Thomas Dekker
John Webster
NORTHWARD HO
1605
a synoptic, alphabetical character list
ADMIRAL of FRANCE
A "ghost character". The poet Bellamont is writing a new tragedy, which he hopes will be played at the weddings of the Duke of Orleans and the Admiral of France, in the presence of the King of France.
ALLOM
One of Doll Hornet's duped lovers. He lends her fifty pounds and some sugar. Captain Jenkins informs him about Doll's tricks. Together with Hans van Belch and Jenkins he follows her to Ware with a warrant, but her new husband Featherstone agrees to pay her debts.
ANDREW, SIR
A "ghost character". The Bawd, a patient of Bedlam (mental hospital), thinks that Bellamont is a certain Sir Andrew, and that he has got a brother named Timothy.
BAWD
A patient of Bedlam (mental hospital), also called "the dancing Bear". She lost her wits by a fire.
BELCH, HANS VAN
One of Doll Hornet's duped lovers, a Belgian merchant, who only speeks Flemish. Doll presents one of her companions, Jack Hornet, as her father, and Hans is convinced that she is a gentlewoman. He gives her his gold watch. Captain Jenkins finds him and informs him about Doll's tricks. Together with Allam and Jenkins he follows her to Ware with a warrant, but her new husband Featherstone agrees to pay her debts.
BELLAMONT, JACK
Jack Bellamont, a poet and dramatist, is the central character in the play, masterminding (and finally combining) the revenge actions in the main plot (around Maybery, Greenshield, Featherstone and Kate) and in the subplot (around Doll Hornet and his son Philip). Bellamont does not believe Greenshield's and Featherstone's story about the infidelity of Maybery's wife - he can convince his friend Maybery that they lie, and he suggests a way of revenge by inviting the two slanderers into Maybery's house. He releases his son Philip from prison by paying his debts, and he then tries to get him away from Doll, the trickster who is responsible for these debts. Doll wants to get acquainted with him by playing a gentlewoman and ordering twelve love poems from him, but her charms do not work on him. When Captain Jenkins comes to Bellamont to order a love poem, Doll tries a second attack. Bellamont tells Jenkins to hide behind a curtain, and he then hears Doll confessing her tricks. Together with her two other victims, Hans van Belch and Allom, he follows her to Ware to have her arrested. In the meantime, Maybery has arranged a plot to take his revenge on Greenshield. Greenshield has been led to believe that Mrs Maybery will meet a gentleman in Ware, and he wants Maybery to go there, surprise them, and show himself openly as a cuckold, but Greenshield would then only discover his own wife, Kate, in bed with his friend Featherstone. Maybery wants as many people as possible present at this occasion, so he asks Bellamont, Philip, Leverpool and Chartley to follow him and Greenshield. Bellamont suggests a small bet for their entertainment on the way: They should play practical jokes on each other during their journey, and the victim of the best joke would then have to pay for all the expenses of the party. During a short visit to Bedlam (mental hospital), Bellamont talks with one of the patients, and Greenshield tells the keeper that Bellamont is mad and should be kept there. When he is relased again, Greenshield is convinced that he has won the bet and that Bellamont now has to pay for their travel. But when they arrive in Ware, Bellamont overtops Maybery's revenge plan with an extra twist that leads Greenshield to offer his own wife as a companion to Maybery, so that both he and Featherstone show themselves as cuckolds in front of the whole party. They cannot find Mrs Maybery, because Bellamont has told her to hide. Greenshield is told that she is in Puckridge, and he wants to go there immediately, but Maybery pretends to be tired and melancholy and does not want to go any further. Bellamont tells Greenshield that he should provide a prostitute for him to make him happy. During a short absence of Featherstone, Greenshield, disguised as a fawkner, goes to his inn to look for a suitable prostitute for Maybery. He does not recognize his own wife because she is wearing a mask, and she follows the "stranger" willingly to be presented to Maybery. When all is discovered, Greenshield has been cuckolded by his friend Featherstone, but he has now also cuckolded himself. As Featherstone finds himself also cuckolded by Kate, he agrees to marry the prostitute Doll, whom he believes to be Maybery's niece, and he has to pay for everything in the end, and Greenshield is left with his own unfaithful wife and without money.
BIRON, LORD
A "ghost character". The poet Bellamont hopes that his tragedy will be played at the weddings of the Duke of Orleans and the Admiral of France, in the presence of the King of France. Lord Biron will then present him to the King as an eminent poet.
CADWALLADER
A "ghost character". Captain Jenkins misunderstands Bellamont when he talks about Astyanax and Hector, characters in his new tragedy: "Hector was grannam to Cadwallader, when shee was great with child"
DANCING BEAR
Nickname of a patient of Bedlam (mental hospital), also called "the Bawd". She lost her wits by a fire.
DOROTHY or DOLL HORNET
Doll (Dorothy) Hornet is a whore and a trickster ("cony-catcher"). She pretends to be a lady, and one of her companions, Jack Hornet, gives out to be her father. Dick Leverpool and Tom Chartley, two other friends, have to wear liveries and pretend to be her servants. She has several lovers whom she tricks out of their possessions: Philip, Bellamont's son, gets arrested for a debt of four score pounds which he has spent for her clothes, Jenkins, a Welsh captain, buys her a coach and two horses, Hans van Belch, a Belgian merchant and ship-owner, gives her a gold watch, and Master Allom lends her fifty pounds and some sugar. She asks Bellamont to make 12 poems for her. On their second meeting, Captain Jenkins listens while she confesses her tricks to Bellamont. Jenkings now sets out to find her other vicitms. Together with Allam and Hans he follows her to Ware with a warrant, but in the meantime she has got married to Featherstone, and he agrees to pay all her debts.
DRAWER
Serves wine in the tavern where Doll Hornet lodges.
DUKE of ORLEANS
A "ghost character". The poet Bellamont hopes that his new tragedy will be played at the weddings of the Duke of Orleans and the Admiral of France, in the presence of the King of France.
FEATHERSTONE
Greenshield's friend and partner, a young gentleman. Greenshield does not know that he has had an affair with his wife, Kate. When they stay together in Maybery's garden house, Kate comes to visit him at night, pretending to be sleepwalking. He decides to elope with her and counterfeits a letter from Kate's father, an innkeeper of Doncaster, that Kate should go to Enfield to get some money. He gives Greenshield certain pills, so that he is unable to travel. Greenshield then asks Featherstone to accompany his wife to Enfield, but they run off to Ware instead. Maybery, who has been informed about this by his servant Squirrel, tells Greenshield that his own wife, Mrs. Maybery, has gone to Ware to meet a gentleman from the court. Greenshield is convinced that he can prove Mrs Maybery's infidelity there, and he wants to go to Ware with Maybery to catch them in the act. To get his revenge, Maybery wants as many people as possible present when Greenshield discovers his own wife Kate together with Featherstone, so he asks Bellamont, Philip, Leverpool and Chartley to join the party. During a short absence of Featherstone, Greenshield, disguised as a fawkner, goes to his inn to look for a suitable prostitute for Maybery. He does not recognize his own wife because she is wearing a mask, and she follows the "stranger" willingly to be presented to Maybery. When all comes out, Greenshield has been cuckolded by his friend Featherstone, but he has now also cuckolded himself. As Featherstone finds himself also cuckolded by Kate, he agrees to marry Doll Hornet, whom he thinks to be Maybery's niece. He marries her on the spot and is willing to stay with her, although he also to pay all her debts - and the travel expenses of Maybery's party.
FIDDLERS
Musicians who play at the inn at Ware.
FROG
Also called "Leap-Frog", a servant of Featherstone. His colleague Squirrel tells him that Greenshield's "sister" is probably his wife, as she sleeps every night with him, and that she intends to cheat her husband with his master. Together they watch her when she pretends to be sleepwalking to get into Featherstone's room.
FULL–MOON
Guardian in Bedlam (mental hospital). Before they go to Ware, Bellamont, Maybery, Greenshield, Phillip, Leeverpool and Chartley go to "see the loonies". Full-Moon then presents two of the patients to them. Greenshield tells him that Bellamont is a dangerous lunatic who had to be brought hither on a pretense. Full-Moon takes him into custody, but releases him when the gentlemen admit that it was only a practical joke.
GREENSHIELD, LUKE
Luke Greenshield has been courting Mrs. Maybery without success for almost two years. He now wants to revenge himself for her "puritanical coyness". He has stolen her ring, and he now tells Maybery that he had got it from her, but lost it in her bed, where Featherstone had found it immediately afterwards. Maybery believes this story first, but his friend Bellamont convinces him that it is pure slander. As he is short of money, Greenshield accepts Maybery's invitation to stay at his place. Greenshield's father-in-law, an innkeeper at Doncaster, has found out where he lives, and has sent his wife Kate back to him. He does not know that she had an affair with his friend Featherstone because has not seen her for some time, since he left her when she was pregnant. Greenshield gives her out as his sister, so that she may stay at Maybery's garden house, together with him and Featherstone. While they stay at Maybery's house, Kate pretends to be sleepwalking to get into Featherstone's bedroom. Her acting is so convincing that Greenshield even thanks Featherstone for not waking her up. Featherstone counterfeits a letter from her father, the innkeeper of Doncaster, that Kate should go to Enfield to get some money. Greenshield, who is unable to accompany her because of some pills that Featherstone has given him, asks his friend to accompany Kate to Enfield, but the two lovers then run off to Ware instead. Maybery, who has been informed about this by his servant Squirrel, tells Greenshield that Mrs Maybery has gone to Ware to meet a gentleman from the court. Greenshield is now convinced that he can prove Mrs Maybery's infidelity there, and he wants to go there with Maybery to catch them in the act. Maybery wants as many people as possible present when Greenshield discovers his own wife Kate together with Featherstone, so asks Bellamont, Philip, Leverpool and Chartley to accompany them. At Ware they cannot find Mrs Maybery, because Bellamont has told her to hide. Greenshield gets told that she is in Puckridge, and he wants to go there immediately, but Maybery pretends to be tired and melancholy and does not want to go any further. Greenshield should provide a prostitute for him to make him happy. During a short absence of Featherstone, Greenshield, disguised as a fawkner, goes to his inn to look for a suitable prostitute for Maybery. He does not recognize his own wife because she is wearing a mask, and she follows the "stranger" willingly to be presented to Maybery. When all comes out, Greenshield has been cuckolded by his friend Featherstone, but he has now also cuckolded himself. As Featherstone finds himself also cuckolded by Kate, he agrees to marry Doll Hornet, whom he thinks to be Maybery's niece, and Greenshield and Kate remain together.
HECTOR
One of Captain Jenkins' misunderstandings when Bellamont talks about his tragedy of Astyanax and Hector: "Hector was grannam to Cadwallader, when shee was reat with child".
HOSTESS
Also spelled Hostice. The hostess of the inn at Ware, where all the parties meet at the end of the play. She brings in Maybery's Wife..
INNOCENCE
Greenshield's chamberlain, his "honest knave, informer and bawd"
JACK HORNET
A trickster ("cony-catcher"), one of Doll Hornet's companions. He gives out to be Doll's father, but he is not related to her.
JENKINS, CAPTAIN
Also spelled Iynkings. One of Doll Hornet's duped lovers, a sea captain from Wales. His mistakes in English are a constant source of verbal comedy. He provides Doll with a coach and two horses. When he visits Bellamont to order a love poem, Doll's visit is announced. Bellamont tells him to hide behind a curtain, so that he can overhear Doll's confessions. He then sets out to find her other victims, Allom and Hans, and together they follow her to the inn at Ware with a warrant, but her new husband Featherstone agrees to pay her debts.
INNOCENCE
Greenshield's chamberlain, a "honest knave, informer and bawd".
KATE
Greenshield's wife (or one of his wives), he ran away from her when she was with child. Her father, an innkeeper of Doncaster, has found out where Greeneshield lives and has sent her back to him. As he is short of money, he passes her out as his unfortunate sister, so that she can stay with him and Featherstone at Maybery's garden house. Greenshield does not know that Kate has already had an affair with his friend Featherstone. At night he sleeps with her, but she is in love with Featherstone and pretends to be sleepwalking to get into Featherstone's room. Her acting is so convincing that Greenshield even thanks Featherstone for not waking her up. Featherstone then decides to elope with her and counterfeits a letter from her father, according to which Kate should go to Enfield to get some money. He gives Greenshield certain pills, so that he is unable to travel. Greenshield then asks Featherstone to accompany his wife to Enfield, but they run off to Ware instead. Greenshield leads Maybery and his party to Ware to prove Maybery a cuckold. During a short absence of Featherstone, Greenshield comes disguised as a fawkner to look for a suitable prostitute for Maybery. He does not recognize his own wife because she is wearing a mask, and she follows the "stranger" willingly to be presented to Maybery. When all comes out, Greenshield has been cuckolded by his friend Featherstone, but he has now also cuckolded himself. As Featherstone finds himself also cuckolded by Kate, he agrees to marry Doll Hornet, whom he believes to be Maybery's niece, and Greenshield and Kate remain together.
KEEPERS
Full-Moon and two keepers at Bedlam (mental hospital) take Bellamont into custody.
KING of FRANCE
A "ghost character". Bellamont hopes that his tragedy will be played at the weddings of the Duke of Orleans and the Admiral of France, each time in the presence of the King of France.
LEAP–FROG
Also called "Frog", a servant of Featherstone. His colleague Squirrel tells him that Greenshield's "sister" is probably his wife, as she sleeps every night with him, and that she intends to cheat her husband with his master. Together they watch her when she pretends to be sleepwalking to get into Featherstone's room.
LEVERPOOL, DICK
Also spelled Liverpool. A trickster ("cony-catcher"), friend of Tom Chartley, companion of Doll Hornet. He and Chartley disguise as Doll's servants to make her victims believe that she is a gentlewoman. Together with Chartley and Philip he accompanies Maybery's party to Ware.
MADDEN upon IENKIN
A "ghost character". Captain Jenkins' cousin.
MAYBERY
A rich merchant. He is told by Featherstone and Greenshield that his wife has slept with both of them. Greenshield says that he had lost the ring she gave him in her bed, and that Featherstone had found it there. Maybery believes this story, but his friend, the poet Bellamont, convinces him that the two are liars and slanderers. To take his revenge, he invites them to his house. It soon becomes clear that they have lied, but Maybery and his wife go on pretending to be friends with them. They also take up Greenshield's wife Kate, who pretends to be Greenshield's sister. Maybery's servant Squirrel informs his master that Kate is actually Greenshield's wife, and that she will elope with Featherstone to Ware. Maybery now tells Greenshield that Mrs Maybery has gone to Ware to meet a gentleman from the court. Greenshield wants to go there with Maybery to catch them in the act. Maybery wants as many people as possible present when Greenshield discovers his own wife together with Featherstone, so he asks Bellamont, Philip, Leverpool and Chartley to join their party. At Ware they cannot find Mrs Maybery, because Bellamont has told her to hide. Greenshield is told that she is in Puckridge, and he wants to go there immediately, but Maybery pretends to be tired and melancholy and does not want to go any further. Greenshield should provide a prostitute for him to make him happy. During a short absence of Featherstone, Greenshield, disguised as a fawkner, goes to his inn to look for a suitable prostitute for Maybery. He does not recognize his own wife because she is wearing a mask, and she follows the "stranger" willingly to be presented to Maybery. When all comes out, Greenshield has been cuckolded by his friend Featherstone, but he has now also cuckolded himself. As Featherstone finds himself also cuckolded by Kate, he agrees to marry Doll Hornet, whom he believes to be Maybery's niece, and Greenshield and Kate remain together.
MAYBERY, MISTRESS
Although she is not given a proper name, she is one of the main characters in the play and an absolutely virtuous lady. Greenshield and Featherstone have in vain tried to get her love during the last two years. As a revenge, they tell her husband that Greenshield has slept with her and lost a ring in her bed, which Featherstone has found there immediately afterwards. Maybery first believes this story, but Bellamont can prove that it is not true. Bellamont and Maybery now plan their own revenge on Featherstone and Greenshield, and Maybery's wife, whose virtue has been restored, helps them by following their instructions and pretending to be secretely in love with Greenshield and with a gentleman of the Court.
MUSICIAN
A patient of Bedlam (mental hospital) who has turned mad because he fell in love with an Italian dwarf.
PHILIP
Bellamont's son, one of Doll Hornet's duped lovers. In the first scene of the play he gets arrested when he sits together with Tom Chartley, Dick Leverpool and Doll in her new tavern. He has a debt of four score pounds, money that he spent for Doll and which his father now pays to release him. Bellamont wants him to leave Doll, but Philip still intends to marry her. He even helps her when she tries to attract his father. Together with Leverpool and Chartley he accompanies Maybery's party to Ware, where he finally gets convinced that Doll is a prostitute and trickster.
PHYSICIAN
A non-speaking character, one of the physicians at the hospital of Bedlam. (Although the word "Phisitian" in the stage direction could also be a misspelling of "Musician".)
PRENTICE
One of Maybery's servants. Maybery believes that he is his wife's bawd.
SABRINA
Mythical figure mentioned by Doll Hornet: "Looke how Sabrina sunck ith' riuer Seuerne, / So will we foure be drunke ith' ship-wrack Tauerne."
SERGEANT, FIRST and SECOND
Two sergeants arrest Philip in I.ii because of a debt of four score pounds.
SERVING MAN
One of Bellamont's servants who comes to tell him that his son has been arrested.
SQUIRREL
One of Maybery's servants. He tells Frog (a.k.a. Leap-Frog), Featherstone's servant, that Greenshield's "sister" is probably his wife, as she sleeps every night with him, and that she intends to cheat her husband with Featherstone. Together they watch her when she pretends to be sleepwalking to get into Featherstone's room. Squirrel then informs Maybery about Featherstone's plans to elope with Kate.
STYANAX of MONMOUTH
A "ghost character". When Bellamont tells him that he is writing a tragedy of young Astyanax. Jenkins says that he knows somebody called Styanax or Styanan of Monmouth.
TAILOR
To impress Bellamont, Doll Hornet has a tailor come when she receives him. Whether the tailor is real or whether the part is played by Tom Chartley or Dick Leverpool is not specified.
TIMOTHY
A "ghost character". The Bawd, a patient of Bedlam (mental hospital), thinks that Bellamont is one Sir Andrew, and that he has got a brother named Timothy.
TOM CHARTLEY
A trickster ("cony-catcher"), friend of Dick Leverpool, companion of Doll Hornet. He and Leverpool disguise as Doll's servants to make her victims believe that she is a gentlewoman. Together with Leverpool and Philip he accompanies Maybery's party to Ware.
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