Ferrex and Porrex (Gorboduc)

Norton, Thomas / Sackville, Thomas, published 1570 · tragedy · University/Inns of Court;Nonprofessional · other editions of this work: 68 (1565) · other edition — not in the analysis

29chunks

14,387words

5topics

72 %unassigned

Metadata

Title	Ferrex and Porrex (Gorboduc)
Author	Norton, Thomas / Sackville, Thomas
Publication year (edition)	1570
Genre (British Drama)	tragedy
Genre group (comparison)	tragedy — from the British Drama label · Annals: tragedy
Play type	University/Inns of Court;Nonprofessional
Work / edition / TCP / DEEP	work 39 · edition 69 · TCP A08361 · DEEP 60
Edition role	Other edition — placed after the fit, excluded from the main statistics; its chunks carry the topic they were placed in, for browsing
First performance / composition (Annals)	1562 [Jan 18]
First performance (BritDrama)	1562 [Jan]
Theater	before the Court;
Printer	Day, John (1)
Publisher	Day, John (1)
Format	Octavo
Greg	39b
Genre (Annals)	Tragedy
Genre (BritDrama)	Tragedy
BritDrama no.	351
Title page	[6A1r] The Tragidie of Ferrex and Porrex,
Title-page performance note	set forth without addition or alteration but altogether as the same was shewed on stage before the Queenes Maiestie, about nine yeares past, vz. the xviij. day of Ianuarie. 1561. by the gentlemen of the Inner Temple. Seen and allowed. &c.
Corpus build	corpus-v3-2026-09-08 · nodes 1794 · witness single

Topic composition (share of words)

unassigned

72.5 %

T1 Death, grief and revenge

13.9 %

T40 Sin, guilt and violent loss within famil

3.5 %

T38 Death, parting and grief at court

3.4 %

T18 Rebels, barons and the king's wars at ho

3.3 %

T43 York and Lancaster: dynastic claims and

3.3 %

Chunks in order

#	nodes	words	topic	typ.	opening
1	0–67	531	unassigned		The silent night, that brings the quiet pause, From painful travails of the weary day, Prolongs my careful tho…
2	68–127	500	unassigned		Mother, content you, you shall see the end. The end? thy end I fear, Ioue end me first. My lords, whose grave …
3	128–188	501	unassigned		My purpose is to leave unto them twain The realm divided into two sundry parts: The one Ferrex mine elder son …
4	189–252	504	unassigned		Custom (O King) shall bring delightfulness. By use of virtue, vice shall grow in hate, But if you so dispose i…
5	253–315	498	unassigned		To throw the brother subject under feet Of him, whose peer he is by course of kind, And nature that did make t…
6	316–377	489	unassigned		Your wonted true regard of faithful hearts, Makes me (O king) the bolder to presume, To speak what I conceive …
7	378–438	492	unassigned		Your aged life draws on to feebler time, Wherein you shall less able be to bear The travails that in youth you…
8	439–507	546	unassigned		When settled stay doth hold the royal throne In steadfast place, by known and doubtless right, And chiefly whe…
9	508–569	504	unassigned		Ah love, my friends? love wrongs not whom he loves. Ne yet he wrongeth you, that giveth you So large a reign, …
10	570–631	500	unassigned		Upon his life, that gaineth by your loss, Who now to shame of you, and grief of us, In your own kingdom triump…
11	632–695	508	unassigned		The mighty Gods forbidden that ever I Should once conceive such mischief in my heart. Although my brother hath…
12	696–757	504	unassigned		To hide the mischief of their meaning there, Rumours are spread of your preparing here. The rascal numbers of …
13	758–824	519	unassigned		When youth not bridled with a guiding stay Is left to random of their own delight, And wields whole realms, by…
14	825–887	499	unassigned		O king, appease your grief and stay your plaint. Great is the matter, and a woeful case. But timely knowledge …
15	888–946	475	unassigned		Yield not, O king, so much to weak despair. Your sons yet live, and long I trust, they shall. If fates had tak…
16	947–1007	489	T1 Death, grief and revenge	0.79	O heavens sand down the flames of your revenge, Destroy I say with flash of wreakful fire The traitor son, and…
17	1008–1066	488	T1 Death, grief and revenge	0.79	On thee Porrex, thou false and caitiff wight. If after blood, so eager were thy thirst, And murderous mind had…
18	1067–1128	522	T1 Death, grief and revenge	0.84	We like and praise this speedy will in you, To work the thing that to your charge we gave. Porrex, if we so fa…
19	1129–1190	506	T40 Sin, guilt and violent loss within famil	0.90	In vain, O wretch, thou showest A woeful heart, Ferrex now lies in grave, Slain by thy hand. Yet this, O fathe…
20	1191–1252	507	T1 Death, grief and revenge	0.81	O cruel wight, should any cause prevail To make thee stain thy hands with brother's blood: But what of thee we…
21	1253–1313	495	T38 Death, parting and grief at court	0.84	O let us then repair unto the place, And see if Porrex live, or thus be slain. Alas he liveth not, it is to tr…
22	1314–1368	442	unassigned		Madame, alas, in vain these plaints are shed, Rather with me departed, and help to suage, The thoughtful grief…
23	1369–1427	475	unassigned		Shall subjects dare with force To work revenge upon their prince's fact? Admit the worst that may, as sure in …
24	1428–1489	479	T18 Rebels, barons and the king's wars at ho	0.73	These violent things may have no lasting long. Let us therefore use this for present help, Persuade by gentle …
25	1490–1549	473	T43 York and Lancaster: dynastic claims and	0.71	Which hath so long flourished in worthy fame, Of valiant hearts, such as in noble breasts Of right should rest…
26	1550–1609	478	unassigned		Their own offence than that they could conceive Such hope of pardon for so foul misdeed, Or for that they thei…
27	1610–1672	491	unassigned		Though we remain without a certain prince, To wield the realm or guide the wandering rule, Yet now the common …
28	1673–1733	487	unassigned		Be set in certain place of governance, In which your Parliament and in your choice, Prefer the right (my lords…
29	1734–1793	485	unassigned		Reserve to life? Whom shall he spare from death? Even thou (O wretched mother) half alive, Thou shalt behold t…

Grace · generated by 13_site.py from run runs_Qwen_Qwen3-Embedding-0.6B_masked_hdb10, seed 42. Texts: EEBO-TCP / EarlyPrint (CC BY-NC 3.0). Metadata: DEEP, Wiggins & Richardson.