The Complete Works of William Shakespeare - Israel Gollancz William Shakespeare [1934]
The play dramatises events in More's life, both real and legendary, in an episodic manner unified only by the rise and fall of More's fortunes. It begins with the Ill May Day events of 1517, in which More, as undersheriff of London, quells riots directed at immigrants living in London. In these scenes, More is made to express a doctrine of passive submission to civil authority which, while hardly appropriate to his fame, is pure late-Tudor orthodoxy.
Facsimile of the page written by 'Hand D', supposedly by Shakespeare
Sir Thomas Moore
Sir Ian McKellen in the title role during the play’s first performance in 1964
CONTENTS
DRAMATIS PERSONAE.
ACT I.
SCENE I. London. A Street.
SCENE II. London. The Sessions House.
SCENE III. London. A state apartment.
ACT II.
SCENE I. Cheapside.
SCENE II. Saint Martins-le-Grand.
SCENE III. The Guildhall.
SCENE IV. St. Martin's Gate.
ACT III.
SCENE I. Cheapside.
SCENE II. Chelsea. A Room in More's House.
SCENE III. Chelsea. Ante-chamber in More's House.
ACT IV.
SCENE I. Chelsea. A Room in More's House.
SCENE II. Whitehall. The Council chamber.
SCENE III. Chelsea.
SCENE IV. The Tower.
SCENE V. Chelsea. A Room in More's House.
ACT V.
SCENE I. The Tower Gate.
SCENE II. More's House.
SCENE III. The Tower.
SCENE IV. Tower Hill.
DRAMATIS PERSONAE.
Earl of SHREWSBURY.
Earl of SURREY.
Sir THOMAS PALMER.
Sir ROGER CHOMLEY.
Sir THOMAS MORE.
Lord Mayor.
Aldermen.
SURESBY, a Justice.
Other Justices.
Sheriffs.
Recorder.
Sergeant at Arms.
Clerk of the Council.
ERASMUS.
Bishop of Rochester.
ROPER, son-in-law to MORE.
JOHN LINCOLN, a broker.
GEORGE BETTS.
His brother (the 'Clown').
WILLIAMSON, a carpenter.
SHERWIN, a goldsmith.
FRANCIS DE BARDE, Lombard.
CAVELER, Lombard.
LIFTER, a cut-purse.
SMART, plaintiff against him.
HARRY, ROBIN, KIT, and others, Prentices.
MORRIS.
FAULKNER, his servant.
Players.
GOUGH.
CATESBY.
RANDALL.
Butler.
Brewer.
Porter.
Horsekeeper.
CROFTS.
DOWNES.
Lieutenant of the Tower.
Warders of the Tower.
Gentleman Porter of the Tower.
Hangman.
Lords, Gentlemen, Officers, Messengers, Guard, Attendants.
Lady MORE.
Lady Mayoress.
Mistress ROPER, daughter to MORE.
Another daughter to MORE.
DOLL, wife to WILLIAMSON.
A Poor Woman.
Ladies.
ACT I.
SCENE I. London. A Street.
[Enter, at one end, John Lincoln, with the two Bettses together; at the other end, enters Francis de Barde and Doll a lusty woman, he haling her by the arm.]
DOLL.
Whether wilt thou hale me?
BARDE.
Whether I please; thou art my prize, and I plead purchase of thee.
DOLL.
Purchase of me! away, ye rascal! I am an honest plain carpenters wife, and though I have no beauty to like a husband, yet whatsoever is mine scorns to stoop to a stranger: hand off, then, when I bid thee!
BARDE.
Go with me quietly, or I'll compel thee.
DOLL.
Compel me, ye dog's face! thou thinkst thou hast the goldsmith's wife in hand, whom thou enticedst from her husband with all his plate, and when thou turndst her home to him again, madst him, like an ass, pay for his wife's board.
BARDE.
So will I make thy husband too, if please me.
[Enter Caveler with a pair of doves; Williamson the carpenter, and
Sherwin following him.]
DOLL.
Here he comes himself; tell him so, if thou darst.
CAVELER.
Follow me no further; I say thou shalt not have them.
WILLIAMSON.
I bought them in Cheapside, and paid my money for them.
SHERWIN.
He did, sir, indeed; and you offer him wrong, both to take them from him, and not restore him his money neither.
CAVELER.
If he paid for them, let it suffice that I possess them: beefs and brews may serve such hinds; are pigeons meat for a coarse carpenter?
LINCOLN.
It is hard when Englishmen's