0 English hearts, rejoice; rejoice, 0

lovers dear; Rejoice, 0 city, tov/n, and country; rejoice, eke

every shire. (IV.393-402)

In his language addressed to Mistress Merrythought ana to

Lady Pompiona, he is a caricature of the pompous knight who

spouts splendid poetry in passing the time of day. Venture­

v/ell has his moments of pomposity, but is not really so much

nit-v/itted as material-minded. He is fooled by Jasper in

the ghost scene, but his actions in that escapade lose

their deliberation. The merchant tells Jasper in his

first speech of the play the status of their business re­

lationship:

Sirrah, I'll make you knov/ you are my prentice, and v/hom my charitable love redeem'd Even from the fall of fortune; gave thee heat Rud grov/'oh, to be v/hat nov/ thou art; nev/ cast thee; Adding the trust of all I have at home. In foreign staples, or upon the sea. To thy direction; tied the good opinions Both of myself and friends to thy endeavors:

42

So fair v/ere thy beginnings. But with these. As I remember, you had never charge To love your master's daughter, and even then V/hen I had found a v/ealthy husband for her. I take it, sir, you had not; but, however, I'll break the neck of that commission And make you know you are but a merchant's factor.

(1.1-15)

This speech tells a young man to leave his master's daughter

alone in an overly solemn and dignified way, a parody of

the romantic tales which serve as the master-plate for this

drama.

The thinking actor enters the stage v/ith Jasper and

his pretty speech to Luce while she sleeps in V/altham

Forest:

Though certainly I am certain of her love, I'll try her, that the world and memory May sing to aftertimes her constancy.

(III.71-73)

This device of thinking in full viev/ of the audience makes

up the general function of the Citizen and his wife, v/ho

plot their ov/n play during "The London Merchant''; but this

use deserves a more detailed explanation in a follov/ing

section.

The comic tradesman, George the Grocer, represents the

authors' idea of the rising middleclass boor who lives by

43

bread alone, and v/hose idea of a splendid evening in the

theater is to see one of the romances of chivalry v/ith

blood, battle, and boxing to keep him awake, A rapport

betv/een the Grocer and his wife and the Prologue and cast

of "The London Merchant" never establishes itself, as

he harangues the Prologue:

V/hy, sir, I care not what become on't (the play). I'll have him come out, or I'll fetch him out

myself. I'll have something done in honor of the city.

Besides he hath been long enough upon adventures. Bring

him out quickly, or if I come in amonst you....

(IV.3B0-3&'4)

His tastes run to the circus and the freak shov/s; he is

severely henpecked by his wife; and literal-mindedness

causes him to participate in the play's action at times.

His very seriousness makes him indeed a comic character v/ho

is a caricature of the very tradesmen v/ho first came to

see this play.

The characters portrayed as comic stereotypes v/ith more-

than-comedic dialogue poke fun at the lov/er, middle, and

higher class of English citizens, running the gam.ut from

simple hostler to knight of the manor. Their names and

"ij,«^;

44

characterizations blend into the general atmosphere of

tongue-in-cheek mock-seriousness created by the two good

friends from "the Banke."

References

Allusions

Allusions comprise a good portion of the witticisms

involved in this burlesque. The context in which the

allusions are made often contributes to the humor. For

example, v/hen the V/ife tells her husband to "let him

(Ralph) kill a lion ;vlth a pestle, husband; let him kill

a lion v/ith a pestle (Ind.43-44)," she is possibly refer­

ring to the Ballad of "The Honour of a London Prentice"

in v/hich the hero does execution far away in Turkey among

the lions.^° Killing a lion with a pestle in its very

incongruity suggests the nonsense v/hich the v/ife v/ill de­

mand at a later time in the play.

There are many dramatic allusions v/hich punctuate the

burlesque being perpetrated; some are parodied, some are

misquoted, and some are inferred. The most notable of the

dramas mentioned are as follov;s: "Legend of V/hittington''

anonymous (Ind. 20); "The Life and Death of Sir Thomas

45

Gresham, with the Building of the Royal Exchange" i.e., ' If

You Know not Me, You Know Nobody," Part II, Thomas Heyv/ood

(1606) (Ind. 20-21); "The Story of Queen Elenor v/ith the

Rearing of London Bridge upon V/oolsacks" (probably George

Peele's Edward I) (1593) (Ind. 22-23); "Jane Shore"

(possibly Heyv/ood's Edward IV) (1600) (Ind. 52); "Bold

Beauchamps" (a lost play by Heyv/ood) (Ind. 54); I Henry IV

III iii (Hotspur's speech horribly misquoted) (Ind. 77-Sl);

Jeronimo from Kyd's "The Spanish Tragedy" (first acted c.

15B9) (Ind. 85); "Mucedorus" anonymous (159^) (Ind. 84);

"Palmerin of England" (15^1) (1.215-231); "The Mirror of

Princely Deeds and Knighthood" Margaret Tyler (1578) (1.230);

'•Family of Love" M-iddleton (11.64-65); "Amadis de Gaul"

(1508) (11.119); "Palmerin de Oliva" (1511) (11.121);

"The Travels of Three English Brothers" Day, Rov/ley, and

Wilkins (1607) (IV.29-30); "The Four Prentices of London"

Heyv/ood (IV.49); "Macbeth" (V.7-27); "Hamlet" (III.98-100);

' Rom.eo and Juliet" (111.46-48); "Julius Caesar" (V.136-137);

and most likely others too scantily clued. An acquaint­

anceship v/ith all existing popular dramas of the day gave

Beaumont and Fletcher ample and available source material

for their literary references in this heroic spoof.

46

Poetry is represented in the allusions in at least

four distinct references: "Morte de Arthur" (IV.48);

"Sir Guy" (II.5IO); ' Sir Bevis" (III.IO8); and "Gargantua"

(III.338), in addition to the very bad rhjnning couplets

and some atrocious blank verse spouted by Ralph. The

ignorance of the Citizen and his V/ife are revealed in the

allusions, continuing the burlesque of the middle-class

taste for romance; the Citizen cries

what v/as Sir Dragonet? grocer in London?

' I pray you. Was he not prentice to a

(IV.48)

I

Music has its share of the merriment, as George and

Nell reveal their plebian tastes for romantic ballads in

at least three references: "Lady Anne Bothv/ell's Lament­

ation" and "Lachrymae" by John Dov/land (11.524-25), and

"A Rare Examiple of a Virtuous Maid in Paris, v/ho was by her

own Mother procured to be put in Prison, thinking thereby

to compel her to Popery: but she continued to the end, and

finished her life in the fire" (V.222-23).^^ Sir Humphrey

mentions "John Dory" (II.24I) after his defeat by Jasper.

Musical instruments such as the rebeck (1.433)> the tabor

(IV.426), and shav/ms (Ind.97) are referred to, as v/ell as

n 0 r

47

waits (town musicians) (Int.104). Dancing receives four

allusions; as fading (III.583), the lavolta (III.556),

morris dancing (IV.389), and turn the toe (ballet) and

gambol (1.434) add a semi-cultural tone to the conversa­

tion by the Wife and Master Merrythought. A popular puppet

show called "Nineveh, v/ith Jonah and the V/hale" (III.278)

receives the Wife's scorn, as she equates it with the story

of Jonah and the whale: "Ninivie? 0, that v/as the story

of Joan and the v/all, was it not, George?" This pun has a

bav/dy implication, indicated by the old proverb "Joan is

as good as my lady in the dark.' Eighteen of the tunes

sprinkled through the plot by Master Merrythought have been

authenticated as genuine songs of the time.- Art finds

itself v/allowing in this debris of culture in the interlude

follov/ing Act II, as the V/ife and Citizen quibble about a

stage scenery cloth:

Wij e: Nov/, sweet lamb, v/hat story is that painted

upon the cloth? The Confutation of Saint Peter?

Citizen: No, lamb, that's Rafe and Lucrece.

V/ife: Rafe and Lucrece? V/liich Rafe? Our Rafe?

Citizen: No, mouse, that v/as a Tartarian. (11.527-31)

48

In addition to the blunder of "Confutation" (probably "The

Conversion of St. Paul"), there is a pun on the word

Tartarian (The Rape of Lucrece was accomplished by a

Tarquin, not a Tartarian, meaning thief.).

Allusions to royalty play a minor part in the ridicule

of the commons. The Prince of Orange (III.58I), the King

of Cracow (IV.34), and Pompiona, daughter of the King of

Moldavia (IV.58), are just a few of the nobility mentioned

by name. Follov/ing Ralph's rendition of the Palmerin story

concerning the Prince of Portigo (1.232), the V/ife relates

to her husband a tidbit of regal gossip about the King of

Portugal's inability to eat because of giants and ettins

(Germanic giants) v/ho snatch the food from. him. The Prince

of Moldavia left London in November, 16C7, and the ridicule

of him through the character of Pompiona is inescapable.

Landmarks of contemporary London in I607 dot the

script, som.ev/hat to the detrim.ent of a modern reader. Such

places as Puddlewharf, V/altham Forest, Mile-end, Ludgate,

the Arches, the Red Bull, the Strand, /ildgate, V/hitechapel,

and Moorfields; streets such as Milk Street, Turnbull Street,

and London Bridge; activities such as the gallov/s (no fev/er

op

than six distinct references to this spectator sport), the

circus and freak shov/s, Richard I'ulcaster's pupils of

49

St. Paul's School, Bumbo Fair, the races, the citizen's

musters (the one alluded to in this play supposedly occurred

in 1605 under James I); these clues v/hich reveal the everyday

routine of the citizens of London are historically of inte­

rest and add an element of realism to the rather hysterical

happenings on the stage. When the Wife calls upon Ralph to

deliver the May Day speech (a parody of "The Spanish

Tragedy'^ Zl«i-5-77), in the capacity of May Lord, she

might not have been av/are of Philip Stubbes' Th^ Anatomic |

91. Abuses (I583): "There is a great lord present amongst JP

them, as superintendent and lord over their pastimes and

sports, namely Sathan, prince of hell."^^ Stubbes named s i

Ralph accurately. n 0 p

A student of early medicinal practices can find the old f

V/ives' tales, reporting miraculous cures, fall from the

lips of the ever-full-of-information V/ife. To Ralph she

gives a bit of liquorice to open his pipes. She sells

mithradatum and dragon's v/ater, an antidote for poison, in

their grocery shop; and she gives Master Humphrey green

ginger for his v/ounds. Next she tells Mistress Merrythought

to rub the soles of Michael's feet, his heels, and his avikles

v/ith a mouse skin (or, as she says, "if none of your people

can catch a mouse, when he goes to bed let him roll his foot

'$

\1

^ ' 50

in the warm embers, and I warranto you he shall be well"

/III.189-1937-—not recommended by the AMA today!)- V/ith

complete confidence she recommends Carduus benedictus and

mare's milk for one troubled v/ith worms; Ralph promotes

butter with a leaf of sage to purge the blood, v/hile his

young apprentice George tells of the old running footman

trick for cramp prevention—greasing the calves of the legs

(a trick employed by scientific track coaches today).

Phlebotomy, too, has a place in the medical journal of this

play, both by Ralph in his May Day speech ("Fly Venus and

phlebotomy") and with the introduction of a basin beneath

the chin of the first prisoner of Barbaroso, v/ho claims to E '

run a clinic for cure of the pox. Luce concludes the p

medical allusions when she instructs Sir Humphrey to anoint 5|j|

himself v/ith a little oil of roses and a feather and to

drink some v/holesome broth containing sage and comfrey

(an herb for coughs) follov/ing his bludgeoning by Jasper.

This medieval m.edicare seems guaranteed to assure the short

life span of the citizens of ill old England,

In addition to the proverb alluding to Joan's abilities

come nightfall, there are tv/o other v/ell~l:nov;n pithy rer/iarlis

which are traceable: "I am sorry for thee but I cannot

cry" (1.132), and "Care v/ill kill a cat" (V.l66).^^'

51

More there probably are; however, such is the skill of the

two playwrights v/ho fashioned this play that the parodies

are often more apt than the real.

This play, an allusion hunter's paradise, splices into

its current affairs a remark or tv/o tangent with ancient

traditions. The Three Fates (11.28), the Muses (11.46),

and the V/heel of Fortune (11.141) give the actions a touch

of literary heritage. Avernus, the lake traditionally

introducing hell to its victims, and the "Stygian lake,'*

the tale to v/hich the V/ife alludes:

There's a pretty tale of a v/itch that had the devil's

mark about her, God bless us, that had a giant to her

son, that v/as call'd Lob-lie-by-the-fire. (III./4-25-29)

The crossing of the v/ife to protect herself against such

evil spirits is implicit in that "God bless us" as surely

as if the authors had vn- itten it in.

The final grouping of allusions falls to the art and

general practices of play production itself. That refresh­

ments were served seems clear at the end of ivct Three, as

Nell calls for the beer and sets them up for the gentlemen

v/hich assisted the victim on his v/ay, are minor comipared to ,> •!!.

0

r

52

in the audience. A sort of seventh-inning stretch v/ould be

a like comparison. Further, the arts of acting were so

sufficiently well-knovm that Nell recognized the types of

gestures used to portray emotions. She tells Ralph to "hold

up thy head, Rafe. . .speak a huffing part" (Ind.73-74). |

This appeared to be the mark of an actor who desired to

project his bravery, as "in a sorrowful parte, ye head must

hange dov/n; in a proud, ye head must bee lofty." ' Good

Mistress Nell's question, "Husband, shall I come up?",

certainly alludes to the practice of giving the choice seats

on stage to the men; and v/hen she states that she has never

been there before, she acknov/ledges the great danger reputed :;

for women to v/homi the private theaters did not cater. The n

time of practice available to the companies is stretched by [

the Prologue as he gives rebuttal to the V/ife: "0, you

should have told us your mind a month since. Our play is

ready to begin now" (Ind.32-33). The holding up of one's

head miust have been the prime characteristic of a good actor,

as this requirement is mentioned tv/ice more: once by the

V/ife as she tells Ralph to "hold up thy head, and be not

afraid," and next v/hen she brags on the av:escme verse of

Sir Humphrey as he declaim.s ". . .hex/ it behaves itself, I

v/arrant ye, and speaks, and looks, and pe?rts up the head!"

53

The aforementioned references are but the most obvious

allusions extant in this superior drama, but perhaps the most

amusing and one of the best is the reverse parody of Polonius'

speech to Laertes as he leaves for France. In the case at

hand. Master Merrythought donates to Jasper the following

drivel:

V/elcome, Jasper, though thou run'st av/ay, v/elcome. God

bless thee. . .Thou hast been abroad, and I hope hast learn'd experience enough to govern it. . . Hold thy hand: one, tv/o, three, four, five, six,

seven, eight, nine, there's ten shillings for thee. Thrust thyself into the world v/ith that, and take some settled course. If fortune cross thee, thou hast a retiring place. Come home to me; I have tv/enty shillings left. Be a good husband, that is, v/ear ordinary clothes, eat the best meat, and drink the best drink; be merry and give to the poor, and

believe me, thou hast no end of thy goods.

(1.393-404)

-any playv/rights v/ith the sense of the ludicrous sufficient

to v/rite this speech should indeed be recognized as masters

of the burlesque.

Puns

The puns which run rampant through this extraordinary

v/ork are a study in themselves; however, it is not possible

54

to prove the superiority of this drama without mentioning

some fev/ of the most clever examples of the lowest form of

all hum.or. Some are bawdy; most are original; all are

amusing.

The first pun occurs early in the Induction, as Prologue

asks the Citizen if he is an understanding man. The second

meaning refers to the groundling, an identification which

the Citizen v/ould reject. The Citizen unwittingly puns

about Ralph's histrionic ability as he demands that Ralph

do rare things, v/ith the implication that Ralph's acting

is "underdone" or an oddity, though this double meaning is

to prove true during Ralph's performance.

Bawdy puns drape the dialogue with the coarse and vul­

gar mantle so admired by the Restoration audiences. From

the gamut of obscene to risque, the prolific jokes v/ould

appeal to the very classes which v/ere being ridiculed in the

entire burlesque. The obscene puns m.ust remain for the

hunter of the hedonistic, but the best of the risque con­

tributes to the admiration for the language skills of the

playwrights. One of the most humorous jibes is a play on

the v/ord "thunder"; Luce inquires of Jasper, "VTiy, hov/ nov/,

friend, struck v/ith my father's thunder?" Considering the

55

pomposity of Sir Venturewell and the amount of hot air 7

emitted from his mouth, the other meaning of thunder, "to

make a noise like thunder," is not amiss. Venturev/ell

reverses the tables with his punning simile for Jasper;

he tells Sir Humphrey that "my wanton prentice, that like

a bladder blev/ himself with love, I have let out." The

concern for "bodily functions," to borrow a phrase from

Dr. Strangelove, reaches hilarious heights in Ralph's

dying speech, as he orates such words of eloquence as "V/hen

I was mortal, this my costive corpse did lap up figs and

raisins." That "costive" is synonymous with "constipated"

makes the alliterative corpse unusually embalmed. Another

example of punning alliteration occurs when Humphrey addresses

his fair damsel with the words "then ease me, lusty Luce."

If Luce is "loose," she most likely is lusty. She returns

pun for pun to Hamphrey v/ith "If you dare venture." From

a wom.an nam.ed Venturev/ell the connotations of this sub­

ordinate clause tickle the mind. One final pun on the

already bav/dy names of the characters peeks through in a

conversation between Master and Mdstress Merrythought; and

in viev/ of the already mentioned interpretation of the v/ord

"merry," their exchange is a real play on v/ords:

56

Old Merrythought: Where is Jasper?. . .Is he merry?

Mstress Merrythought: Ay, foul chive him, he is too merry.

(1.391-92)

For simple pleasure in a turn of word there are several

puns which should be included in any sort of pun inventory.

V/hen the Citizen tells Nell that Jasper is at Puckeridge

vdth Luce, both the small village located twenty-three

miles north of London and Jasper's affinity for the game of

bussing are implied. Mistress Merrythought is announced by

the Venturev/ell servant v/ith the v/ords "there's a gentle-

v/omian v/ithout," a pun on her location and her monetary

liabilities, v/hile her husband, that jolly troubador of

la dolce vita, is invited into the same room by Venturewell

with the phrase "bring me v/ord v/hat tune he is in," a pun

on his vocal propensity and his disposition.

Two good puns can be found in the arrival of Ralph at

the Bell Inn. The name itself, "the m ost holy order of the

Bell v/ho gives to all knights errant entertain," has three

possible interpretations for humorous effect: one, the

striking by tongue or clapper to make a loud noise; tv/o, to

puff up and be proud by bellov/ing or roaring; and third, to

make the cry of the stag at rutting time. If. Ralph is ?n

51

example of the errant knight, all three meanings are appli­

cable. The second pun is a play on the v/ord ''chamber" (used

as a synonym for chamberpot), as the Tapster v/elcomes Ralph

with the v/ords "An't please you see a chamber, you are very

welcome." This is certainly an ambiguous welcom^e, to say

the least.

The time-worn pun on the horns of the cuckold is

replayed four times by Ralph, heightened only by the property

of the broken arrow attached to his head for his dying

speech in v/hich he repeats the v/ords "forked arrow" and

"forked heads." A lover of puns finds a field ripe for

the harvesting in this play, and the puns in turn contribute

to the general air of burlesque necessary for the genre.

Witticisms

Scattered throughout the play are jokes v/hich do not

fit into any category and shall be considered only as witty

remarks. The sarcasm of the Prologue in suggesting play

titles to the Citizen and his V/ife illustrates the point.

He suggests to the couple that "The Life .and Death of Fat

Drake" (perhaps a v/ell-knov/n London tradesman) or "The

Repairing of Fleetprivies" v/ould be appropriate for a drama

in honor of the cominopis of the city. V/hen thci title "The

5B

Knight of the Burning Pestle" is finally decided upon, the

Prologue no doubt knew of "the knight of the bull's feather,"

or cuckold, and "the knight of the post," or a cheat and

sharper v/ho was hired to swear falsely. In addition to the

many references cited earlier which are relative to the

title of the play, these slang expressions enrich the back­

ground of an already humorous name.

In the manner of Plautian comedy the dialogue in the

play is both gross and abusive, but usually lively. The

endearments exchanged by the middle-class couple, such as

cony, mouse, lamb, chicken, bird, duckling, and duck, in an

inobtrusive way designate the class to v/hich the couple

belongs, on a sliding scale of animalistic-humanistic

values.

The relationship betv/een Ralph and his mistress becom.es

a matter of speculation v/ith a provocative rem.ark or tv/o made

by the V/ife. She relates the story of the almost-drov/ning

of their child (Young George, the apprentice, or perhaps

he is one of George's mistakes?) and Ralph's subsequent

offer, "I'll get you another as good." This double

entendre, plus such addresses as "sv/eet Ralph," and her

commands to "Have Ralph nov/" and "come again quickly,

Ralph" give cause to entertain a notion that hB.rL::\

59

is afoot. She demands that he be suitably costumed, ad­

ministers to the wounds he suffers in the various defeats

met in the course of the action, pays his debt to the Knight

of the Bell, and clamors constantly for deeds of wondrous

courage so that she may admdre Ralph's legendary prowess.

The Citizen himself issues a possible double entendre as he

says, "Nell, the boy has deceived m.e much," (V.I6I). Con­

jecture or no, the idea of a mesalliance of middle-class

matron and mithradatum peddler v/culd have interested the

audience for v/hom this connotation v/as intended.

The presentation of Sir Humphrey's betrothal gloves for

Luce ar.iuses v.dth its understatem.ent. Hur.phrev comrares the

"v/hiteness to a dog's tooth and a dove, but is proudest of

the price of three (shillings) and tv/opence and the glover's

trade.T.ark. " Sir Hu_Tiphrey's lack of rcmanticisn: gives

laughter to much of his speech, partly because of the

very bad couplets and partly because of his characteri­

zation .

i i l o . / j - O ci- iV*. humor inheren t in t h i s burlesoue need an

i n t e l l i g e n t audience, vrell-read and in ccn::::unicn v;ith the

s p i r i t of the a u t h o r s . To miss the fun v/ould indeed be a

t ra .ced".

60

Staging

Presented on a bare stage v/ith a minimuin of proper­

ties. The Knight of the Burning Pestle utilizes some generic

techniques peculiar to burlesque in particular and comedy

in general. Acting skill is the prime requisite; hov/ever,

good stagecraft implements the actor v/ith the use of visual

and auditory aids. These implementations carry a loosely-

woven plot for maximum entertainment, and are intrinsic

to a good burlesque drama.

External effects, as opposed to internal or v/ithin the

plot, comprise the first tricks of stage mtchery. First,

the use of placards to announce the name of the play or a

change of scene is recognized as a general custom of the

time. A line in The Knight offers proof of this usage, as

the Citizen cries "Dov/n v/ith your title, boy; dov/n v/ith

your title!" (Ind.9-10). In using the m.inimum of stage

settings and properties, the placards assist the audience

in shifting the locale of each scene; and in this parti­

cular play, any assistance is v/elcomed.

The next device concerns music. At the end of each

act Old Merrythought trills one of his ditties to signify

a temporary halt in the progress of the plots. At the end

61

of Act I a boy dancer also appears to give couth and culture

to the performance. The Citizen has sent money to pay the

waits from Southwark across the river; that he has not

received his money's v/orth escapes in his line, "Ay, Nell,

but this is scurvy music." A badly played catch or ballad

also ridiculed the music of the times. Old Merrythought

hits the boards singing "Nutmegs and ginger, cinnamon and

cloves,/And they gave me this jolly red nose,"; and he

exits on an appropriate note, "'Hey, ho, 'tis nought but

mirth/That keeps the body from the earth.'" His songs give

to him an air of levity and a carefree dalliance in v/ine

and women, to round out the trio. Jasper and Luce sing a

Jeannette McDonald-Nelson Eddy question-and~ansv/er duet in

contemplation of the query, "What is love?," v/hich, if over­

done, is a parody of the love ballads so popular in England.

In one other place, preceding the battle scene in -act V, the

sound of music and drums from offstage pressages the

entrance of Ralph and his two-man army; and the terrific

volume of the building sound of approaching musicians makes

the entrance a classic understatement. The battle scene

itself, one of the funniest in the literature of the time

or since, needs little improvement; but the music gives an

air of class to a disreputable apprentice and his tv/o stcores

v/ho pretend v/hat they can never be.

62

No thunder, lightning, or stage machines are utilized,

as are neither a pile of bodies nor the failure of stage

effects. V/ithout these oft-employed techniques, the play

relies instead on other typical ploys to make the rafters

ring with laughter.

The involvement of the audience v/ith the action on­

stage is readily accomplished v/ith the placement of Citizen

and his entourage in the audience before the play begins,

so that he may spring onto the apron of the stage and begin

his colloquy v/ith the Prologue. The V/ife keeps fluid the

rapport betv/een the action onstage and the audience off­

stage through the use of asides, such as "Gentlemen, I

thank you are heartily for gracing my m.an Rafe, and I

promise you you shall see him oft'ner" (III.458-460).

V/ith a skillful boy playing the V/ife, this promise might

well bring dov/n the house v/ith boos and catcalls. The use

of asides, in combination v/ith the devices of the thinking

actor and the soliloquy, is employed by Jasper (11.151-156,

to name but one) and Luce in her discovery of Jasper's

supposedly dead body (IV.245-263), highlighted by her parody

of Juliet's grief. Farce, comedy, and especially burlesque,

v/ith its dependence on recognition of the targets being

burlesqued, must be played dov,-nst?ge, in contrrot to the

63

tragedian's use of the upstage area for depth of emotion.

Therefore, the devices v/hich lift the viev/er through the

invisible fourth wall of the stage only sharpen the av/areness

of the desecration of literature, person, or current event.

This wall has been crumbled already with the placing of two

stools on stage for the Citizen and V/ife.

This particular burlesque calls for few properties, but

the fev/ called for can be made over or under-sized. For

example, Ralph calls for his shield upon which "shall be

portrayed a burning pestle" and his arming pestle. Much

fun can be milked from these tv/o properties, as v/ell as the

arming of Tim. and young George for the muster in Act V.

Other properties such as Barbaroso's basin, Mistress Merry­

thought's jev/el casket (and jewels), the backdrop which v/as

the subject of the art lesson, Ralph's broken lance

(evidenced by the line "squire, elevate my lance [ji broken

one, at that^/^" ^^ "the hand properties carried onstage by

the two prisoners of Barbaroso (a glass of lotion and diet

bread and drink) used to allude michievously that all three

suffer from the French disease nov/ currently in vogue and are

trapped in Barbaroso's spa for the cure. The syringe intro-

duced in this scene should be oversized to match the line

"this same slender quill." Of such stuff bur lescue is :..-le.

64

That Merrythought carries with him a wine glass can be

gleaned from the dialogue; but the letter sent to trick

Venturev/ell must be seen, and the larger the better, pre­

ferably bedecked v/ith seals and ribbons. The coffin can be

anything from a black-draped board slab to a simulated

coffin, but more fun is implied if the body-moves are

visible to the audience; and the body should certainly move

when the focus of attention is not directed tov/ard it.

Last and most humorous are the weapons and equipment

necessary for Ralph's muster, not called for in stage direc­

tions, but nam.ed v/ithin the lines themselves. The Citizen

and the V/ife loan him a scarf and jerkin; the rest he finds

backstage. Phrases such as "let your colors fly," "a corslet

and a Spanish pike," "let me see your piece," "V/here's your

pov/der (follov/ed by the ansv/er "in a paper)," "v/here's your

horn," "v/hat's become o' th'nose of your flask," and, of

course, the broken arrow used on his head in his death scene

must be located and created v;ith imiagination by the reader

or director. The Citizen smokes a pipe, as evidenced by the

Wife's rem.ark stating "making chim.neys o' your faces,"

Other hand properties m.ay be used at the discretion of the

cast and director, but these listed fev/ are necessary to the

develorm.ent of the plot.

65

The costumes may or may not be overdone, since there

are no directions for apparel given by the authors, except

for Ralph. He is called onto the stage and sent behind the

drop for attire, or reparel; and, assuming that he must take

pot-luck in the costume chest, his reparel may be an

atrocious combination of periods and sizes, the more atro­

cious the better. He does wear a helm and hat ("unlace my

helm and give me my hat"), but the garments may contrast

his appearance v/ith his lofty words, another stage technique.

The fight scenes should be staged full of pratfalls and

mock fisticuffs, a fun fracas played for laughs. Ralph sets

the tone for these conflicts v/hen he assumes the posture of

the knight errant:

My beloved squire, and George, "my dv/arf, I charge you that from henceforth you never call me by any other name but the "Right Courteous and Valiant Knight of the Burning Pestle"; and that you never call any female by the name of v/oman or v/ench, but "fair lady," if she have her desires, if not, dis­tressed damsel"; that you call all forests and heaths "deserts," and all horses "palfreys."

(1.271-77)

On such a pedestal the fall to the floor lasts longer; and

the more ridicule heaped on Ralph the Pompous, the m.ore

laughter provided for the pompous audience.

66

The only make-up note found v/ithin the playv/rights'

instructions is that Jasper's face should be mealed for

the ghost scene. In modern productions a mask works as

well, saving the quick cleansing backstage by the actor

portraying Jasper. In one production (see Appendix) Ralph

was given a very large nose for comic effect, but this

option rests with individual directors.

The stagecraft of the playwrights indicates that both

Beaumont and Fletcher v/ere v/ell av/are of the inside knov/-

ledge necessary for successful productions. Knov/ing the

tricks of the trade as they did, and being v/orking play­

v/rights dependent upon the success of their plays for a

livelihood, it is no wonder that all of their plays dis­

play a virtuosity in all things theatrical.

Language

The elimination of many of the schemes of burlesque

listed in Chapter I may be miade in the consideration of this

play. Such obvious devices as imperfect logic, defense of the

non-sequitur, the split~v/ord joke, and acadenic jargon

simply do not appear. Their absence is overly compensated

by the presence of others. The language of the play can be

categorized by characters. The heroic couplet issues frcp;

67

the mouths of the semi-gentry of the play: Sir Venturewell,

Sir Humphrey, and Luce. The mock-heroic of Ralph--the

bulging ten-syllabled blank verse used by Marlov/e and Kyd—

the elegant prosody of the Palmerin tales, plays Ralph

himself for v/hat he is—an imposter wrapped in dreams of

glory. His May Day speech is the very epitome of the

antiquated interlude v/hich was fast passing out of fashion.

The Merrythoughts and the two Citizens use colloquial prose,

while Old Merrythought warbles his sheaf of ballads,

haphazardly relaying his unfatherly feelings. Such a

diversity of styles permits the authors a v/ide leev/ay in

the merrymaking.

The playv/rights v/ere v/ell-educated, a .fact documented

by their biographers; and as v/ell-educated men, they v/ere

exposed to the Greek rhetoric of Aristotle. Many text­

books, including the Rhetorica Ad Herennium (a basic

elementary text in English grammar). Progymnasmata (the

first v/riting exercises and forerunners of the modern

themies), or the D^ Ratione Studii of Erasmus and De

Duplici Co pi a Verborujn a_c_ Rerum (the beginning of common­

place books aimed at variety and elegance of style), gave

the young aspirants the background needed for a readiness of

v/ord, a requirement for success in the theater. If the

68

statement made by Thomas Heyv/ood in his Apology for Actors

(1612) is true, the tv/in functions of comedy, to reform by

exposing bad behavior and to refresh, use fully the skills

of language and the rhetoric of ancient Greece.

This rhetorical background can be proved v/ith a survey

of the classical schemes and tropes used in the dialogue.

Sister Miriam Joseph insists that Tudor rhetoricians tied

the figures of speech to the topics of invention, so that

poor Tudor schoolboys were required not only to know and

use the common topics, but also the m.ilieu of Henry Peacham's

list of 184 figures named in The Garden of Eloquence (1577

Edition). A surface survey of the figures used in The Knight

of the Burning Pestle reveals a propensity for the schemes

of aphaeresis, parallelism, antithesis, parenthesis, ellipsis,

alliteration, assonance, epistrophe (especially in the

speeches of the V/ife), and climax, an almiost complete roll-

call of the recognized schemes. The tropes most frequently

used are the simile and metaphor; but, closely follov/ing in

number are synecdoche, metonymy, puns, personification,

hyperbole, litotes, oxymoron, and the rhetorical

question.

An inadequate sam.pling of the uses of these rhe tor ica l

s k i l l s bears v/itness to the f a c i l i t y v/ith v/hich the r]ie'>:cr:c

69

is handled. The simdles which frequent the lines of dia­

logue are often so outlandish in the choice of objects being

compared that they stand alone as jokes. One such inapt

linking comes from. Sir Humphrey:

For love hath toss'd me In furious blanket, like a tennis ball. And now I rise aloft, and nov/ I fall

(1.163-65)

The V/ife calls a lump on Ralph's head "as big as a pullet's

head" (II.258), and "like a bladder" has already been cited.

Mixed metaphors match strange partners. Ralph's

lady fair, the cobbler's maid in Milk Street, is named

"the black-thumb'd maid, Susan" by her poetic lover. In a

challenge flung to Ralph, Jasper confronts him v/ith the

x-zords "nov/ your pestle shall try what temper, sir, your

mortar's of," a hybrid remark caused by Ralph's choice of

v/eapons. A bad night in the forest is forecast by Jasper's

invocation to Luce: "sleep, I see the god/of heavy sleep

lay on his heavy mace/upon your eyelids" (III.42-44), and

the prickly points of the m.ace drav/ a picture of great dis­

comfort. This remark is made m.ore am.using v/ith the repartee

returned by Luce: "I am. very heavy":

70

The trope of litotes, or contrast, is often in evidence,

partially because of the very nature of burlesque and par­

tially because of the diverse objects for contrast, be they

people or costumes or actions. Luce declares her love for

Sir Humphrey in the phrase "love him dearly,/Even as I love

an ague or foul weather" (1.52-53). Further evidence of

contrast can be found in the speech of the rather dense

apprentice, George, as he stiltingly recites for Ralph:

"Right Courteous and Valiant Knight of the Burning Pestle,

here is a distressed damsel to have a halfpenny-v/orth of

pepper." Can no one ever call for service from his grocer

in a better manner? The Citizen calls the actions of the

players "riff-raff," when in fact he and his covey of

apprentices are the real riff-raff. One of the most

ludicrous contrasts of the entire play finds Ralph setting

out on his quest for Mistress Merrythought's missing m.oney

v/ith soul-stirring v/ords and inadequate posture:

Young hope of valor, v/eep not. I am. here That will confound thy foe and pay it dear Upon his cov/ard head, that dares deny Distressed squires and ladies equity. I have but one horse, on v/hich shall ride This lady fair behind me, and before This courteous squire. Fortune v:ill give us more Upon our next adventure.

(11.189-197) (emphasis added)

71

The final example of contrast occurs at the conclusion of

Jasper's dying scene, in which occurs an unv/ritten bit of

stag6 business. Jasper cries "Bleed, bleed, and die. I

cannot." The pregnant pause betv/een the "die" and "I" gives

the actor a chance for a real ham performance; hov/ever, as

Jasper's performance ends, the V/ife appears to be carried

away with the virtuosity itself. She v/hispers to the

Citizen " 'a has put me into such a fright that I tremble,

as they say, as 'tv/ere an aspen leaf. Look o' my little

finger, George, how it shakes" (III.131-133). The inade­

quacy of a trembling little finger follov/ing a harrowing

battle and dying speech seem obvious.

Imitations are evinced in the blank verse, imperfect

logic, and badly rhymed couplets spread throughout the five

acts. Sir Hujiiphrey degrades the English tongue in sucii

fashion as v/ould encourage sign language. The v/orst of the

examples occurs early in the play:

If in this bloody simiile (a blood pudding) I put My love, more endless than frail things or gut.

(I.87-8g)

He adds nothing to h i s a l ready d u l l l u s t e r v/ith a l o v e r ' s

gam.bit unequaled:

72

Fair Mstress Luce, how do you? Are you v/ell? Give me your hand, and then I pray you tell. How doth your little sister and your brother. And v/hether you love me or any other.

(1.114-117)

Only the v/eather is missing from his inquiries, and he

gets to it in a subsequent speech, AS bad as these rhymes

are, there remains the most amusing of the gems:

Be evermore remember'd, thou fair killer. For v/hom I sat me dov/n and brake my tiller.

(1.128-129)

One reference to Ralph's mock-heroic should suffice as proof

of a spoof:

The lords and ladies nov/ abroad for their disport and play.

Do kiss sometimes upon the grass, and som.etimes in the hay.

(IV.407-408)

Sir Himiphrey and Ralph should have their ov/n niches in his­

tory as poetasters of ill-repute!

Imitations or parodies of specific speeclies or styles

have already been discussed so that an overall viev/ of the

language of Beaumont and Fletcher proves that they used

v/ords succinctly, v/ittily, and foremost, eritertainingly.

Just as another burlesque scene in "Midsun.ner Nighit's Dream"

73

drav/s humor from the ridiculous ("I see a voice: now v/ill

I to the chink/To spy and I can hear my Thisbe's face."),

so the ridiculous permeates the whole of The Knight of the

Burning Pestle.

• The Situations

Certain of the standard situations inherent in a burles­

que have previously been-examined in this paper, though the

illustrations were necessarily brief. In a final sorting of

the shov/case display, there remain five divisions, or

situations, v/hich distinguish this dram.a as a masterpiece

of its kind. V/ithout the situations the play is comical;

with the situations the play is tumultuous. Such boisterous

jollity has seldom been equalled in drama, and the

tragedy of this comedy is its very obscurity.

The Tv/o-man Army and Ill-rehearsed Battles

Men in battle array, replete v/ith colors flying and

drums roaring, have perennially stirred men's souls and

dreams either of vanished glory or glory to come. Such a

vision i\/ith many men in array is magnificent but v/ith fev/ is

ludicrous. The ludicrous fev/ in The Knight c£ the Burn:' n"

Pestle are the tv/o apprentices assigned to Ralph by the '..'ife

74

in the Induction. V/ith a combined situation knitting the

two-man army and the ill-rehearsed battle, the climax of the

Ralph-Citizens subplot reaches comic heights in Act V with

the muster scene. Ralph has very firmly stated his disdain

for the state of knighthood at the beginning of' the play:

There are no such courteous and fair v/ell-spoken knights in this age. They will call one the son of a whore that Palmerin of England v/ould have call'd "fair sir"; and one that Rosicleer would have call'd "right beauteous damsel," they will call "damn'd bitch."

(I.242-2/+6)

Such romantic refutation lays the trap for a Ralph ignorant

of militar}^ matters, v/ho inspects his troops with great

aplom.b and little knov/ledge of military m.atters. To illus­

trate this ignorance, he calls on V/illiam Hammerton to "charge

upon m.e," and a chance for visual contrast follov/s in the

stage direction "he charges on Rafe." If the charge is

overv/helming, then Ralph's next line, "'Tis v/ith the

weakest," beoomes an anticlimax, and as such is huraorous.

He examines each of the men in turn, finding Greengoose

carrying his musket pov/der in a paper and his flint stone

used to light a pipe. The directions call foi- tv;o addit: cik-.l

soldiers, but they need not be included to strengthen the

comedy. The inspection of Greengoose's gun al]ov:s for -i.v.eh

15

ineptness by a young man accustomed to measuring herbs, not

weapons. He evidently follov/s some sort of military mxanual

an implication from the references in his v/ords to Green­

goose:

. . .her breath is yet inflamed. Besides, there is a main fault in the touch-hole. It runs and stinketh; and I tell you moreover, and believe it, ten such touch-holes would breed the pox in the army. Get you a feather, neighbor, get you a feather, sv/eet oil, and paper, and your piece may do well enough yet.

(V.107-112)

The. form is correct but the words go av/ry.

The tv/o are stirred to greatness b} Ralph's call to

"shov/ the v/orld you can as v/ell brandish a sv/ord as shake

an apron" and ansv/er--both of them in full volurxe--"Saint

George, Saint George!" A little mental picture-making

brings vividly to mind hov/ ridiculous these supercharged

soldiers v/ould appear.

Ralph has met and been defeated ^oy Jasper, after the

V/ife has exhorted him to "break 's pate soundly." He has

just scared Mistress Merrythought v/ith his appearance; the

poor lady leaves the stage shouting "0, Michael, v;e are

betrayed; v/e are betrayed. Here be giants. Fly, boy; fly,

boy; flyi" If she is so upset that she leaves behind he?-

76

purse and jev/el casket, Ralph and his entourage "make

mileage" from the line follo\ ang the exit of the Merry­

thoughts :

Lace on my helm again. V/liat noise is this? A gentle lady flying the embrace of some uncourteous knight? I v/ill relieve her.

(11.109-111)

A misclad, mismanaged, misplaced army marching about the

.stage v/ith mism-atched weapons to the cries of "remove and

march,'^ "advance your pikes," and "double your files"

beggars the imagination.

Dying Speeches

Tv/o dying speeches occur in this play, v/ith one

potential corpse from, the play v/ithin and one from the play

v/ithout. Jasper delivers his v/ords of sorrov/ in a parody of

all dram.atic dying scenes:

They are gone, and I am hurt; my love is lost. Never to get again. 0, my unhappy!

Thou hast betray'd me. Hope, v/here art thou fled?

0 Chance, or Fortune, or v/hate'er thou art That men adore for pov/erfu3., hear my cry. And let ne loving, live; or losing, die.

(III.117-127)

11

That he arises from this heart-rending soliloquy and leaves

the stage unaided tells its own story.

Ralph's dying scene tops any outrage he has committed

in the name of chivalry, and to the death he remains the

grocer in knight's clothing:

Then took I up my bow and shaft in hand. And walk'd into Moorfields to cool myself; But there grim cruel Death met me again, /md shot this forked arrov/ through my head. And nov/ I faint. Therefore be v/arn'd by me. My fellov/s every one, for forked heads. Farev/ell, all you good boys in merry London. Ne'er shall v/e more upon Shrove Tuesday meet And pluck dov/n houses of iniquity. My pain increaseth Set up a stake, 0, never more I shall. I die; fly, fly, m.y soul, to Grocers' Hall. 0, 0, 0, etc.

(V.319-333)

Included in this speech are key words, such as "faint,"

"farev/ell," and "fly," v/hich indicate burlesque actions to

accomipany the burlesque v/ords. A flutter-v/inged, arrov/-

pierced Ralph closes his acting career v/ith inimitable style.

One other near-dying has been cited earlier v/ith

reference to Luce's speech parodying Juliet's juvenile

words. She makes the mistake of singing a dirge first, and

Jasper resurrects himself before she has a chance for

female histrionics.

IB

An over-played dying scene traditionally brings cries

of "corn! corn!" and this play presents the opportunities

for a rich harvest.

Coffin and Ghost Scenes

The devices of coffin and ghost in The Knight have some

predecessors and many successors, though the Restoration

dramatists are given credit for developing the Ghost into

a stock device for burlesque. For Beauiiiont and Fletcher

any device v/hich entertained v/as "cricket," and they have

included so many tricks-of-trade in this play that at times

the devices become more important than the forv/ard flov/ of

the plot. This problem is true of the coffin scene.

V/hen Jasper tells the audience of his plan to pretend

to be dead, he includes themi in the joke; and though dia­

logue continues, the audience has its attention riveted to

the coffin bearing first Jasper, then Luce. To fool Sir

Venturev/ell Jasper first sends the letter (another burlesque

device employed in conjunction v/ith the coffin scene) to

Luce's father to set the scene for the entrance of the

coffin. The rascal of a hero allov/s Luce to almost die

before throv/ing off the covers of feigned death and em­

bracing her soundly to prove his "living yet loving.'" The

79

exchange of corpses is done in full view of the audience,

allov/ing the joke to develop larger than a sudden expose

possibly could.

Jasper's appearance with mealed face, pretending to

be a dead Jasper's ghost, gives him a freedom to humble

Sir Venturewell and take revenge on Sir Humphrey with

audience encouragement, A supernatural spirit of any sort

has no restraints on language or actions, for v/hat is most

feared? Death, an already accomplished fact. Together the

coffin and ghost devices present one more episode in an

episodic play.

Love Triangle v/ith a Scapegoat

The outline of the love conflicts in the play m.ust be

apparent by nov/, but the use of the traditional gull, in the

person of Sir Humphre]/, is standard practice and should be

mentioned briefly. Jasper and Luce knov/ from the outset that

Sir Venturewell's choice of a son-in-law v/ill never be

realized. Jasper tells Luce "you knov/ the plot v/e both

agreed on," to v/hich she replies, "Yes, and v/ill perfor::i

my part exactly." Poor Humphrey never has a chance sgainst

this alliance for progress. Luce remains constant to Jssper,

though she teases Sir Hunphrey unmercifully in their v/aD.h

80

through V/altham Forest; and with the aid of the coffin trick,

Jasper is able to humble Sir Venturewell and Sir Humphrey

and have his own heart's desire. A conflict of love

interests betv/een two men and a woman or the reverse, betv/een

father-son, mother-daughter, brother-brother, or sister-

sister, or between high and lov/ furnishes sufficient mat­

erial for humorous situations; and careful v/riting can play

the audience's sympathy like a well-tuned instrument. The

playing is much m.ore lively v/ith a loss of dignity suffered

by the unpopular loser.

The H_appy Ending

The final situation v/hich typifies a burlesque, and

comedy in general, is the happy ending v/here all strings

are neatly tied and no loose ends remain. In The. lSr4£]lk 9l.

t]ie Burning Pestle_ all's well that end's well, and only the

gull is left unrequited. Jasper and Luce have parental

perm.ission to pursue their already traveled path in a

resolution of "The London Merchant." The Citizen and the

V/ife have had a delightful evening of v/atching their appren­

tice strut before their equals and superiors, v/ith the

strutting perfectly amenable to the apprentice and his

cohorts, in a resolution of "The Knight of the Burning

81

Pestle." The Merrythought family are semi-reconciled, and

the audience has been treated to an evening's fun that they

had not bargained for. V/ith all of the characters strolling

from the stage, accompanied by merry song, perhaps Nell's

blessing is an appropriate v/ay to end the play, as she says

to the gentlemen in the audience, "God give you good night."

And so ends this gem of a play. Entertaining, full

of ridicule, and cleverly v/ritten literature, Yhe^ Knight

of the Burning Pestle remains a veritable shov/case of the

techniques of burlesque.

CHAPTER III

CONCLUSIONS AND INTERPRETATIONS

The primary purpose of this paper v/as stated in the

Forev/ord: to prove The Knight of the Burning Pestle a

showcase of burlesque techniques. The examination made of

the component parts of this drama, discussed in Chapter II,

hopefully accomplished the groundv/ork for some sort of con­

clusion with respect to the validity of the thesis. In

addition to proving the thesis, other conclusions seek

recognition of the dramatic, historic, and influential

values of this unique drama. As G. K. Chesterton is given

credit for saying, "Art, like morality, insists on drav/ing

the line somewhere."

Dramiatic Value

Ben Jonson outlines the ingredients for a kind of

drama so popular that it has v/ithstood the satires and burles­

que directed its way:

"So, if a child could be born in a play, and grow up to be a man, in the first scene, before he v/ent off the stage: and then after to come forth a squire,

82

B^

and be made a knight: and that knight to travel between the acts, and do wonders in the Holy Land, or elsev/here: kill Paynims, v/ild boars, dun cov/s, .and other monsters; beget hira a reputation, and marry an emperor's daughter for his mistress; convert her father's country; and at last come home lame, and all-to-be-laden v/ith miracles. "^7

This outline is not far from the suggestions of the V/ife

for Ralph's bold actions upon the stage. The ridicule

permeates the entire drama, perhaps in an excess of style:

but the important component of the ridicule can be found in

a reference by Sir Francis Bacon; "Praise from the common

people is generally false, and rather follov/s the vain than

the virtuous." Can the Citizens and their tastes be better

synthesized?

The dramatic art of Beaumont and Fletcher's predeces­

sors and contemporaries furnished excellent material for

burlesque, and they themselves knev/ from inborn knowledge

and taught knov/ledge v/hat their peers v/ould like to see on

the theater stage. The two friends -v/orked on the premise

that "man carried the mark of his class and his nature, in

his walk, talk, features, and costume. The outer man v/as

the inner man.' ^ This could explain the affinity for types

over individuals. No Hamlet, Lear, Volpone, or Faustus

appear in Beaumont and Fletcher; but citizens, apprentices.

84

faithful friends, black villains, and distraught heroines—

types of characters—are the rule. V/ard reinforces this

observation with his comment on The Knight:

The Knight of the Burning Pestle is however no mere parody of any particular piece, but a burlesque of an entire species, as well as a diverting attempt to turn to ridicule the romantic and military tastes of the citizens for the diversion of the gentlemen sitting on stools upon the stage.39

Burlesque is for young men still able to laugh at the

world's indiscretions, and the dynamic duo leave a drama­

tic heritage. In Plato's Symposium Socrates compelled tv/o

Greek playwrights to admit that he v/ho has skill as a tragic

dramiatist must also have skill as a comic dramatist. The

rhetoric is applicable to Beaumont and Fletcher, as it is

of the really good playv/rights of any age.

Learning v/here to draw the knife-edge of good judgment,

the limbo betv/een too much and not enough, requires an

apprenticeship before live audiences. The v/riters "v/ent to

school" on The Knight and never forgot their lessons.

V/allis claims that "they had no serious philosophy of life

to offer; no proud interpretation of human nature to give;

no deep political, social, or poetic insight to reveal."

He further states that "they sought to devise plays v/hich

B5

would grip, move, startle, surprise and amuse the audience

for whom they wrote, and they developed their theatrecraft

to this end."^^

Their sense of the theatric led them to shift the stage

in bustling activity, use the structural features of the

playhouse, and keep flexible several groups of actors inter­

acting with each other. Master craftsmen, Francis Beaumont

and John Fletcher were successful playwrights who performed

the duty of playvrrights—entertain.

Historical Value

As a cyclopedia of fashions, customs, tastes, and

geographical allusions. The Knight of the. Burning Pestle

stands on the dissection performed in Chapter II. As a

commentary on the temper of the times it is not so success­

ful. V/ard rejects Beaumont and Fletcher in a parody of

Jonson's edict on Shakespeare; "they v/ere not above their

age." - No appearances of tyrants and court favorites, no

evil counsellors and counsels, no pandars and minions, no

cloaked vices and bedizened grossness, no blatant theories

and systems, or no evidence of the decay of basic principles

and beliefs are attributed to the Gemini tv/ins. There are no

references to the Puritan revolution because the playv/rights

86

did not come in contact v/ith them nor cared to do so. The

aristocratic viev/point is their viev/point; they simply

reflected the standards of speech and behavior current among

gentlemen of their day.

In their day they were more popular than Shakespeare,

and at least equal with Jonson in adulation. Authors have

been divided for four centuries on their magnitude. Their

plots depend on honor: sacrifice, love, charity, courage,

but never profit, AS Tom Stoppard says, "V/e're more the

blood, love, and rhetoric school." Perhaps their works

are bound by their ov/n one-eyed outlook on the contemporary

scene; but the skill v/ith v/hich they handle the limdted

viev/ seems undebatable. If Davenant's "The Play-house to

be Lett" (I663) is the first stage burlesque to claim the

name, it is by no measurement the first stage burlesque.

History bears references to this dram.a. George Lillo

waited until the Eighteenth Century to v/rite "The London

Merchant," a tremendously popular play. In his v/ill John

Heminges called himself "a citizen and a grocer." The

Ralph Kramden of Jackie Gleason is not unlike the Ralph of

The Knight. The burlesque type is established for all to

follov/.

87

The contention of this paper has been that The Knight

9l tli£ Burning Pestle is the first stage burlesque to fill

the playbill of burlesque v/ritten specifically vd.thin the

framework of an established criterion.

Influential Value

The flowering of Restoration burlesque in drama, poetry,

and the novel is well established. Dryden, Pope, Fielding,

Gay in one century, and Gilbert and Sullivan and Dickens in

another carry on a tradition thrust slowly on the tastes of

the literate public. Samuel Butler's "Hudibras" adds the

name "hudibrastic" to the sub-divisions of burlesque,

though "Hudibras" is quite similar in tone to The Knight

-'i

of the Burning Pestle.'' Only in the Tv/entieth Century is

there a lack of the burlesquing spirit. Scattered evidences

keep alive the genre, but the state of v/orld affairs has not

often allov/ed the citizens of the world to indulge themselves

in ridicule for entertainment.

Today in several media the spirit of burlesque seems to

be sneaking through the barricades of phony decorum. Tele­

vision shov/s such as "The Laugh-in" and the defunct "That

'"Hudibras" also had a knight named Ral] h as n central character.

BB

V/as the Week That V/as" contribute; "The Graduate" contri­

butes; "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern nre Dead" contributes;

UR ^h^ Dov^ Staircase and Candy occasionally contribute.

To v/ean av/ay the housewife who prefers "As the V/orld Turns"

to "A Man for iill Seasons" may take another century or two,

but then DeGaulle was not built in a day.

Checking the list of burlesque techniques named at

the conclusion of Chapter I, the connoisseur of burlesque

finds in The Knight of the Burning Pestle an example of

most of these devices. In a list found in Clinton-

Baddeley, ^ the forty-tv/o entries with innovcttors named

beside them, reveal the names of Ralph's Gepettos listed

only under chivalry, ns the entries on both lists overlap,

a conclusion must be drav/n:. Beaum.ont and Fletcher have not

received just recognition for their use of burlesque devices

attributed to their successors in the use of the genre. The

tv/o men kept repeating in print that "a really good piece of

v/riting could attract the attention only of a chosen and

initiated f ev/. "^^ For The Knirrht to reach the chosen and

initiated fev/ seems to be an exercise in futility. Shirley,

in "To the Reader" refers to the v/it of the play /i ights as

"the best v/it ever to trod our English Stage. "^^ The v/it

is molding today.

di^^

89 In conclusion. Bond lists a quotation which character-

izes the feeling elicited by a performance of The Knight

of the Burning Pestle:

The world is a stage, and life is a farce, and he that laughs most has most profit of the perform.ance. The worst thing is good enough to be laughed at, though it be good for nothing else; and the best thing, though it be good for something else, is good for nothing better.^^

V/hat better epitaph than this for a magnificent example

of the techniques of burlesque? The Knight of the Burning

Pestle is pov/erful emptiness.

APPENDIX

A. INTRODUCTION

B. ONE ACT CUTTING OF THE KNIGHT OF THE BURNING

PESTLE

C. MUSIC NOTES

D. STAGE PLOT ILLUSTRATION

E. COSTUr E NOTES

F. MAKEUP NOTES

G. PROPERTY LIST

H. PLACARD CUES

I. REHEARSAL SCHEDULE

90

91

A.

INTRODUCTION

The script and production notes included in this ap­

pendix were used in the spring of I966 as the official entry

of Meadow High School in the University Interscholastic

League one-act play contest, during v/hich time the play

received an excellent exposure before diverse audiences with

great success.

Having first established that the play cutting could be

used in contest participation (a cutting v/as submitted to

the State Drama Office for approval), this director did the

research which was to become the preliminary v/ork for the

thesis here submitted. That an early seventeenth century

burlesque drama would appeal to modern audiences v/as a

major concern; however, the concern v/as unfounded. V/hat v/as

funny to Elizabethans is still funny to "Sixty Sv/ingers."

The production v/as entered first for judgement at V/ilson

High School on March 31, 1966, v/ith Mrs. Sylvia Ashby as

critic judge. The students portraying Ralph and Luce v/ere

named best actor and actress, and V/ife and Jasper v/ere

placed on the All-star Cast; the play v/as given first pl.-ce.

92

The second, or regional, contest was held on April 21,

1966, at the University Theater on the campus of Texas

Technological College v/ith Dr. Charles Schmidt, Chairman of

the Speech and Drama Department at Sam Houston State Teachers

College, as critic judge. The play v/as again named first

of the eight entries, and the students portraying Ralph

and V/ife were named best actor and actress, with the student

playing Tim placing on the All-star Cast.

The final performance in the contest schedule v/as given

on May 5j 1966, at Hogg Auditorium on the campus of the

University of Texas, with Mr. Bill Cook, Chairman of the

Drama Department at Baylor University, as critic judge. The

play was given an unofficial third place (only first and

second place plays are acknowledged at the state level) and

the characters of Jasper and Luce v/ere placed on the All-

star Cast.

Barron's Educational Series, Inc. very graciously gave

permission to cut the play to meet the 40 minute limit, and

the cutting is taken from their publication, edited by

Benjamin V/. Griffith, Jr., of Mercer University.

Any words concerning the history of this particular

production v/ould be incomplete v/ithout naming the fifteen

93

students who worked for three months in a labor of love to

make this show the success which it became. The cast and

crew of the Meadow High School production of The. Knight of

the Burning Pestle is given as follov/s:

CAST

RALPH Zane V/right

JASPER David Sharp

LUCE Linda Horton

VENTUREWELL Dwain Hester

CITIZEN Greg Nelson

WIFE Trudie Marchbanks

TIM Tom Copeland

HUr HREY .Roy Cato

ffiSTRESS I/IERRYTHOUGHT..' Too t i e Henson

MICHAEL MERRYTHOUGHT Jim Melcher

CREW

STAGE MNAGER ' Randy Odle

ASSISTANT MANAGER Johnece V/ilson

V/ARDROBE MISTRESS Kathy Hinson

ASSISTANT V/ARDROBE Ginger Tongate

MAKEUP SUPERVISOR Sher ry Barron

94

The cast, crew, and director were especially grateful

to Superintendent Odell Wilkes and the Meadow School Board

for the financial and spiritual support received during this

period. The tovmspeople of Meadow were enthusiastic and

complimentary of the show, a fact that played no small part

in the success of The Knight of the Burning Pestle, Meadow

style. Beaumont and Fletcher live today in the most un­

likely places I

Noyce Burleson

95

B.

SCRIPT

THE KNIGHT OF THE BURNING PESTLE

List of Characters

Prologue

Sir Venturewell

Jasper Merrythought

Luce Venturewell

Sir Humphrey

Michael Merrythought

Mistress Merrythought

Ralph, an apprentice

Tim, an apprentice

Citizen

V/ife

(Prologue and Sir Venturewell may be double cast)

Approximate playing time: 38 minutes

Cast: 7 men, 3 v/omen, extras

Setting: An Elizabethan theatre circa 1605

(The Citizen, the V/ife, Ralph, and Tim are sitting belov/

among members of the audience.)

96

Enter the PROLOGUE.

PROLOGUE: From all that's near the court, from all that's

great, within the compass of the city walls, we

have now brought our scene.

(Citizen leaps on the stage)

CITIZEN:

PROLOGUE:

CITIZEN:

PROLOGUE:

CITIZEN:

PROLOGUE:

CITIZEN:

PROLOGUE:

CITIZEN:

PROLOGUE

CITIZEN:

Hold your peace, man!

V/hat do you mean, sir?

That you have no good meaning; this seven years

there hath been plays at this house, yet you

still have jeers at citizens. Now you call your

play, "The London Merchant." Down with your

title! Dov/n with your title!

Are you a member of the noble city?

I am.

RTid a freeman?

Yea, and a grocer.

So, g rocer , then , by your sv/eet favor, v/e intend

no abuse to the city.

Yes, sir! No, sir!

You seem to be an understanding man; what v/ould

you have us do, sir?

Why, present something notably in honour of the

commons of the city.

PROLOGUE:

CITIZEN:

CITIZEN:

PROLOGUE:

CITIZEN:

'na^^

97

V/hy, what do you say to "The Life and Death of

Fat Drake, or The Repairing of the Fleet-privies?"

I do not like that; but I will have a citizen,

and he shall be of my ovm trade.

PROLOGUE: Oh, you should have told us your mind a month

since; our comedy is ready to begin nov/.

'Tis all one for that, I will have a grocer,

and he shall do admirable things.

What will you have him do?

r/Iarry, I will have him. . . .

WIFE (below): Husband, Husband!

CITIZEN: V/hat say est thou, cony?

V/IFE (below): Let him kill a lion with a pestle, husband!

Let him kill a lion with a pestle!

CITIZEN: So he shall. . . .I'll have him kill a lion

WIFE:

CITIZEN:

with a pestle.

Husband! Shall I come up, husband?

Ay, cony. . . .Ralph, help your mistress this

v/ay. -Pray, gentleman, make her a little room.

I pray you, sir, lend m.e your hand to help up

my vd.fe. I thank you, sirs. So. . . .

(V/ife comes onto s tage)

98

PROLOGUE:

WIFE:

Let my wife and I have a couple of stools and

then begin; and let the grocer do rare things.

But, sir, we have never a boy to play the part;

every one hath a part already.

Husband, Husband, for my sake, let Ralph play

him!

Well remembered, wife. Come up, Ralph. -I'll

tell you, gentleman, lend him a suit of reparel

and necessaries.

(Ralph comes on stage, followed by Tim.)

CITIZEN:

WIFE:

CITIZEN:

RALPH:

I pray you, let him have a suit of reparel!

I'll be sv/orn, sir, my husband tells you true.

Ralph will act you sometimes, v/e'11 fear our

children with him. We do but cry, "Ralph

comes, Ralph comes!" and they'll be quiet as

lambs. -Hold up thy head, Ralph; show the

gentleman what thou canst do; speak a huffing

part. I v/arrant you, the gentleman v/ill accept

of it.

Do, Ralph, do.

"By heaven, methinks, it v/ere an easy leap to

pluck bright honour from the pale-faced moon;

or dive into the bottom of the sea, where never

99

CITIZEN:

PROLOGUE:

fathom-line touched any ground, and pluck up

drovmed honour from the lake of hell."

How say you, gentleman, is it not as I told you?

He shall have a suit of apparel, if he will go

m .

CITIZEN: In, Ralph, in.

(Exit Ralph and Tim)

WIFE:

PROLOGUE:

CITIZEN:

PROLOGUE:

WIFE:

CITIZEN:

I warrant, our Ralph will look finely when he's

dressed.

But v/hat v / i l l you h a v e ' i t c a l l e d ?

"The G r o c e r ' s Honour."

Methinks "The Knight of the Burning Pestle"

were better.

I ' l l be sv/orn, husband, t h a t ' s as good a name

as can b e .

Let it be so. Begin, begin; my v/ife and I will

sit dovm.

PROLOGUE: I pray you, do.

CITIZEN: Come, wife.

V/IFE: Sit you merry all, gentlemen; I'm bold to sit

amongst you for my ease.

(CITIZEN AND WIFE SIT DOV/N)

PROLOGUE: From all that's near the court, from all that's

great, within the compass of the city v-alls, v/e

100

now have brought our scene. For wicked mirth

never true pleasure brings, but honest minds are

pleased with honest things. That much for

that we do; but for Ralph's part, you must

answer for yourself.

CITIZEN: Take you no care for Ralph; he'll discharge

himself, I warrant you.

(Exit Prologue)

WIFE: I' faith, gentlem.en, I'll give my v/ord for Ralph.

(Scene: VENTUREWELL HOUSE)

(Enter Venturewell and Jasper)

VENTUREWELL: Sirrah, I'll make you knov/ you are my prentice,

and v/hom my charitable love redeemed even from

the fall of fortune; gave thee heat and grov/th,

to become what now thou art. Nev/-cast thee;

you know you are but a merchant's factor.

JASPER: Sir, I do confess I am your apprentice, bound

both by love and duty to your service. I have

not lost in bargain, nor delighted to v:ear your

honest gains upon my back. For your daughter,

if there be any love borne by her virtuous

self, I cannot stop it.

VENTUREV/ELL: 'Tis very v/ell, sir; I can tell your v/isdom

hov/ all this shall be cured. I here disciic:.rge

101

you my house and service; take your liberty;

and when I want a son, I'll send for you.

(Exit Venturewell)

JASPER:

(Enter Luce)

LUCE:

JASPER:

LUCE:

JASPER:

LUCE:

These be the fair rev/ards of them that love!

Oh, you that live in freedom, never know the

travail of a mind led by desire!

Why, how now, friend? Struck vd.th my father's

thunder?

Struck, and struck dead. I am now no more

your father's.

But mine.

But yours, and only yours, I am. You dare be

constant still?

Oh, fear me not! In this I dare be better than

a v/oman.

JASPER

LUCE:

JASPER

LUCE:

You know my rival?

Yes, and love him dearly; even as I love foul

weather. I prithee, Jasper, fear him not.

Oh, no! But to our own desires; you knov/ the

plot v/e both agreed on?

Yes, and v/ill perform my part exactly.

102

JASPER: I desire no more. Farewell, and keep my heart;

'tis yours.

I'UCE: I take it; he must do miracles to make me for­

sake it.

(Exeunt severally)

CITIZEN: Fie upon 'em, the little infidels! V/hat a

matter's here now! Well, I'll be hanged for a

halfpenny, if there be not some abomination

knavery in this play.

V/IFE: Let 'em brew and bake, too, husband, a' God's

name; Ralph will find all out, I warrant you.

(Enter Humphrey and Venturewell from another room in the

House of Venturewell)

HUMPHREY: I thank you, sir, indeed, I thank you, sir.

VENTUREV/ELL: Well, sir, you knov/ my love, and rest, I hope,

assured of my consent; get but my daughter's,

and v/ed her when you please. You must be

bold, and clap in close unto her. Come, I

know you have language good enough to v/in a

v/ench!

WIFE (aside): H'as been an old stringer in 's days, I

warrant him.

HUMPHREY: I take your gentle offer, sir.

103

VENTUREWELL: What, Luce! Within there?

(Enter Luce)

LUCE: Called you, sir?

VENTUREWELL: I did; give entertainment to this gentleman;

to her, sir; my presence v/ill but be an eye­

sore to you.

(Exit Venturewell)

HUMPHREY:

LUCE:

HUT4PHREY:

LUCE:

HUMPHREY:

LUCE:

HUI^HREY:

LUCE:

Fair Mistress Luce, how do you? are you well?

Give me your hand and then I pray you tell how

doth your little sister and your brother; and

whether you love me or any other.

Sir, these are quickly ansv/ered.

So they are, where women are not cruel.

What makes you think of that, sir?

Even that face.

Beshrev/ me, sir, I am sorry, but as the proverb

says, I cannot cry. I v/ould you had not seen

me!

So v/ould I , unless you had more i n c l i n a t i o n to

do me good.

V/hy, cannot t h i s s t range passion be v/ithstood?

Send for a cons tab le , and r a i s e the tov/n.

104

HUT'IPHREY:

LUCE:

HUMPHREY:

LUCE:

HUT'IPHREY:

LUCE:

HUMPHREY:

LUCE:

HUMPHREY:

LUCE:

Oh, no! My v a l i a n t love v/ i l l b a t t e r dov/n

millions of constables!

Weak women cannot hope, where valiant men have

no resistance. . . .well, what would you more?

Nothing.

V/hy, then , f a rewe l l .

Nor so, nor so; for, lady, I must tell, before

we part, for what we met together.

V/hy, sir, you know my vdll is nothing worth

vd-thout my father's grant; get his consent, and

then you may with assurance try me.

The worshipful your sire \d.ll not deny me; for

I have asked him, and he hath replied, "Sweet

lister Humphrey, Luce shall be thy bride."

Sweet Master Humphrey, then I am content.

And so am I, in truth.

Yet, take this with you; there is another clause

must be annexed, and this it is; I swore, and

will perform it, no man shall ever joy me as

his v/ife but he that stole me hence. If you

dare venture, I am yours (you need not fear;

my father loves you); if not, farev/ell forever!

Our course must lie through V/altham-forest,

105

where I have a friend will entertain us. So,

farewell. Sir Humphrey, and think upon your

business.

(Exit Luce)

HUMPHREY: And this it was she sv/ore, never to marry but

such a one whose mighty arm could carry her

bodily away in the vd.ld Walthara-forest. Though

I die, I am resolved to venture life and limb

for one so young, so fair, so kind, so trim.

(Exit Humphrey)

WIFE: By my faith, George, it is e'en the kindest

young man that ever trod on shoe leather. . . .

Fie, this stinking tobacco kills me! V/ould

there were none in England!. . . .Nov/ I pray,

what good does this stinking tobacco do you?

Nothing, I v/arrant you; makes chimneys of

your face!

(Enter Ralph v dth Tim)

WIFE: Oh, husband, husband, now, now! There's Ralph,

there's Ralph!

CITIZEN: Hark you, Ralph; do not strain yourself too

much at the first.

RALPH: What brave spirit v/ould be content to sit in h:i s

106

TIM:

RALPH:

shop, a blue apron before him? V/hy should not

I, then, pursue this course, both for the credit

of myself and our company? For amongst all the

worthy books of achievements, I do not call to

mind that I yet read of a grocer-errant. I

will be the said knight. Have you heard of any

that hath wandered unfurnished of his squire?

My prentice Tim shall be my trusty squire.

Hence, my blue apron! Yet, in remembrance of

my former trade, upon my shield shall be

portrayed a Burning Pestle, and I will be

called the Knight of the Burning Pestle. Tim!

Anon.

My beloved squire, I charge you that from hence­

forth you never call me by any other name but

"the right courteous and valiant Knight of the

Burning Pestle"; and that you never call any

female by the name of v/bman or v/ench, but "fair

lady" or "distressed damsel"; that you call

all forests and heaths deserts and all horses

"palfreys." My beloved squire, Tim, stand out.

Admit this v/ere a desert, and over it a knight

107

errant pricking, and I should bid you inquire

of his intents, what would you say?

TIM: Sir, my master sent me to knov/ whither thou art

riding?

RALPH: No, thus; "Fair sir, the right courteous and

valiant Knight of the Burning Pestle commanded

me to inquire upon what adventure you are bound,

whether to relieve some distressed damsel, or

otherwise."

TIM: Right courteous and valiant Knight of the

Burning Pestle, here is a distressed damsel to

have a halfpenny-v/orth of pepper.

RALPH: Relieve her, with all courteous language. Now

shut up shop; no more my apprentice, but my

trusty squire. I must bespeak my shield and

arming pestle.

(Exit Tim and Ralph)

CITIZEN: Go thy ways, Ralph! AS I'm a true man, thou

art the best on 'em all.

WIFE: Ralph! Ralph!

RALPH (around the curtain): What say you, mistress?

WIFE:

RALPH:

Come again quickly, sv/eet Ralph.

By and by.

108

(Scene MERRYTHOUGHT MANOR)

(Enter Mistress Merrythought and Jasper)

MISTRESS r^RRYTHOUGHT: Give thee my blessing! No, I'll

ne'er give thee my blessing; thou art thy

father's ovm son, of the right blood of the

Merrythoughts. I m.ay curse the time that e'er

I knew thy father; he hath spent all his ovm

and mine, too; and when I tell him of it, he

laughs, and dances, and sings, and cries, "a

merry heart lives long-a." / nd thou art a

wastethrift, and art run away from thy master

that loved thee v/ell, and thou art come to me.

And I have laid up a little for my younger

Michael, and thou thinkest to bezzle for that,

but thou shalt never be able to do it. -Come

hither, I^chael.

(Enter Mchael)

Come, Michael, down on the knees; thou shalt

have my blessing.

iMICHAEL: (kneels) I pray you, mother, pray to God to

bless me.

MISTRESS MERRYTHOUGHT: God bless thee! -but Jasper shall

never have my blessing; he shall be hanged

109

first; shall he not, Michael? Hov/ sayest thou?

MICHAEL: Yes, forsooth, mother.

MISTRESS MERRYTHOUGHT: That's a good boy!

V/IFE: I' faith, it's a fine-spoken child.

JASPER: Mother, though you forget a parent's love, I

must preserve the duty of a child.

V/IFE: Ungracious child, I warrant him!

JASPER: My coming only is to beg your love. Mother,

which I must ever, though I never gain it.

MSTRESS MERRYTHOUGHT: No more v/ords, Jasper; get thee gone.

Thy father's spirit upon thee.

(Exit Jasper)

MSTRESS r^RRYTHOUGHT: So, Michael, now get thee gone, too.

MICHAEL: Yes, forsooth. Mother.

MSTRESS MERRYTHOUGHT: I'll fetch my money and jev/els, and

follov/ thee.

(Exit Michael)

MISTRESS MERRYTHOUGHT: Jasper shall not think v/hen all his

ov/n is gone, to spend that I have been scraping

up for Michael.

(Exit Mistress Merrythought)

(Scene: IN FIERCE WALTHAM FOREST)

110

CITIZEN: Sirrah! Bid the players send Ralph; or, I'll

tear some of their perivd.gs beside their heads;

this is all riff-raff!

(Enter Mstress Merrythought and Mchael)

MISTRESS MERRYTHOUGHT: Come, r4ichael, art thou not weary,

boy?

MICHAEL: No, forsooth, mother, not I.

MISTRESS r/ERRYTHOUGHT: Where be we now, child?

MICHAEL: Indeed, forsooth, mother, I cannot tell, mother,

forsooth.

MISTRESS I^RRYTHOUGHT: Come, child, sit dov/n, and I'll show

my fine boy fine knacks, indeed. (They sit down;

and she takes out a jev/el casket) Look here,

Mchael; here's a ring, and here's a brooch,

and here's a bracelet, and here's two rings

more, and here's money and gold by th'eye,

my boy.

r^CHAEL: Shall I have all this, mother?

MISTRESS r/ExRRYTHOUGHT: Ay, Mchael, thou shalt have all,

Michael.

CITIZEN: How likest thou this, wench?

WIFE: I cannot tell; I v/ould have Ralph, George;

I'll see no more else.

Ill

(Enter Ralph and Tim)

CITIZEN:

WIFE:

RALPH:

Here's Ralph! Here's Ralph! f

How do you do, Ralph? You are v/elcome, Ralph,

as I may say; it's a good boy, hold up thy head,

and be not afraid.

My trusty squire, unlace my hat, give me my

helm. Where are we and what desert may this be?

0, Mirror of Knighthood, this is, as I take it,

the perilous V/altham Dovm; in whose bottom

stands the enchanted valley.

MISTRESS MERRYTHOUGHT: 0, Michael, v/e are betrayed, we are

betrayed! Here be giants! Fly, boy! Fly,

boy, fly!

(Exit Mchael and Mistress Merrythought, leaving the casket

TIM:

of jewels.)

RALPH: Lace on my helm again. V/hat noise is this?

a gentle lady, flying the embrace of some

uncourteous knighti I will relieve her. Go,

squire, and say, the Knight that v/ears this

pestle in honour of all ladies, swears revenge

upon that cov/ard that pursues her; go, comfort

her, and that same gentle squire that bears

her company

112

TIM: I go, brave kn igh t .

(Exit Tim)

RALPH: I sv/ear by this bright burning pestle, here I

vow never to end the quest of this fair lady

and that forsaken squire till by my valour I

gain their liberty!

(Ralph exits)

V/IFE: Ay, marry, Ralph, this has some savour in't;

I would see the proudest of them all offer to

carry his books after him. But, George, I

will not have him go away so soon; T shall be

sick if he go av/ay, that I shall. Call Ralph

again, George, call Ralph again; I prithee,

sweetheart, let him come fight before me, and

let's ha' some drums and some trumpets, and

let him kill all that comes near him, an thou

lovest me, George!

CITIZEN: Peace a little, bird; he shall kill them all.

(Enter Jasper)

JASPER: Nov/, fortune, shov/ me thy better face. This is

the place of meeting. Oh, age, v/here only

wealthy men are counted happyi Hov/ shall I

please thee, when I am only rich in misery?

113

Perhaps fresher air breeds me a fresher fortune.

How! Illusion? (sees the casket). What, hath

the devil coined himself before me? 'Tis metal

good, it rings well; I am v/aking, and taking,

too, I hope. Now, God's dear blessing upon his

heart that left it here! 'Tis mine; these

pearls, I take it, v/ere not left for swine.

(Exit Jasper with casket)

^ IFE: I do not like that this unthrifty youth should

embezzle away the money.

(Enter Ralph and Tim)

RALPH: Comes not sir squire again?

TIM: Right courteous knight, your squire doth come,

and with him comes the lady!

(Enter Mistress Merrythought and Michael)

RALPH: Madam, if any service of a poor errant knight

may right your v/rongs, coinmand it.

MISTRESS MERRYTHOUGHT: Alas, sir', I am a poor gentlewoman,

and I have lost my money in this forest!

RALPH: Desert, you v/ould say, lady; and not lost,

whilst I have sv/ord and lance. Tell the story

of your disastrous fortune.

MISTRESS MERRYTHOUGHT: Out, alas: I left a thousand pound,

a thousand pound, e'en all the r.eney I had laid

114

up for this youth, upon the sight of your

mastership, you looked so grim, and, as I may

say it, more like a giant than a mortal man.

RALPH: I am as you are, lady; so is he. A11 mortal.

But why weeps this gentle squire?

MISTRESS MERRYTHOUGHT: Has he not cause to weep, do you

think, when he hath lost all his inheritance?

RALPH: Young hope of valour, weep not; I am here. I

will confound thy foe, and pay it dear upon his

coward head.

(All march off)

(Scene: MORE OF FOREST)

CITIZEN: Did not I tell you, Nell, what your man would

do?

WIFE: Rjy George, we ha' done our parts, if the boy

have any grace to be thankful.

(Enter Luce and Humphrey) <

HUMPHREY: Good Mstress Luce, you're v/elcome unto

V/altham; but which way to go or v/hat to say,

I know not truly, till it be broad day.

LUCE: Oh, fear not. Master Humphrey; I am guide for

this place good enough. Faith, v/e'11 e'en sit

dovm, and take a nap.

115

(Enter Jasper)

JASPER:

LUCE:

JASPER:

Luce! Dear friend Luce!

Here, Jasper.

You are mine.

HUMPHREY:

JASPER:

HUMPHREY:

JASPER:

HUTff HREY:

LUCE:

HUr^HREY:

LUCE:

If it be so, my friend, you use me fine; what

do you think I am?

An arrant noddy!

Now, I'll tell thy master, for I know thee v/ell.

Nay, an you be so forv/ard for to tell, take

that and that; and tell him, sir, I gave it,

and say, I paid you well. (Beats him).

0, sir, I have it. Pray, be quiet.

Alas, poor Humphrey.

V/hen I came hither, v/ould I had gone to Paris!

Farev/ell, my pretty nuFip; I am very sorry I

cannot bear thee company.

HUI^HREY: Farewell.

(Exit Jasper and Luce)

CITIZEN: Ho, here comes Ralph!

(Enter Ralph, Mistress Merrythought, Michael, and Tim)

(They espy Himiphrey)

RALPH: V/hat knight i s t ha t , squire?

HUMPHREY: Sir, I am no knight, but a poor gentloi:ian, t - V, . •!-

.J'.' !. k

WIFE:

CITIZEN:

RALPH:

HW4PHREY:

116

this same knight had stolen from me, on yonder

green, my lovely vd.fe to be, and suffered such

a greeting that whilst I live I shall think of

that meeting.

Ay, Ralph, he beat him unmercifully, Ralph.

No more, wife, no more.

V/here is the vrretch hath done this deed? Lady,

your pardon; that I may proceed upon the quest

of this injurious knight.

Here comes the broker hath purloined my treasure!

(Enter Jasper and Luce)

RALPH:

TIM:

JASPER:

RALPH:

WIFE:

Go, squire, and tell him I am here, an errant

knight-at-arms, to crave delivery of that fair

lady to her ovm knight's arms. . . .If he deny,

bid him take choice of ground, and so defy him.

From the Knight that bears the golden pestle,

I defy thee, knight, unless thou make fair

restitution of that bright lady.

Tell the knight that sent thee, he is an ass;

and I mil keep the v/ench.

Knight, thou art but dead, if thou recall not

thy uncourteous terms.

Break 's pate, Ralph; break 's pate, Ralph!

117

JASPER: Come, knight; I am ready for you. Now your

pestle (snatches pestle) shall try what temper,

sir, your mortar's of!

(Knocks Ralph about)

HUMPHREY: Nay, an my noble knight be down, so soon, though

I can scarcely go, I needs must run!

(Exit Humphrey, followed by I^stress Merrythought and

Mchael)

JASPER:

LUCE:

JASPER:

LUCE:

JASPER:

LUCE:

JASPER:

Come, Luce. V/e must have other arms for you.

Humphrey and Golden Pestle, both adieu! (Walk

and look about) Come, my dear; though we have

lost our v/ay, we have not lost ourselves.

I cannot either fear, or entertain a weary

thought, v/hilst you stand by me.

Come, sit dov/n. (They sit do\m) So; will you

sleep? Sleep, I say.

I cannot sleep; indeed, I cannot, friend.

Dissemble it no more; I see the god of heavy

sleep lay on his heavy mace upon your eyelids.

I am very heavy. (Sleeps)

Sleep, sleep; and quiet rest crovm thy sv/eet

thoughts. (Pause) Though certainly I am

certain of her love, I'll try her, tliat tlie

LUCE:

JASPER

LUCE:

JASPER

WIFE:

LUCE:

118

world and memory may sing to after-times her

constancy. (Draws sword) Luce! Luce! Awake!

V^y do you fright me, friend, vath those dis­

tempered looks? V/liat makes your sword dravm in

your hand? I prithee, Jasper, sleep; thou art

vdld vd.th watching.

Come, make your way to heaven, and bid the world

farewell; you're for another life.

Oh, Jasper, how have my tender years committed

evil, thus to be cropped so untimely?

Foolish girl, canst thou im.agine I 'could love

his daughter that flung me from my fortune into

nothing? Come; by this hand you die; I must

have life and blood, to satisfy your father's

wrong.

AV/ay, George, away! Raise the v/atch and bring

a warrant! 0, my heart!

Oh, Jasper, be not cruel! If thou v/ilt kill me,

smile, and do it quickly. Strike, I am ready;

and, dying, still I love thee.

(Enter Humphrey and Venturev/ell)

VENTUREV/ELL: V/her eabout s ?

JASPER (aside) No more of this; now to myself again

w

119

HUI-IPHREY: There, there he stands, with sword!

VENTUREWELL: Sirrah, restore my daughter!

JASPER: Sirrah, no.

VENTUREWELL: Upon him, then! (They attack Jasper and force

Luce from him.)

WIFE: Dovm vrith him! Dovm vd.th him! Down v/ith him!

VENTUREV/ELL: Come your ways, minion. I'll provide a cage

for you. Horse her away.

HUT-'IPHREY: Truly, I'm glad your forces have the day.

(Exeunt severally except Jasper)

JASPER: They are gone, and I am hurt. My love is lost,

never to get again. Oh, my unhappy! Bleed,

bleed, and die! I cannot.

(Exit Jasper)

(Scene: VENTUREWELL VILLA)

WIFE: Is 'a gone, George?

CITIZEN: Ay, cony.

WIFE: Marry, and let him go sweetheart. By the faith

o' my body, 'a has put me into such a fright,

that I tremble. Look o' my little finger,

George, how it shakes. Now, in truth, every

member of my body is the v/orst for 't.

120

CITIZEN: Come, hug in mine arms, sweet mouse; he shall

not fright thee any more. Alas, mine ovm dear

heart, how it quivers!

(Enter Venturev/ell, Luce, and Humphrey)

VENTUREWELL: Go, get you up; I will not be entreated; and

gossip mine, I'll keep you from gadding out

again with boys and unthrifts; come, they are

women's tears; -Go, sirrah, and lock her in,

and keep the key safe as you love your life.

(Exit Humphrey and Luce, and Humphrey promptly reappears)

VENTUREV/ELL: Now, my son, Humphrey, you may both rest

assured of my love in this, and reap your ovm

desire.

(Bell rings offstage)

VENTUREV/ELL: V/hat, this bell?

(Enter Mstress Merrythought and Mchael)

MSTRESS r/ERRYTHOUGHT: Come, Mchael; v/e'11 set fellows

abroad to cry our purse and casket; shall we,

Mchael?

MICHAEL: Ay, I pray, mother.

MSTRESS MERRYTHOUGHT: Peace be to your v/orship! I come as

a poor suitor to you, sir, in behalf of this

child.

121.

VENTUREV/ELL: ^re you not wife to Merrythought?

MSTRESS r/ERRYTHOUGHT: Yes, truly. Would I had ne'er seen

his eyes! He has undone me and himself and his

children. V/here to get a penny to put bread in

his mouth he knows not; and therefore, if it

like your worship, I may place my child under

your protection in some settled course of life.

VENTURE\ /ELL: I'm thankful the heavens have heard my prayers.

Thy son, like an unthankful v/retch, first stole

my daughter, then wronged this gentleman, and,

last of all, gave me that grief had almost

brought me dovm unto my grave, had not a stronger

hand relieved my sorrov/s. Go, and weep as I

did, and be unpitied; for I profess an ever­

lasting hate to all thy name.

MSTRESS ]ilERRYTHOUGHT: Come, Mck. We'll go to thy nurse's,

Mck, and be beholding to none of them.

(Exit Mstress Merrythought and Mchael)

(Bell rings offstage again)

VENTUREV/ELL: V/hat, then? (Goes offstage and returns v/ith

letter. Reads) Sir, that I have v/ronged your

love I must confess. Let not your anger, good

sir, outlive me, but suffer me to reso in por.ce

122

with your forgiveness; let my body be brought

to your daughter, that she may truly know ny

hot flames are now buried. Farewell forever,

and ever be happy. Jasper. . . .God's hand is

great in this. I do forgive him; yet I am glad

he's quiet! I'll bring the body and let him

have his vail, if that be all.

HUMPHREY: I'll be your usher, sir.

(Exit Humphrey and Venturewell)

(Enter Luce)

LUCE: Thou art the end of all, and the sv/eet rest of

all, come, come, oh, death! Bring me to thy

peace and blot out all the memory I nourish of

my father and m ^ cruel friend! (Moves aside as

Venturewell and Humphrey enter carrying casket)

(Enter Venturev/ell and Humphrey v/ho place coffin then exit

speaking in lov/ tones. )

LUCE: (Looks under cover and is aghast) This dead man

that once I loved! Oh, my friend! Hast thou

deceived me thus, and got before me? I shall

not long be after. But, believe m.e, thou v/ert

too cruel, Jasper, 'gainst thyself, in punislnng

the fault I could have pardoned, v'ath r.o i.T'tinely

Ew. r

"Wv

"wms^^

w'j-

123

death; thou didst not v/rong me, but ever wert

most kind, most true, most loving; and I the

most unkind, most false, most cruel! First I

vail sing thy dirge, then kiss thy pale lips,

and die myself, and fill one coffin and the

grave together.

(She removes the cloth and Jasper rises up from the coffin)

JASPER: And thus you meet the living!

LUCE: Save me, heaven!

JASPER: Nay, do not fly me, fair; I am no spirit; look

better on me; do you know me yet?

Oh, thou dear shadov/ of my friend!

Dear substance, I sv/ear I am no shadov/; feel my

hand, it is the same as at was; I am your Jasper,

your Jasper that's yet living, and yet loving.

LUCE: (Kisses him) So, now I am satisfied you are no

spirit, but my ovm truest, truest, truest

friend; v/hy do you come thus to me?

JASPER: First, to see you; then to convey you hence.

Within this coffin do convey yourself; fear

nothing, dearest love.

(Luce lies dov/n in the coffin, and Jasper covers her v:ith the

cloth) (Hides behind curtain)

LUCE:

JASPER:

WIFE:

124

I have the bravest thing for Ralph to do, George;

prithee, call him quickly.

CITIZEN: Ralph! V/hy, Ralph, boy!

(Enter Ralph)

RALPH:

CITIZEN:

WIFE:

RALPH:

WIFE:

Here, sir.

Come hither, Ralph. Come to thy mistress, boy.

Ralph, I would have thee call all thy youths

together in battle-ray with drums, and guns, and

flags, and march in pompous fashion, and exhort

your soldiers to be merry, and wase, and to

keep their beards from burning, Ralph; and then

skirmash, and let your flags fly, and cry,

"Kill, kill, kill!" Do bravely, Ralph, and

think before v/hom you perform, and v/hat person

you represent.

I warrant you, mistress; if I do it not, for the

honour of the city and the credit of my m aster,

let me never hope for freedom .

V/ell spoken, i ' faith.

(Scene: A BATTLEFIELD)

(Ralph exits)

(Drums sound from v/i thin)

WIFE: Hark, George, the drums! Oh, indeed 'tis

wonderful!

125

(Enter Tim and Ralph)

RALPH: March fair, my hearts! Lieutenant, beat the

rear up Ancient, let your colours fly. Open

thy files, that I may take a view both of your

persons and munition. -Sergeant, call a muster.

(Tim takes turns as each soldier)

SERGEANT:

HAMMERTON:

RALPH:

HAMMERTON:

RALPH:

SERGEANT:

RALPH

RALPH:

Stand! -V/illiam Hammerton, pev/terer!

Here, Captain.

A corselet and a Spanish pike; 'tis well; can

you shake it with a terror?

I hope so. Captain.

Charge upon me. (Charges upon Ralph) -'Tis

with the weakest; but more strength, William

Hammerton, more strength. As you v/ere.

Proceed Sergeant.

George Greengoose, poulterer.

GREENGOOSE: Here!

Let me see your gun, neighbor Greengoose; v/hen

was she shot in?

GREENGOOSE: An't like you, master captain, I made a shot

even nov/, partly to scour her, and partly to

prove my audacity.

It should seem so certainly, for her breath i:

yet inflamed; besides, the touchhold runc> c.nd

RALPH:

126

stinketh. Get you a feather, neighbor, and it

may do well enough. . V/here's your pov/der?

GREENGOOSE: Here.

V/hat, in a paper! AS I am a soldier and a

gentleman, it craves a court martial! You ought

to die for 't. But let me tell you no more.

-Stand, till I viev/ you all. (Looks over Tim)

Remove and march! (Tim marches) Soft and fair,

gentlemen, soft and fair! Double your files!

AS you v/ere! Faces about! Nov/, you vath the

sodden face, keep in there!' iidvance your pikes,

stand and give earl Gentlemen, countrymien,

friends, and my fellov/ soldiers, I have brought

you this day, from the shops of security and the

counters of content, to measure out in these

furious fiends honour by the ell, and prov/ess

by the pound. Fear not in the face of the enemy,

nor the noise of the guns, for, believe me,

brethren, the rude rujiibling of the brev/er's cart

is far more terrible, of v/hich you have a daily

experience; neither let the stink of pov/der of­

fend you, since a more valiant stink is nightly

with you. I have no more to say but t}ii.'-':

127

stand, lads, and shov/ to the world you can as

well brandish a sv/ord as shake an apron. Saint

George, and on!

TIM: Saint George! Saint George!

(Exit Tim and Ralph, marching out.)

(Scene: VENTUREV/ELL VILLA)

(Enter Venturewell)

VENTUREV/ELL: Before we bury the body of this fellow, v/e

carry it to his old father, for I have fitted

him a bargain nov/ v/ill vex him.

(Enter Jasper with whitened face)

Heaven bless me! Jasper!

JASPER: Ay, I am his ghost, whom thou hast injured for

his constant love. First, knov/ thy daughter is

quite borne av/ay on v/ings of angels, and never­

more shalt thou behold her face, iind, v/hen thou

art at thy table v/ith thy friends, and filled

with sv/elling wine, I'll come in midst of all

thy pride and mirth, invisible to all men but

thyself, and whisper such a sad tale in thine ear

shall make thee let the cup fall from, thy lia:--d!

VENTUREV/ELL: Forgive me, Jasper! Oh, v/hat might 1 do, tell

me, to satisfy thy troubled ghost?

I

128

JASPER: Repent thy deed, and beat fond Humphrey out of

thy doors.

WIFE: Look, George, even his very ghost v/ould have

folks beaten.

(Enter Humphrey, running)

HUMPHREY: Father, my bride is gone, fair Mstress Luce!

VENTUREV/ELL: Hence, fool, out of my sight! Thou hast undone

me. (Beats him)

HUMPHREY: (Aside as he exits) V/hat shall I do? I have

been beaten twice for Mstress Luce!

(Enter Mstress Merrythought and Mchael)

VENTUREV/ELL: A coffin, mistress, and your dead son Jasper

in it.

MSTRESS r-ERRYTHOUGHT: Dead!

(Jasper springs forward)

JASPER: I pray you. Mother, do be still!

MSTRESS MERRYTHOUGHT: Jasper's ghost!

JASPER: Not so. Mother. By my troth, 'tis too hot for

me there.

VENTUREWELL: Oh, Mstress Merrythought, I come to ask your

forgiveness for the v/rongs I offered you, and

your most virtuous son! I do confess my hard­

ness broke his neart. His v/andering spirit

129

(Jasper removes white mask), not yet at rest,

pursues me everyv/here, crying, "I'll haunt thee

for thy cruelty." Forgive me, mistress!

MSTRESS MERRYTHOUGHT: Why sir, I do forgive thee; and be

merry, if thou canst find a spot in thy heart

for my sweet Mchael.

VENTUREWELL: With all my heart.

MSTRESS MERRYTHOUGHT: And v/here is your true love?

JASPER: Marry, look you, mother. (Removes cloth and

Luce rises from the coffin.)

MISTRESS MERRYTHOUGHT: iih, ha! iirt thou good at that, i'

faith.

LUCE: Good, sweet father, let me entreat you. I

v/ill not be denied.

MSTRESS rffiRRYTHOUGHT: Sir, if you v/ill forgive them clap

their hands together. There's no more to be

said i' the matter.

VENTUREV/ELL: (V/iping brow) I do, I do.

CITIZEN: I do not like this. Hear me, one of you.

Everybody's part is come to an end but Ralph's,

and he's left out.

PROLOGUE: V/e have nothing to do v/ith his part.

CITIZEN: Ralph, come av/ay!

(Enter Ralph v/ith an arrow through his head, accompanied by

PPT"

130

sorrowful Tim)

R/iLPH: V/hen I v/as mortal, I did perform m.any achieve­

ments. Coming home, and sitting in my shop with

apron blue,. Death came into my stall. Took I up

my bow and shaft in hand, but there grim cruel

death met me and shot this forked arrow through

ray head; and now I feel faint. Farewell, all

you good boys in merry London! -My pain in­

creaseth; I die! Fly, fly, my soul, to Grocer's

Hall! Oh, oh, oh, etc. (Falls to floor)

WIFE: V/ell said, Ralph! V/ell said.

(Ralph rises and takes bow v/ith Tim, then both exit)

MSTRESS MERRYTHOUGHT: Methinks all we, thus kindly and un­

expectedly reconciled, should not depart v/ith­

out a song.

VENTUREWELL: ^ good motion. (V/aves for music)

(Music begins and all exeunt severally in different directions)

CITIZEN: Come, Nell, shall v/e go'? The play's done.

V/IFE: I thank you all, gentlemen, for your patience

and countenance to Ralph, a poor fatherless

child. I thank you v/ith all my heart. God

give you a good night. -Come, George.

(Return to position in audience B.^ curtain closes and nusic

fades)

131

C .

mSlC NOTES

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THE MUSIC FOR THE PRODUCTION: The tune is taken from

the Roger Mller best-seller, "England Swings' and arranged

by I4rs. Sylvia Hazlerig of Lubbock, Texas. The arrangement

for soprano recorder, alto recorder, bass recorder, and

harpsichord was prerecorded and the tape used during per­

formances. The first recognition of the musical source adds

to the burlesque atmosphere of the play itself and makes the

show contemporary in approach.

THE ICSIC CUES FOR THE PRODUCTION: Curtain opens

following the beginning of the recording, "England Sv/ings."

One chorus plays; then follows a quick fade of volume as

Prologue enters on the words, "rosy red cheeks. . . . "

(Recorder set -- 6B; Volume 9)

132

AS Ralph departs through the doors on his exit ("Let me

never hope for freedom!"), bagpipe music begins (Major re­

cording) on nine as Ralph and Tim enter; the music fades to

five as the lines begin. Bring volume up to nine as Ralph

says, "Saint George and on!", after which follows a quick

fade out on Ralph and Tim's exit.

AS Venturewell waves his hand for music and says, 'A

good motion," bring music up to five and play through George

and Nell's final lines and exit. On Nell's final line

("God give you a good night. Come, George!") bring volume

up to nine and fade quickly as the curtain closes.

D .

STAGE PLOT

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134

E

COSTUME NOTES

(Source Book: Lucy Barton, Historic Costume for the Stage,

Walter H. Baker Co., Boston I96I)

135

(1)

TIM AND RALPH

TIM RALPH

Blue Cap

Striped Doublet (Blue)

Blue Cap

V/hite Collar

Dark Blue Bloom.ers Blue Doublet

Dark Blue Tights Light Blue Bloomers

Black Shoes Dark Blue Apron

Dark Blue Overcoat Light Blue Tights

Medium Blue Hat Dark Blue Shoes

White Collar and Cuffs Pestle Case and Pestle

White Apron (Rx)

136

(2)

CITIZEN AND WIFE

CITIZEN (GEORGE) V/IFE (NELL)

Dark Brown Hat

Light Br ov/n Doublet

Dark Br ov/n Belt

Dark Brown Bloomers

Light Brov/n Tights

Dark Brov/n Shoes

Dark Brov/n Hat

V/hite V/himple

Light Brown Dress

V/hite Apron

Keys and Chain

Black Shoes

Brov/n Tights

137

(3)

JASPER AND LUCE

JASPER LUCE

Red Hat V/ith Feather Ye 1 lov/ Dress

Red Doublet White Ruff/Cuffs

V/hite Collar and Ruff V/hite Tights

Black Belt White Shoes

Red Bloomer Jewelry

Black Tights

Black Shoes

138'

(4)

VENTUREWELL AND HUMPHREY

VENTUREWELL SIR HUMPHREY

Dark Blue Cap

V/hite Ruff and Col lar

Blue/Black Doublet

Green Hat

Green/Blue Doublet

Green Belt

Black Bloomers Green Bloomers

Black Tights Green Tights

Black Shoes Green Shoes

Black Belt

m^'

(5)

MISTRESS MERRYTHOUGHT AND MICHAEL

139

r-aSTRESS 'IERRYTHOUGHT MICHAEL

Maroon/V/hite Dress Pink Cap

White Tights V/hite Ruff and Collar

Black Shoe; Pink Doublet

White Ruff/Cuffs Pink Bloomers (Lace)

Jewelry Pink Tights

Pink Shoes

140

TIM AND RALPH IN BATTLE REPAREL

TIM RALPH

Blue Cap

Striped Doublet (Blue)

Gold Helmet

V/hite Plume

Dark Blue Bloomers V/hite Ruff

Dark Blue Tights Silver Breast Plate

Black Shoes

Dark Blue Overcoat

Orange Sleeves

Black Cape (Green Lining)

Medium Blue Hat Striped Pants

V/hite Collar and Cuffs Black Boots

V/hite Apron (Rx) Orange Flov/er

Green Flov/er

w

141

F.

MKE-UP NOTES

(Source book: Richard Corson, Stage Make-up, Appleton-

Century-Crofts, Inc., New York, 1949)

Charts for each of the characters should be made, v/ith the

number and type of each make-up item listed and drawn for

him. The follov/ing are generalities which should be noted:

RALPH: Ralph has a large, Bergeracian nose. His

general make-up is juvenile, paying special

attention to the blending of the nose putty

v/ith the skin. His hair should be a distinc­

tive feature, grown very thick and bushy with

bangs in the front and shaved all the way

around the back level v/ith the top of his

ears. In case of parental objections to the

humorous appearance this haircut produces, use

a v/ig in the same cut. Ralph is played as

tv/enty years old.

TIM: Tim uses juvenile make-up v/ith special atten­

tion to rosy red cheeks. His hair may be dyed

red for contrast, and should be as long as

possible. Tim i.z fifteen years old.

142

CITIZEN: Citizen uses hair whitener to give a temple-

graying. He wears a blended crepe-hair beard

and mustache, which must give clearance to the

pipe stem which he removes often from his

mouth. Some wrinkles are applied to his hands

and neck. The Citizen is fifty years old.

V/IFE: The V/ife has basic make-up for her age. She

may have a mole on her chin, and some wrinkles

are .applied to her hands and neck. Her hair is

covered by her hat and headcloth. The V/ife is

forty-five years old.

JASPER: Jasper has basic make-up except for a risque

mustache to match his coal-black hair, v/hich

should be long and styled. A rakish angle for

the eyebrov/s may be applied v/ith pencil.

Jasper is tv/enty-tv/o years old.

LUCE: Luce uses basic make-up. She should be as

beautiful as possible, v/ith ostentious eye

make-up. Her hair is upsv/ept v/ith an orna­

ment across the bangs. Luce is tv/enty years

old.

^Ljyyjy,.

143

VENTUREV/ELL: Venturev/ell uses basic make-up. He uses hair

whitener for hair and temples, and displays a

blended crepe-hair beard and mustache, very v/ell

groomed. His hair should be long and styled.

He has one earring in his left ear lobe. Some

v\rrinkles are applied to his hands and neck.

Venturewell is fifty years old.

HUI^HRE Y: Humphrey uses basic juvenile make-up. He, too,

has .a rakish mustache; however, one end may dip

slightly for a humorous effect. His hair should

be long and styled. Humphrey is tv/enty-five

years old.

MICHAEL: Michael uses very light juvenile make-up, with

very red lips and cheeks, and special atten­

tion paid to his hands and neck. His hair

should be long and as curly as possible. Be­

cause Michael should be played by a very large

actor, the paler he looks, the funnier. I-llchael

is eighteen years old.

ICrSTRESS MERRYTHOUGHT: Mistress Merrythought uses basic

make-up for her age. She may have an unusual

amount of v/rinkles; hov/ever, she must not look

144

too grotesque. Her hair is upswept. Her ag<

is forty-five.

NOTE: These characters are played older than they were

possibly intended to give credibility to the per­

formance for our modern audience.

G.

PROPERTY LIST

145

CAST PROP REPAIRED PACKED

VENTUREV/ELL HANDKERCHIEF

LETTER

SNUFF BOX

HUT IPHREY SWORD AND BELT

CITIZEN PIPE AND TOBACCO

JASPER SV/ORD

LILY

MASK

MISTRESS MERRY, JEV/ELS

JEV/EL CASK

WIFE KEYS

HIP PADS

RALPH PESTLE AND CASE

ARROW

BREAST PLATS

HELMET AND PLUT'IE

TIM BROKEN LANCE

SHIELD

CORSELET

146

CAST PROP REPAIRED PACKED

CANTEENS

RIFLE

SPEAR

SV/ORD

UTENSILS

POV/DER POUCH

BED ROLL

PAPER SACK

KNAP SACK

FLAG (INITIAL R)

HELr#:T

MISCELLANEOUS TV/O STOOLS

BELL

PLACARDS

CASKET

BLACK CLOTH

BLACK PILLOW

EASEL

RECORDER

EAR PHONES

CUE SHEET/BOARD

EXTENSION CORD

STOP V/ATCH

PLACARDS:

CUES

147

H.

PLACARD CUES

1.' VENTUREV/ELL VILLA

2. MERRYTHOUGHT MANOR

3. IN FIERCE WALTHAM FOREST

4. MORE OF YE OLDE FOREST

5. A BATTLEFIELD?

6. YE OLDE END

(Placards printed in English-style lettering)

1. FOLLOV/ING PROLOGUE'S EXIT IN OPENING SCENE,

PLACE (1). • CUE: CITIZEN: "Take you no

care of Ralph; he'll discharge himself, I

warrant you."

2. FOLLOV/ING SIR HUMPHREY'S EXIT, TAKE AV/AY

(1). CUE: HUMPHREY: "I am resolved to

venture life and lim_b for one so young, so

fair, so kind, so trim."

3. FOLLOV/ING GEORGE AND NELL'S COIIVKRSATIOII

WITH RALPH, V/IIO IS B: ]II:;D THE CU::TAI::

UB

DRESSING, PLACE (2). CUE: RALPH: "What

say you, Mstress?".

4. FOLLOWING I^STRESS MERRYTHOUGHT'S EXIT,

PLACE (3) AND REMOVE (2). CUE: MISTRESS

I4ERRYTH0UGHT: "To spend that I have been

saving up for Mchael."

5. FOLLOWING RALPH'S EXIT, PLACE (4) AND

REMOVE (3). CUE: RALPH: "I will con­

found thy foe, and pay it dear upon his

coward head."

6. FOLLOV/ING JASPER'S EXIT, PLACE (1) AND

REMOVE (4). CUE: JASPER: "Bleed, bleed,

and die. I cannot."

7. DURING GEORGE AND NELL'S CONVERSATION

BEFORE THE BATTLEFIELD SCENE, PLACE (5)

AND REMOVE (1). CUE: WIFE: ". . .Kill,

Kill, Kill."

B. FOLLOWING RALPH'S BATTLEFIELD SPEECH,

PLACE (1) AND REMOVE (5). CUE: RALPH:

"Saint George and on!".

149

9. FOLLOWING EVERYONE'S EXIT, PLACE (6) AND

REMOVE (1). CUE: MUSIC AND VENTUREWELL:

"A good motion!".

I.

REHEARSAL SCENES

150

CHARACTERS

JASPER

LUCE

RALPH

VENTUREV/ELL

CITIZEN

V/IFE

MCHAEL

MSTRESS MERRY.

HUI-IPHREY

TIM

1

X

X

X

X

— , — .

X

2

X

X

X

X

X

— ' — -

3

X

X

X

X

X

4

X

X

X

X

5

X

X

X

X

X

6

X

X

^_x_

X

X

X

X

7

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

B

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

9

X

X

X

X

10

X

X

X

X

X

1 1

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

The play v/as divided into eleven rehearsal scenes, so

that all ten members of the cast v/ere not required to meet

every rehearsal, especially in the beginning stages. The

natural divisions of the play lend themselves to separation

quite easily, and the changes in. action v/ere the only

criterion for the divisions.

FOOTNOTES

mary Renault, The Mask of Apollo (New York, 1966).

Samuel M. Tucker, Verse Satire in England before the Renaissance (New York, 190S).

- Richmond Bond, Engli sh Burlesoue Poetrv 1700-1750 (Cambridge, 1932), p. 3.

^V. C. Clinton-Baddeley, The Burlesoue Tradition in the English Theatre after 1600 (London, 1P52), p. 3-

5 Clinton-Baddeley, p. 1.

Clinton-Baddeley, p. 2.

' W. Flint Thrall, Addison Hibbard, and C. Hurh Holman, A Handbook to Literature (New York. 196n), p. 66.

^A. R. Heiserman, Skelton and Satire (Chicago, 1961), p. 301.

^Clinton-Baddeley,-p. 6.

^^Tucker, p. 1?^

• • For the purpose of this paper, travesty is defined as degradation of elevated material thrcurh inferior form: rarody is the orrosite, the use of a dignified form for in­ferior material'/ Burlesque enconirasses either or both.

^^All not^s on Aristophanes from the Benjamin Bickley Rogers translations.

• All notes on Plautus fron the Lionel Casson trans­lations.

'Tucker, p. 6^.

-^tucker, p. E3 -

^6Tucker, r. 102. 151

152

17 ^As quoted in Hugh V/alker, English Satire and

Satirists (London, 1925), p. 33, 1B

• Source lost in a maze of notes.

^9Bond, p. 13.

'-^^Clinton-Baddeley, p. 16. John Doebler, Ed., The Knight of the Burnin.n;

Pestle, (Lincoln, Nebraska, 1967), p. 3.

' ' Doebler, p. 3.

^^K3 quoted in Benjamin V/. Griffith, Jr., The Kni.ght of the Burning Pestle (V/oodbury, Nev/ York, I963), p. viii.

' As quoted in Griffith, p. xv.

^Thomas V/right, Dictionary of Obsolete and Provincial English (London, 1B57).

^6oxford English Dictionary (Oxford, 1933).

'^IETIC Partridge, Shakespeare's Bav/dy (Nev/ York, 194^).

' All references to acts and lines are from Doebler.

'^^A. W. V/ard, En.p:lish Drc matic Literature, Vol. II (London, 1899), p. 679.

30Doebler, p. 103.

3-^Doebler, Appendix A (The v/ords and music are included v/ith documentation).

'' 1.336, I.3B2, I.3S5, 11.60, 114^9, 11.52^, V.I63.

33As quoted in John Dover Wilson, IiflJjL_Shal^;pre^r^^ England (Cambridge, 1911), p. 45.

34Doebler, p. 101.

3^Bernard Beckerman, §h^£BI^.^lB}.^^'^S0S'k9. (New York, 1962), p. 110.

153 36

Edv/ard P. J . Corbet t , C la s s i ca l Rhetoric for

the Modern Student (New York, 1965), p . 426^'

37AS quoted in V/ard, p . 6^0.

3^Beckerman, p . 141.

39v/ard^ p . 680. ^ L a u r e n c e B. V/all is , F le tcher , Beaumont and Company

(Morningside Heights , Nev/ York, 1947), p . i x .

^^V/ard, p . 763.

- Tom Stoppard, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (New York', 1967), p. 33.

43ciinton-Baddeley, p. 140-141.

44Marchete Chute, Shakespeare_of London (New York, 1949), p. 2S7.

^^As quoted in V/allis, p. 19.

^^Bond, p. 17.

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