1603–1606
(a play of circa 1592 revised?
perhaps the lost play of Thomas Heywood and Wentworth Smith, ALBERE GALLES (paid for on 4 September 1602), revised?)
a synoptic, alphabetical character list
APPRENTICE
Accused of being drunk in an alehouse by his master, his reply that he was drunk with "nobody" is refuted by Nobody, who, rightly, accuses him of carousing with Somebody.
ARCHIGALLO
The tyrannous king of Britain whose throne is usurped by his reluctant brother on the advice of his younger brothers, Peridure and Urgenius, as well as the feudal lords. He and his wife are taken prisoner and subsequently banished after his deposition, but, at Elydure's urging, he is reinstated as king after he repents of his tyranny. He dies immediately after his second coronation.
BRAGGART
At the behest of Somebody, the braggart subdues Nobody only to lose his quarry when the clown rescues him.
CLOWN
Referred to as a servant of Nobody, the clown's marriage to an unnamed wench is nullified by King Archigallo who makes her a lady-in-waiting. The clown attends Nobody in his travels and rescues him from death at the hands of the braggart.
CONSTABLE
At Somebody's request, he arrests Nobody, seeking to arraign him before the king. Nobody evades capture.
CORNWALL
One of Britain's feudal lords. For the injustices done to many of his subjects, Cornwall leads the plot, along with Martianus, to overthrow King Archigallo and install the former sovereign's brother, Elydure, in his place. After becoming seneschal in the new government, he is willing to support, at Elydure's urging, the reinstallation of Archigallo as king after he repents of his tyranny. In order to avert continued civil strife, he reluctantly supports the joint reign of Peridure and Urgenius after their forced seizure of the throne from their brother. Recognizing that no gain will come from further bloodshed, he desists in his political quarrel with Martianus, and both lords arrange Elydure's third coronation.
ELYDURE
The crown prince of Britain, Elydure reluctantly is crowned King of Britain and succeeds his brother Archigallo in a popular deposition supported by his brothers, Peridure and Urgenius, as well as the feudal lords. Unwilling to govern, he persuades the feudal lords to reinstall Archigallo as king when he repents of his tyranny. When his brother suddenly dies, he is crowned a second time, only to lose power to his younger brothers in the coup ensuing from Archigallo's death. During the joint reign of Peridure and Urgenius, Elydure and his wife are imprisoned in the tower. When his two brothers are killed in battle he ascends the throne for the third time and, in his first act as sovereign, rules against Somebody in his suit against Nobody.
GENTLEMEN, THREE
These three men are each jail keepers whom Nobody gives money to release all the prisoners in their charge.
LADY ELYDURE
Reminiscent of Lady Macbeth, this ambitious woman openly appeals to her reluctant husband to usurp the throne of his brother, King Archigallo of Britain. Once her husband is crowned, she takes charge of the government because of his humility. She is imprisoned along with her husband when Urgenius and Peridure seize power, but she is released and reconciled with her archenemy the queen when the two living brothers are killed in battle. She attends her husband at his third coronation.
MALGO
A lord at one time faithful to King Archigallo, Malgo turns against his sovereign when the king resolves his title dispute with Lord Morgan by claiming the land in question for the crown. Because of this injustice, he joins the feudal lords and the king's brothers in plotting the sovereign's deposition. He is willing to support, at Elydure's urging, the reinstallation of Archigallo as king after he repents of his tyranny. In the civil war ensuing from Archigallo's sudden death, he supports Urgenius' claim to the throne and helps overthrow Elydure.
MAN, FIRST and SECOND
Two men figure in the play.
The First Man accuses his wife of cheating on him. When she replies that she was with "nobody," Nobody refutes this claim and, rightly, charges that she was sleeping with Somebody.
The Second Man accuses his apprentice of being drunk in an alehouse. When the apprentice replies that he was drunk with "nobody," Nobody refutes this claim and, rightly, charges him of carousing with Somebody.
MARTIANUS
One of Britain's feudal lords. For the injustices done to many of his subjects, Martianus, along with Cornwall, leads the plot to overthrow King Archigallo and install the former sovereign's brother, Elydure, in his place. After becoming treasurer in the new government, he is willing to support, at Elydure's urging, the reinstallation of Archigallo as king after he repents of his tyranny. In order to avert continued civil strife, he reluctantly supports the joint reign of Peridure and Urgenius after their usurpation of the throne from their brother. Recognizing that no gain will come from further bloodshed, he desists in his political quarrel with Cornwall, and both men arrange Elydure's third coronation.
MORGAN
A lord at one time faithful to King Archigallo, Morgan turns against his sovereign when the king resolves his title dispute with Lord Malgo by claiming the land in question for the crown. Because of this injustice, he joins the feudal lords and the king's brothers in plotting the sovereign's deposition. He is willing to support, at Elydure's urging, the reinstallation of Archigallo as king after he repents of his tyranny. In the civil war ensuing from Archigallo's sudden death, he supports Peridure's claim to the throne and helps overthrow Elydure.
NOBODY
A "gentleman" who consistently plays on his paradoxical non-identity to avoid payment, capture, and liability in numerous situations throughout the play. This protagonist is a champion of the common man and has a reputation for relieving the poor and helping distressed prisoners. After his good name is slandered throughout the country by Somebody, Nobody travels to the city with his servant the clown where he gives hundreds of thousands of pounds for the release of all prisoners. Pursued by his nemesis and a constable, he fights with Somebody and escapes. After fleeing to court, he is subdued by the braggart but saved by the clown. Finally captured by Somebody and the Sycophant and brought before King Elydure, he deflects the accusations by pointing out that Somebody must have committed the crimes he is charged with since nobody can act as an intentional agent. [n.b. Nobody is depicted in a woodcut illustration on the frontispiece of the quarto edition (sig. A1r) as having, literally, no body. He is an exaggerated crotch with arms and a head (compare the illustration of Somebody (sig. I3v), whose body is elongated to contrast with Nobody's.)]
PERIDURE
A prince of Britain, younger brother to King Archigallo, usurping prince Elydure, and elder brother to Urgenius. After Archigallo's sudden death, he plots with Urgenius and seizes the throne with the support of Malgo and Morgan. Too ambitious to be satisfied with joint rule, he and his brother soon come into conflict that leads to a pitched battle in which both are killed.
PORTERS
These two characters, who are not differentiated, welcome Nobody at court and
lead him to a hall for an audience with the lords.
QUEEN
Wife of Archigallo, King of Britain, and sister-in-law to Lady Elydure. She dislikes Lady Elydure because of Elydure's humility and refusal to act decisively. Because of her hatred of Lady Elydure, she urges Peridure and Urgenius to seize power when Elydure is again crowned king after her husband's sudden death. When Peridure and Urgenius are both killed, she reconciles with Lady Elydure and supports Elydure's third coronation.
RAFE
Betrothed to an unnamed wench, Rafe sees his fiancée marry a clown and then leave him to become a lady-in-waiting at the king's court.
SOMEBODY
Nobody's nemesis is constantly being blamed for Nobody's misdeeds. In contrast to his sworn enemy, however, Somebody "loves usury and extortion," and, at the king's behest seeks to suspend Nobody's charity by "sowing sedition" throughout the nation and blaming it on Nobody. This attempt at slander is unsuccessful because of Nobody's slippery identity. He catches up to Nobody in London where he engages him in combat; his foe escapes. After pursuing Nobody to court, he enlists the help of the braggart to subdue him. At court, Somebody has Nobody and his clown arrested on the trumped-up charge of gambling and sedition. He brings his prisoner before King Elydure, begging justice "against Nobody." His suit fails when Nobody contends that all the crimes he is accused of must have been committed by somebody since "nobody" cannot act as an intentional agent. He, along with his accomplice, Sycophant, is punished for his crimes. [n.b. Somebody is depicted in a woodcut illustration on the final page of the quarto edition (sig. I3v). He has an elongated body to contrast with the depiction of Nobody (sig. A1r), who is nothing but an exaggerated crotch with arms and a head.]
SYCOPHANT
This "courtly parasite" is the "usher and harbinger" of king Archigallo and similarly attends, with abundant flattery, other members of the royal household as well as the feudal lords. While pretending otherwise in certain company, he immediately shifts his allegiance to anyone who happens to be in power at any given time. He plots with Somebody to overthrow Nobody, but is undone when the clown overhears this conversation and informs his master. He and Somebody fail in their suit against Nobody and are punished for their crimes.
URGENIUS
Youngest of the three princes of Britain, brother to Elydure, Peridure, and King Archigallo. After Archigallo's sudden death, he plots with Peridure and seizes the throne with the support of Malgo and Morgan. Too ambitious to be satisfied with joint rule, he and his brother soon come into conflict that leads to a pitched battle in which both are killed.
WATERMAN
A "ghost character" who ferries Nobody across the Thames.
WENCH
The wench, betrothed to Rafe and married to the clown, deserts both men when King Archigallo makes her a lady if she stays with him.
WIFE
Accused of cheating on her husband, this wife replies that she was with "nobody," a claim that Nobody refutes and, rightly, blames on Somebody.