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    The Revenger's Tragedy: “He that climbs highest had the greatest fall.”
    The Revenger's Tragedy: “He that climbs highest had the greatest fall.”
    The Revenger's Tragedy: “He that climbs highest had the greatest fall.”
    Ebook180 pages1 hour

    The Revenger's Tragedy: “He that climbs highest had the greatest fall.”

    By Thomas Middleton

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    About this ebook

    Thomas Middleton was born in London in April 1580 and baptised on 18th April. Middleton was aged only five when his father died. His mother remarried but this unfortunately fell apart into a fifteen year legal dispute regarding the inheritance due Thomas and his younger sister. By the time he left Oxford, at the turn of the Century, Middleton had and published Microcynicon: Six Snarling Satirese which was denounced by the Archbishop of Canterbury and publicly burned. In the early years of the 17th century, Middleton wrote topical pamphlets. One – Penniless Parliament of Threadbare Poets was reprinted several times and the subject of a parliamentary inquiry. These early years writing plays continued to attract controversy. His writing partnership with Thomas Dekker brought him into conflict with Ben Jonson and George Chapman in the so-called War of the Theatres. His finest work with Dekker was undoubtedly The Roaring Girl, a biography of the notorious Mary Frith. In the 1610s, Middleton began another playwriting partnership, this time with the actor William Rowley, producing another slew of plays including Wit at Several Weapons and A Fair Quarrel. The ever adaptable Middleton seemed at ease working with others or by himself. His solo writing credits include the comic masterpiece, A Chaste Maid in Cheapside, in 1613. In 1620 he was officially appointed as chronologer of the City of London, a post he held until his death. The 1620s saw the production of his and Rowley's tragedy, and continual favourite, The Changeling, and of several other tragicomedies. However in 1624, he reached a peak of notoriety when his dramatic allegory A Game at Chess was staged by the King's Men. Though Middleton's approach was strongly patriotic, the Privy Council silenced the play after only nine performances at the Globe theatre, having received a complaint from the Spanish ambassador. What happened next is a mystery. It is the last play recorded as having being written by Middleton. Thomas Middleton died at his home at Newington Butts in Southwark in the summer of 1627, and was buried on July 4th, in St Mary's churchyard which today survives as a public park in Elephant and Castle.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherStage Door
    Release dateNov 1, 2016
    ISBN9781785438790
    The Revenger's Tragedy: “He that climbs highest had the greatest fall.”

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      Book preview

      The Revenger's Tragedy - Thomas Middleton

      The Revenger's Tragedy by Thomas Middleton

      Thomas Middleton was born in London in April 1580 and baptised on 18th April.

      Middleton was aged only five when his father died. His mother remarried but this unfortunately fell apart into a fifteen year legal dispute regarding the inheritance due Thomas and his younger sister.

      By the time he left Oxford, at the turn of the Century, Middleton had and published Microcynicon: Six Snarling Satirese which was denounced by the Archbishop of Canterbury and publicly burned.

      In the early years of the 17th century, Middleton wrote topical pamphlets. One – Penniless Parliament of Threadbare Poets was reprinted several times and the subject of a parliamentary inquiry.  

      These early years writing plays continued to attract controversy.  His writing partnership with Thomas Dekker brought him into conflict with Ben Jonson and George Chapman in the so-called War of the Theatres. 

      His finest work with Dekker was undoubtedly The Roaring Girl, a biography of the notorious Mary Frith. 

      In the 1610s, Middleton began another playwriting partnership, this time with the actor William Rowley, producing another slew of plays including Wit at Several Weapons and A Fair Quarrel.

      The ever adaptable Middleton seemed at ease working with others or by himself. His solo writing credits include the comic masterpiece, A Chaste Maid in Cheapside, in 1613.

      In 1620 he was officially appointed as chronologer of the City of London, a post he held until his death.

      The 1620s saw the production of his and Rowley's tragedy, and continual favourite, The Changeling, and of several other tragicomedies.

      However in 1624, he reached a peak of notoriety when his dramatic allegory A Game at Chess was staged by the King's Men. Though Middleton's approach was strongly patriotic, the Privy Council silenced the play after only nine performances at the Globe theatre, having received a complaint from the Spanish ambassador.

      What happened next is a mystery.  It is the last play recorded as having being written by Middleton.

      Thomas Middleton died at his home at Newington Butts in Southwark in the summer of 1627, and was buried on July 4th, in St Mary's churchyard which today survives as a public park in Elephant and Castle.

      Index of Contents

      Dramatis Personae

      ACT I

      Scene I - Outside Vindici's House

      Scene II - A Court of Law

      Scene III - The Palace

      Scene IV - Antonio's House

      ACT II

      Scene I - Vindici's House

      Scene II - The Palace

      Scene III -The Duke's Bedchamber

      ACT III

      Scene I - The Palace

      Scene II - Outside the Prison

      Scene III - The Prison

      Scene IV - Junior Brother's Cell in the Prison

      Scene V - A Lodge

      Scene VI - The Prison

      ACT IV

      Scene I - The Palace

      Scene II - The Palace

      Scene III - The Palace

      Scene IV - Vindici's House

      ACT V

      Scene I - A Room in the Palace

      Scene II - Vindici's House

      Scene III - The Palace Banqueting Hall

      Thomas Middleton – A Short Biography

      Thomas Middleton – A Concise Bibliography

      Dramatis Personae

      in order of appearance

      VINDICI, the revenger, sometimes disguised as Piato

      HIPPOLITO, his brother

      GRATIANA, his mother

      CASTIZA, his sister

      DUKE

      Two JUDGES

      DUCHESS

      LUSSURIOSO, the Duke's son by a previous marriage

      AMBITIOSO, the eldest of the Duchess's three sons by a previous marriage

      SPURIO, the Duke's bastard son

      JUNIOR, the Duchess's youngest son

      SUPERVACUO, the Duchess's middle son

      ANTONIO, a virtuous old lord

      PIERO, a virtuous lord

      DONDOLO, Castiza's servant

      LORDS

      Two SERVANTS of Spurio

      NOBLES

      Four prison OFFICERS

      A prison KEEPER

      GENTLEMEN

      NENCIO  }

      SORDIDO  } Lussurioso's attendants

      A FOURTH MAN in the final masque, Ambitioso's henchman

      Guards

      ACT I

      SCENE I - Outside Vindici's House

      Enter VINDICI with a skull; the DUKE, DUCHESS, LUSSURIOSO his son, SPURIO the bastard, with a train pass over the stage with torchlight.

      VINDICI

      Duke, royal lecher, go, gray-hair'd adultery;

      And thou his son, as impious steep'd as he;

      And thou his bastard, true-begot in evil;

      And thou his duchess that will do with the devil:

      Four ex'lent characters. Oh, that marrowless age

      Would stuff the hollow bones with damn'd desires,

      And stead of heat kindle infernal fires

      Within the spendthrift veins of a dry duke,

      A parch'd and juiceless luxur! Oh God, one

      That has scarce blood enough to live upon!

      And he to riot it like a son and heir?

      Oh, the thought of that

      Turns my abused heartstrings into fret!

      Thou sallow picture of my poisoned love,

      My study's ornament, thou shell of death,

      Once the bright face of my betrothed lady,

      When life and beauty naturally fill'd out

      These ragged imperfections,

      When two heaven-pointed diamonds were set

      In those unsightly rings: then 'twas a face

      So far beyond the artificial shine

      Of any woman's bought complexion

      That the uprightest man, if such there be,

      That sin but seven times a day, broke custom

      And made up eight with looking after her.

      Oh, she was able to ha' made a usurer's son

      Melt all his patrimony in a kiss,

      And what his father fifty years told

      To have consum'd, and yet his suit been cold!

      But oh, accursed palace!

      Thee, when thou wert apparel'd in thy flesh,

      The old duke poison'd,

      Because thy purer part would not consent

      Unto his palsy-lust, for old men lustful

      Do show like young men angry, eager-violent,

      Outbid like their limited performances.

      Oh, 'ware an old man hot and vicious!

      Age, as in gold, in lust is covetous.

      Vengeance, thou murder's quit-rent, and whereby

      Thou shouldst thyself tenant to tragedy,

      Oh, keep thy day, hour, minute, I beseech,

      For those thou hast determin'd! Hum: whoe'er knew

      Murder unpaid? Faith, give revenge her due:

      Sh'as kept touch hitherto. Be merry, merry;

      Advance thee, O thou terror to fat folks,

      To have their costly three-pil'd flesh worn of

      As bare as this: for banquets, ease, and laughter

      Can make great men, as greatness goes by clay,

      But wise men little are more great than they.

      [Enter his brother HIPPOLITO.

      HIPPOLITO

      Still sighing o'er death's vizard?

      VINDICI

      Brother, welcome;

      What comfort bringst thou? How go things at court?

      HIPPOLITO

      In silk and silver, brother; never braver.

      VINDICI

      Puh,

      Thou play'st upon my meaning. Prithee say,

      Has that bald madam, opportunity,

      Yet thought upon's? Speak, are we happy yet?

      Thy wrongs and mine are for one scabbard fit.

      HIPPOLITO

      It may prove happiness.

      VINDICI

      What is't may prove?

      Give me to taste.

      HIPPOLITO

      Give me your hearing then.

      You know my place at court.

      VINDICI

      Ay, the duke's chamber.

      But 'tis a marvel thou'rt not turn'd out yet!

      HIPPOLITO

      Faith, I have been shov'd at, but 'twas still my hap

      To hold by th' duchess' skirt. You guess at that;

      Whom such a coat keeps up can ne'er fall flat.

      But to the purpose.

      Last evening predecessor unto this,

      The duke's son warily enquir'd for me,

      Whose pleasure I attended: he began

      By policy to open and unhusk me

      About the time and common rumour;

      But I had so much wit to keep my thoughts

      Up in their built houses, yet afforded him

      An idle satisfaction without danger.

      But the whole aim and scope of his intent

      Ended in this: conjuring me in private

      To seek some strange-digested fellow forth

      Of ill-contented nature, either disgrac'd

      In former times, or by new grooms displac'd

      Since his stepmother's nuptials, such a blood

      A man that were for evil only good;

      To give you the true word, some base-coin'd pander.

      VINDICI

      I reach you,

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