Anonymous
["W. Shakespeare" on title page seriously questioned]
[George Wilkins?]
(Shakespeare Apocrypha)
A YORKSHIRE TRAGEDY, or
NOT SO NEW, AS LAMENTABLE AND TRUE
(ALL'S ONE, or
ONE OF THE FOUR PLAYS IN ONE)

1605–1608

a synoptic, alphabetical character list

BROTHER
A "ghost character." The Husband's virtuous brother, a promising student of theology. He is in prison because he stood surety for his brother.

GENTLEMEN, FOUR
The three Gentlemen are choric figures who comment on the Husband's state and admonish him in vain to change his ways. When a fourth gentleman comes to admonish him, the Husband accuses him of being his wife's lover. They fight. The Husband loses the fight but does still refuses to accept the gentleman's good council.

HUSBAND
The husband comes from a virtuous and respected family, but his parents probably died when he was young. His Wife's Uncle was his guardian before their marriage. Lately he has become devoted to gambling and drinking. He spends his nights with prostitutes, and he has lost all his money. He hates his loyal Wife, whom he calls a whore, and his three children, whom he calls bastards. He is afraid that they will become beggars, but he nevertheless attempts to get the rest of his wife's dowry to continue gambling. The servants, several Gentlemen and his Wife's Uncle try to bring him to reason, but all in vain. His Wife's Uncle could provide him a place at Court, but he declines to work. Only when the Master of the College comes to tell him that his Brother is in prison because of him does he seem to show repentance, but this repentance soon turns into madness. He stabs his eldest son several times and then goes looking for his other children. He wants to kill his whole family because he thinks that they should rather die than become beggars. When he takes the second son away from the Maid, his Wife awakes and defends her son, but she is also stabbed. A servant tries to interfere, but the husband overcomes him. He next looks for a horse, desiring to ride to the nurse and kill his third child. The Master of the College finds the bodies of the Wife and their two sons and calls for a surgeon. The Master and three Gentlemen apprehend the Husband, who has fallen from his horse, and take him to the Knight. The Knight has known the Husband's family and pities him. He decides that he should be taken to prison until he comes to regret his deed. Only then will he will then be judged the next day. On his way to the prison the husband is brought to his wife, who has survived the attack and is ready to forgive him. The evidence of his wife's extreme love and the sight of his two dead sons make him repent his deed in the end.

KNIGHT
The Knight has known the Husband's family, and he pities the mad husband, who has murdered two of his sons and stabbed his wife. He decides that the Husband should be taken to prison until he comes to regret his deed, and only be judged the next day after.

MAID
The Maid is looking after the youngest son. The Husband throws her down and attempts to kill the baby.

MASTER OF THE COLLEGE
The Master of the College in which the Husband's brother is studying theology comes to visit the Husband and tells him that his brother is in prison because he stood surety for the Husband. The Husband seems moved by his account. He tells the Master to wait while he tries to raise the money.

OLIVER
A servant. He appears in the first scene. Together with his colleagues he pities his mistress (the Wife), who has not seen her Husband for a long time. During the rest of the play the servants appear without a name.

RAPH
A servant. He appears in the first scene. Together with his colleagues he pities his mistress (the Wife), who has not seen her Husband for a long time. During the rest of the play the servants appear without a name.

SAM
In the first scene, the servant Sam comes back from London, where he has made purchases for the Wife's household. He hears from his colleagues that his mistress (the Wife) has not seen her Husband for a long time. During the rest of the play the servants appear without a name.

WIFE
The Wife comes from a rich family. She has three children by her Husband. Before their marriage he was a promising young man, but he now spends all his time with gamblers, rioters and prostitutes. He has lost all his money and his land and is in debts. Although he fears that his three sons will end as beggars, his main concern is to find money to maintain his scandalous way of life. He wants his wife's dowry. His Wife promises him her jewels and her land, but she beseeches him to think of their three boys. He calls his boys bastards and his wife a whore, and he beats her. Still she tries to help him and does not tell her Uncle how he treats her. Even after he has stabbed her and killed two of their children she pities him and forgives him. She hopes that the law can forgive him, too.

WIFE'S UNCLE
A "ghost character." He comes to visit the Wife, but never appears on stage. We know from her and from the servants that she defends her husband to him; but her uncle seems to guess what is in truth happening in their household. He was her Husband's guardian before their marriage. He promises the Husband an office or a place at Court, a promise which is ultimately ignored.