Shakespeare, William / Middleton, Thomas · published 1623 · first performed or written 1604 (Annals) tragicomedy · King's Men T1 Death, grief and revenge typicality 0.74 · 516 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T1: death, life, dead, die, blood, revenge, soul, father, heart, heaven.
Whatsoever you may hear to the contrary, let Claudio be executed by four of the clock, and in the afternoon Bernardine: For my better satisfaction, let me have Claudios head sent me by five. Let this be duly performed with a thought that more depends on it, than we must yet deliver. Thus fail not to do your Office, as you will answer it at your peril. What say you to this Sir? What is that Barnardine, who is to be executed in th' afternoon? A Bohemian borne: But here nursed up & bred, One that is a prisoner nine years old. How came it, that the absent Duke had not either delivered him to his liberty, or executed him? I have heard it was ever his manner to do so. His friends still wrought Repreeves for him: And indeed his fact till now in the government of Lord Angelo, came not to an undoubtful proof. It is now apparent? Most manifest, and not denied by himself. Hath he borne himself penitently in prison? How seems he to be touched? A man that apprehends death no more dreadfully, but as a drunken sleep, careless, wreaklesse, and fearless of what's past, present, or to come: insensible of mortality, and desperately mortal. He wants advice. He will hear none: he hath evermore had the liberty of the prison: give him leave to escape hence, he would not. Drunk many times a day, if not many days entirely drunk. We have very oft awaked him, as if to carry him to execution, and showed him a seeming warrant for it, it hath not moved him at all. More of him anon: There is written in your brow Provost, honesty and constancy; if I read it not truly, my ancient skill beguiles me: but in the boldness of my cunning, I will lay myself in hazard: Claudio, whom here you have warrant to execute, is no greater forfeit to the Law, than Angelo who hath sentenced him. To make you understand this in a manifested effect, I crave but four days' respite: for the which, you are to do me both a present, and a dangerous courtesy. Pray Sir, in what? In the delaying death. Alack, how may I do it? Having the hour limited, and an express command, under penalty, to deliver his head in the view of Angelo? I may make my case as Claudio's, to cross this in the smallest. By the vow of mine Order, I warrant you, If my instructions may be your guide, Let this Barnardine be this morning executed, And his head borne to Angelo. Angelo hath seen them both, And will discover the favour. Oh, death's a great disguiser, and you may add to it; Shave the head, and tie the beard, and say it was the desire of the penitent to be so bar'de before his death: you know the course is common. If any thing fall to you upon this, more than thankes and good fortune, by the Saint whom I profess, I will plead against it with my life.
nodes 1475–1499 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 30 of 43 in this edition
Length
516 words · 658 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T1 — Death, grief and revengecross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.745 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Whatſoeuer you may heare to the contrary, let Claudio be executed by foure of the clocke, and in the afternoone Bernardine: For my better ſatisfaction, let mee haue Claudios head ſent me by fiue. Let this be duely performed with a thought that more depends on it, then we muſt yet deliuer. Thus faile not to doe your Office, as you will anſwere it at your perill. What ſay you to this Sir? What is that Barnardine, who is to be executed in th' afternoone? A Bohemian borne: But here nurſt vp & bred, One that is a priſoner nine yeeres old. How came it, that the abſent Duke had not either deliuer'd him to his libertie, or executed him? I haue heard it was euer his manner to do ſo. His friends ſtill wrought Repreeues for him: And indeed his fact till now in the gouernment of Lord Angelo, came not to an vndoubtfull proofe. It is now apparant? Moſt manifeſt, and not denied by himſelfe. Hath he borne himſelfe penitently in priſon? How ſeemes he to be touch'd? A man that apprehends death no more dreadfully, but as a drunken ſleepe, careleſſe, wreakleſſe, and feareleſſe of what's paſt, preſent, or to come: inſenſible of mortality, and deſperately mortall. He wants aduice. He wil heare none: he hath euermore had the liberty of the priſon: giue him leaue to eſcape hence, hee would not. Drunke many times a day, if not many daies entirely drunke. We haue verie oft awak'd him, as if to carrie him to execution, and ſhew'd him a ſeeming warrant for it, it hath not moued him at all. More of him anon: There is written in your brow Prouoſt, honeſty and conſtancie; if I reade it not truly, my ancient skill beguiles me: but in the boldnes of my cunning, I will lay my ſelfe in hazard: Claudio, whom heere you haue warrant to execute, is no greater forfeit to the Law, then Angelo who hath ſentenc'd him. To make you vnderſtand this in a manifeſted effect, I craue but foure daies reſpit: for the which, you are to do me both a preſent, and a dangerous courteſie. Pray Sir, in what? In the delaying death. Alacke, how may I do it? Hauing the houre limited, and an expreſſe command, vnder penaltie, to deliuer his head in the view of Angelo? I may make my caſe as Claudio's, to croſſe this in the ſmalleſt. By the vow of mine Order, I warrant you, If my inſtructions may be your guide, Let this Barnardine be this morning executed, And his head borne to Angelo. Angelo hath ſeene them both, And will diſcouer the fauour. Oh, death's a great diſguiſer, and you may adde to it; Shaue the head, and tie the beard, and ſay it was the deſire of the penitent to be ſo bar'de before his death: you know the courſe is common. If any thing fall to you vpon this, more then thankes and good fortune, by the Saint whom I profeſſe, I will plead againſt it with my life.