THE FOOL WOULD BE A FAVORITE, or
THE DISCREET LOVER
circa 1632–circa 1638
a synoptic, alphabetical character list
ADRASTUS
A lord, brother to Lucinda. He is in love with Aurelia, for whom he forsook Miranthe. He overhears Philanthus's initial courtship of Aurelia and then makes a plea of love to Aurelia, who rejects him. He pursues a false friendship with Philanthus in order to cross his love. He spreads a rumor that Philanthus is boasting of Aurelia's love. Hearing this, Philanthus (without revealing his identity) challenges him to a combat, during which Aurelia faints. Philanthus stops to help her, but Adrastus ignobly attacks him. Nonetheless, Philanthus wins the combat (but does not kill Adrastus). Adrastus encourages his friends to kill Philanthus. When Philanthus returns to court alive, Adrastus feigns friendship to him again but tries to make him jealous by boasting of Aurelius's love. The Moor predicts that Adrastus will meet with more shame and return to his previous love. Ultimately, he concedes to Philanthus in Aurelius's love and asks for the love of Miranthe, but she rejects him.
ADRASTUS' FRIENDS
After the combat, the Duke cautions them not to harm Philanthus, but Adrastus incites them to revenge him. Lucinda directs them to the house where they find Philanthus and discover his true identity. They tell Lucinda that he has killed Adrastus to justify their intended murder. Lucinda prevents them, pretending to murder him herself.
AGENOR
Son to the Duke. He is Philanthus's sworn friend and vows to help him attain his sister's love even if it means opposing his father. He then tells Philanthus of his unrequited love for Lucinda but withholds her name. The Moor predicts that his friendship will prove unfortunate. He arranges for Philanthus to meet with Aurelius. After Philanthus rejects Aurelius, Agenor accompanies him to the Moor disguised as his servant. When Lucinda reveals herself to Philanthus, Agenor grows insanely jealous and stabs Philanthus, appearing to kill him. He then feels guilty and almost kills himself but resolves to live in torment instead. In front of Philanthus's tomb, he attempts to kill himself again but is prevented by two courtiers. Ultimately, Lucinda agrees to marry him.
AURELIA
Daughter to the Duke. She is appalled to learn that the noble-blooded Philanthus is courting her waiting-woman and plans to prevent the match. She assures him of his good qualities and promises to help him achieve a noble mistress. While she is training him to court Lucinda, he reveals that he loves her. She rejects him but confesses in soliloquy that she loves him. She rejects the amorous advances of Adrastus. During the combat between Adrastus and the helmeted Philanthus, she faints while trying to prevent Adrastus from coming to harm. Philanthus helps her while Adrastus ignobly attacks him. After learning that it was Philanthus who battled Adrastus, she is moved but still rejects his love. The Moor claims to know the ultimate result of her love but refuses to tell. She asks Philanthus to find the knight who fought Adrastus so that she can be revenged on him and makes him swear not to tell Agenor of his quest. In this way, she means to see if his love for Agenor is greater than his love for her. The Moor appears to her dressed in the armor that Philanthus wore to fight Adrastus, and Aurelius vows her love to him. When she is told that Philanthus is dead, she realizes that she has vowed her love to a stranger. Philanthus comes to her in front of his tomb in the same armor. When she explains to him that she loves Philanthus, he reveals himself and the two agree to be married.
COURTIER, FIRST and SECOND
The First and Second Courtiers have been grooming Young Gudgen as a courtier to cheat him of his money. The First Courtier leads Young Gudgen into believing that he can purchase the position of favorite. The Second Courtier writes a play (which he recognizes is comically bad) to be performed in front of Aurelia. They help prevent Agenor from killing himself in front of Philanthus's tomb.
DANCING MASTER
A master of dancing and fencing, he attempts to train Young Gudgen.
DUKE OF MILAN
Father to Aurelia and Agenor. He is amused by Young Gudgen's belief that he has purchased the position of favorite but has no time to deal with him because of the combat between Adrastus and Philanthus. After the combat he warns the friends of Adrastus not to attempt to harm Philanthus. He then witnesses Young Gudgen's mock challenge. At the end of the play, he has grown tired of Young Gudgen and orders him back to the country. He then commands preparations for his children's marriages.
GYPSY
Another name for the Moor.
HERALD AT ARMS
He delivers Philanthus's challenge to Adrastus. He announces only that Adrastus has offended a knight, and Adrastus accepts the challenge without questioning further.
LINDA
Servant to Lucinda. She tries to convince Lucinda to look favorably on Agenor. She is with Lucinda in the woods when they encounter the friends of Adrastus.
LUCINDA
Sister to Adrastus. She rejects Agenor's love, claiming that she will only marry someone who proves to be as worthy as her brother Adrastus, whom she idolizes. In the woods, she encounters friends of Adrastus who claim he has been murdered by a knight. She directs them to the house she saw the knight stop at and discovers that the man they are pursuing is Philanthus, who is sound asleep. She promises to murder him herself but actually only cuts her hands to make them appear to be soaked in his blood. Adrastus's friends then admit that Adrastus has not been killed. Having fallen in love with the sleeping Philanthus, she takes him to her house and makes him believe that he has been captured by a witch so that his actual situation will look better by comparison. She proclaims her love for Philanthus, but he tells her that he loves Aurelia and she releases him. She then travels to the court with the Moor. The Morr promises to give Philanthus a vision of the woman who held him prisoner, and Lucinda reveals herself, unaware that Agenor is in the room. She unsuccessfully tries to prevent the jealous Agenor from stabbing Philanthus and is wounded in the process. When Agenor is tempted to kill himself, she tells him that were she to love anyone other than Philanthus's memory, it would be him. Philanthus, pretending to be a ghost, appears to her and commands her to marry Agenor, which she ultimately agrees to do.
LUCINDA'S SERVANT
After Philanthus is brought to Lucinda's house, a servant tells him that he has been captured by a witch and that horrors await him. This story is devised by Lucinda to make his actual situation seem better by comparison.
MAN
Young Gudgen's man plays a character in the Second Courtier's play. At first, this character rejects love but seems to court Phillida, whom he ultimately rejects for a wench.
MIRANTHE
A servant to Aurelia. She informs Philanthus that Aurelia loves him but later reports that she does not. She sends Philanthus news that Adrastus has defamed him, occasioning the combat between the two. She reveals to Aurelia that Philanthus was the knight who fought Adrastus and argues that she should love him. Later she criticizes Aurelia's treatment of Philanthus and warns that it might result in her losing him. She rejects Adrastus's affections at the end of the play because she hopes for a better match.
MOOR
Also identified as the Gypsy. He travels to the court with Lucinda and entertains Aurelia by reading fortunes. He promises to give a vision to Philanthus of the woman who held him prisoner. When Philanthus comes to him, he produces Lucinda. After Philanthus is apparently killed, the body is entrusted to him. As part of Philanthus's plan, he appears to Aurelius in the armor Philanthus wore to fight Adrastus. Thinking he is Philanthus, she vows her love to him. He accompanies Philanthus to the tomb at the end.
OLD GUDGEN
Father to Young Gudgen, sixty years old. He is a yeoman but is possessed of sufficient money to make it worthwhile for the Courtiers to swindle him. He believes that his son will secure them more wealth and status. At the end of the play, he is brought to court to witness his son's success but only witnesses Young Gudgen being thrown out of court. He advises that they return home with less money and more wisdom.
OLD MAN
He and the Old Woman allow Philanthus to convalesce in their home. Adrastus's friends force their way in looking for Philanthus. Before she takes Philanthus, Lucinda has the man and woman taken into the woods and tied up to prevent them from going to the authorities.
OLD WOMAN
She and the Old Man allow Philanthus to convalesce in their home. Adrastus's friends force their way in looking for Philanthus. Before she takes Philanthus, Lucinda has the man and woman taken into the woods and tied up to prevent them from going to the authorities.
PHILANTHUS
A kinsman to Aurelia. He initially seems to court Miranthe, but is actually plotting with her to win Aurelia. He confesses his love for Aurelia, but she is standoffish. Agenor promises to aid Philanthus in his love, and Philanthus promises the same to Agenor. After learning that Adrastus has defamed him, Philanthus challenges Adrastus to combat but does not reveal his identity. During the combat, Aurelia faints. Philanthus stops to help her, but Adrastus ignobly attacks him. Nonetheless, Philanthus forces Adrastus to concede. Wounded from the combat, he travels to the house of an old man and woman to recover. He is discovered there by Lucinda who transports him while he sleeps to her house. When he awakens, he is told that he has been captured by a witch, but Lucinda (who does not reveal her identity) quickly dispels this story and proclaims her love for him. He reveals that he loves Aurelia and is allowed to leave. Back at court, he is briefly made jealous by Adrastus's boasts of Aurelia's love. When he meets with Aurelia, she asks him to find the knight who fought Adrastus so that she can be revenged on him and makes him swear not to tell Agenor of this quest. When Agenor is insulted by Philanthus's unwillingness to speak with him, Philanthus realizes that Aurelia intended to test whether his love was greater for her or for Agenor. He then disavows love for Aurelia and announces his plans to see the Moor to determine the name of the woman who held him prisoner so that he can vow his love to her. Agenor, curious about this woman, accompanies him, disguised as a servant. When Lucinda reveals herself, Agenor flies into a jealous rage and wounds Philanthus, who feigns death. With what appears to be his dying breath, he entreats Lucinda to love Agenor. He then appears to Lucinda pretending to be a ghost to reinforce this entreaty, promising to haunt her if she does not marry Agenor. He goes to his own tomb at the end of the play dressed in the armor in which he fought Adrastus. When Aurelius claims that she loves Philanthus, he reveals himself and the two agree to marry.
PHILLIDA
A fictitious character. Phillida is the character played by Young Gudgen in The Second Courtier's play. She is in love with Man and stabs herself when he courts a wench.
RAGGED COURTIER
A ragged courtier, seeing Young Gudgen's clothes, asks to be acquainted with him, but Young Gudgen snubs him.
SERVANTS
Several minor servants figure in the play. Some or all of the following actions could be presented by the same actor or servant character. One servant informs Aurelia of Philanthus's courtship of Miranthe. One tells Adrastus that he is expected at court. One announces the Herald of Arms. One tells the Moor that Philanthus is approaching.
SINGING MASTER
He attempts to train Young Gudgen as a singer.
TAILOR
He demands Young Gudgen pay for a suit before it is made, which Young Gudgen is reluctant to do. When Young Gudgen is practicing fencing, the Tailor readily bests him.
WENCH
A fictitious character. She appears in the Second Courtier's play. She is a simple country wench and does not understand Man's courtship of her.
YOUNG GUDGEN
Son to Old Gudgen. The "fool" of the play's title, he is convinced that he will become a great courtier. He takes the family plow horse as a steed and whips him. After being beaten in fencing by the Tailor, he goes with the Courtier to "dance, drink, whore and dice," which he finds more virtuous activities than fighting. He trusts the First Courtier to negotiate the purchase of the position of favorite from the Second Courtier. Thinking he has now bought the title, he proudly proclaims himself to the Duke as a royal favorite. The Duke laughs at him and throws him out. He becomes mad, speaking courtly commands to imaginary interlocutors. He appears before the Duke to challenge a fictitious "Bernardo" to a combat. When no one appears, Young Gudgen proclaims Bernardo a coward. He plays the role of Phillida in the play written by the Second Courtier. Growing tired of him, the Duke commands him to go back to the country, but Young Gudgen announces that he will petition the Duke to be made "chief fool-favorite."
YOUNG GUDGEN'S MAN
A hand on the Gudgen farm, he admonishes Young Gudgen for mistreating Cut the plow horse. He accompanies Young Gudgen to court. He delivers Young Gudgen's mock challenge, comically mangling it. He plays one of the characters in the play written by the Second Courtier.