Thomas Dekker
THE NOBLE SPANISH SOLDIER,
or, A CONTRACT BROKEN, JUSTLY REVENGED
1622(?)–1631 (date of revision?)
The play is sometimes also credited to Samuel Rowley because the 1634 title-page attributes authorship to S. R., but most scholars are deeply skeptical of this attribution. The play was entered into the Stationers' Register on 16 May 1631 attributed to "Tho: Deckar" and re-entered on 9 December 1633 attributed to "mr Decker."
a synoptic, alphabetical character list
ALANZO
Captain of the Guard. In II he is instructed to ready the guards to keep Onælia from the King. Before the wedding between Onælia and Cockadillio, he is ordered to double the guards. He then attends the wedding.
ALBA
A don. He is present when the King destroys the contract. He swears with Medina to enforce Onælia's contract to the King. In the final act, he votes against killing the King. He attends the wedding of Onælia and Cockadillio.
BALTHAZAR
The noble soldier of the play's title. Returning from battling the Moors ragged and ungroomed, he criticizes the vain courtiers and then visits the King. After recounting the battle, he asks for permission to speak freely, which the King grants. He then upbraids the King for his treatment of Onælia. Next, he visits Onælia and offers to kill the King. When Onælia says she would like to see the King dead, he criticizes her, and she recants the desire. He then offers himself as her servant. He returns to the court and wounds a soldier to gain access to the King, for which he is almost banished. The Queen arranges to revoke his banishment so that he can aid her. She and Malateste ask him to kill Onælia and her son, Sebastian. He says that he will do so if the King will give him a written command to do so, which he does. He then shows the command to Medina, who instructs him to take Sebastian to the monastery of St. Paul for safekeeping. Upon returning, he receives a cryptic message from Onælia: "sol re me fa mi." He interprets this to mean "Solus Rex me facit miseram" ("The King alone makes me unhappy"). He then returns to the King and claims that his conscience prevented him from killing Onælia and her son when he saw a painting of Hell in Cardinal Alvarez's gallery. While there, he witnesses Medina (disguised as Doctor Devile) offer to kill Onælia. He accosts Medina, who reveals himself to Balthazar. Balthazar then tells the King that he has murdered Sebastian. Before the wedding between Onælia and Cockadillio, he dissuades Medina from killing the King. At the end of the play, he is placed in charge of protecting Sebastian.
CARDINAL [ALVAREZ?]
There is a character only identified as the Cardinal. Balthazar refers to seeing a picture of Hell in Cardinal Alvarez's gallery, but there is no clear indication that these two characters are the same person. The King sends the Cardinal to Onælia with a message that he intends to honor the contract. When the King destroys the contract instead, the Cardinal is outraged and promises that the act will lead to the King's great shame. He brings Medina (disguised as Dr. Devile) to the King. He advises the King against murder and hopes that Devile/Medina will be able to cure the King's soul. He attends the wedding of Onælia and Cockadillio.
CARLO
He is present at Balthazar's return but has no lines. He swears with Medina to enforce Onælia's contract to the King. He votes against killing the King. He attends the wedding of Onælia and Cockadillio.
COCKADILLIO
The King's foppish barber, also identified as a don. He is disdainful of Balthazar upon his return. At the end, he is married to Onælia to secure peace, but the King invalidates the marriage on his deathbed by recognizing Onælia as his own lawful bride.
CORNEGO
A servant to Onælia who is characterized by his sarcastic jests. He burns the Poet's book, delivers Onælia's cryptic message to Balthazar and attends the wedding of Onælia and Cockadillio.
DOCTOR DEVILE
A guise. To test the King's conscience, Medina disguises himself as Doctor Devile, a French physician, and claims to be treating Onælia. He offers to kill her, and the King gladly accepts.
DUKE of MEDINA
Uncle to Onælia. He arrives at Onælia's after the King has stolen the contract and arrives at court after it has been destroyed. He forms an opposing faction and has them swear on his sword to enforce Onælia's contract to the King. Balthazar informs him of the King's desire to kill Onælia and her son. Wishing to test the King's conscience firsthand, he disguises himself as Devile, a French doctor, and offers to poison Onælia. The King gladly agrees, even offering to pay more than is asked of him. Medina then sends letters to the King proposing a marriage between Onælia and Cockadillio to secure peace. The King agrees. Medina plans to kill the King, but Balthazar dissuades him from it. At the end of the play, he sees to it that state business is secure by entrusting Sebastian to the care of Balthazar and Onælia and by ensuring the Queen's safe return to Florence.
FRIAR
The dramatis personae lists a Friar, apparently referring to Sebastian.
JUANNA
Apparently a non-speaking part, she is included in a stage direction with Cornego in the final scene. She may be Onælia's maid. See MAID, ONÆLIA'S.
KING of SPAIN
Prior to the action of the play, he was contracted to Onælia and had a child (Sebastian) by her. After his marriage to Paulina, he grows fearful of Onælia's claim to him and devises a plan to get the contract from her. He claims he will show the contract to the Cardinals so that his marriage to Paulina will be declared unlawful. Once he has the contract in his hands, he scorns Onælia. Back at court, he entertains Balthazar and hears of a siege on the Moors. After he grants Balthazar permission to talk freely, Balthazar upbraids him for his treatment of Onælia. He warns Balthazar never to criticize him again. Then, he burns the contract in front of several witnesses. As Medina's faction grows in popularity, the King agrees to have Onælia and her son killed. Balthazar says that he will only kill them if the King commands him to do so in writing, and the King agrees. The King is frustrated to learn that Balthazar's conscience has prevented him from completing the murders and agrees to pay Doctor Devile (Medina in disguise) to poison Onælia. Later, he accepts Medina's offer to secure peace by marrying Onælia to Cockadillio. He is then troubled when Balthazar pretends to have killed Sebastian. At the wedding feast, Count Malateste accidentally poisons him. On his deathbed he calls for a Friar. Sebastian is sent to him, and the King delights to see that he is alive. He delights even more to see him in holy attire, claiming that "Had I been cloth'd so, I had never fill'd / Spain's chronicle with my black calumny." Before he dies, he invalidates the marriage between Onælia and Cockadillio, claiming Onælia as his lawful wife and Sebastian as his lawful heir. He instructs that the Queen be sent back to Florence with triple her dowry.
LOPEZ
A don. He sides with the King against Medina's faction. He attends the wedding of Onælia and Cockadillio.
MAID, ONÆLIA'S
The stage directions before Onælia's first entrance specify that she is accompanied by a maid to whom no lines in the scene are attributed. However, a song requiring two parts precedes the scene and is presumably sung by Onælia and the maid. See JUANNA.
MALATESTE
Count Malateste is a Florentine who accompanied Queen Paulina to Spain. He informs her that support for Onælia is increasing and advises her to pretend that she is pregnant to further endear herself to the King and help coalesce support for herself. He also advises her to pressure her husband to have Onælia and her son killed, to which end he and Paulina attempt to employ Balthazar. The Queen persuades Malateste to poison Onælia at her wedding feast, but the cups are accidentally switched, and he poisons the King instead. He reveals the mistake to the King and is killed (apparently by the King, though the stage directions are unclear).
MARQUES of DÆNIA
Kinsman to Onælia. He is present when the contract is burned and sides with Medina's faction. He attends the wedding of Onælia and Cockadillio.
ONÆLIA
Prior to the action of the play, she was contracted to the King and bore him a son, Sebastian. After the King rejected her, she lived in misery, defacing his picture and weeping to a crucifix. The King tricks her into giving him their marriage contract by pretending that he will show it to the Cardinals who will, in turn, invalidate his marriage to Paulina. Once he has the contract in his hands, he again scorns Onælia. She follows him to court but is denied access to him. Balthazar visits her and offers to kill the King. She wishes the King dead but then recants the desire. Balthazar then offers himself as her servant. A poet visits her and offers her a poem celebrating the marriage of the King and Queen. She has the book burned and asks the poet to write a libel against the King, which he refuses to do. She encourages Medina's faction to attempt to secure the King for her rather than kill him. She sends Balthazar a message encoded as music: "sol re me fa mi," which he interprets as "Solus Rex me facit miseram" ("The King alone makes me unhappy."). She agrees to marry Cockadillio to secure peace. At her wedding feast, the cup of wine that Malateste intended to poison her is accidentally given to the King. On his deathbed, he recognizes her as his lawful wife, invalidating her marriage to Cockadillio.
POET
A poet visits Onælia and offers her a poem celebrating the marriage of the King and Queen. She has the poem burned and asks him to write a libel against the King, which he refuses to do. There follows a brief discussion of poetry, during which he claims that the best poet in the kingdom is "Emulation," next best is "Necessity" and worst is "Self-love."
QUEEN PAULINA
Originally from Florence, she is married to the King of Spain. As Onælia gains public support, Paulina follows Count Malateste's plan of pretending that she is pregnant to further endear herself to the King and help coalesce support for herself. She pressures her husband to have Onælia and Sebastian killed, for which task she nominates Balthazar. When she learns that Onælia is to be married to Cockadillio, she instructs Malateste to poison her at the wedding feast. When the King is mistakenly poisoned, she flies into a rage and attacks Onælia but is restrained.
RODERIGO
A don. He snubs Balthazar upon his return and sides with the King against Medina's faction. He attends the wedding of Onælia and Cockadillio.
SEBASTIAN
Son to Onælia and the King. For his safety, he is sent to the monastery of St. Paul. He returns as a Friar in the final scene to reassure his poisoned father and claim the throne.
SIGNOR NO
A peculiar character who converses with Medina's faction before the wedding between Onælia and Cockadillio. His only response to any question or statement is "no."
VALASCO
A don. He is present when the contract is burned and sides with the King against Medina's faction. He attends the wedding of Onælia and Cockadillio.