A Woman is a Weathercock
| A Woman is a Weathercock | |
|---|---|
Title-page from the quarto published in 1612
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| Written by | Nathan Field |
| Characters |
Count Frederick A Page Servants A Tailor |
| Date premiered | c. 1609/10 |
| Original language | English |
| Genre | Comedy |
| Setting | The Neighbourhood of London |
Count Frederick
Sir John Wordly
Nevill
Scudmore
Strange
Pendant
Captain Powts
Sir Innocent Ninny
Sir Abraham Ninny
Bellafront
Katherine
Lucida
Lady Ninny
Mistress Wagtail
A Woman is a Weathercock is a comedy by the English actor and dramatist Nathan Field, first performed c1609/1610 by the Children of the Queen's Revels at the Whitefriars indoor playhouse in London. It was the first play written by Field, who was aged around 22 at the time and for nearly a decade previously had been the star player of the company of boy actors.
Though the title of the play might suggest the misogyny that was popular as a theatrical topic at the time, in fact the main female characters are found to be innocent of the accusation of inconstancy, and the play attacks the iniquity of arranged marriages. A happy ending is brought about against the will of the central characters' father – and Field portrays most of the male characters in a far worse light than the women.
The action of the play takes place over the course of one day when a double wedding is being held in "the Neighbourhood of London".
Scudmore is in love with Sir John Worldly's eldest daughter Bellafront but, as he is reading a love letter from her, his friend Nevill arrives to tell him Sir John has arranged for Bellafront to be married to rich Count Frederick that very day. Frederick's friend, Captain Powts, hoped to marry Sir John's second daughter Kate, but she is going to be wed to the rich young merchant Strange – Sir John favours him because of his wealth. Sir John's third daughter Lucida is in love with Count Frederick and vows she will marry no one else. The newly knighted and foolish Sir Abraham Ninny – son of Sir Innocent Ninny and his constantly-inebriated wife Lady Ninny – tries to win Lucida's love through terrible poetry ... and fails.
Nevill disguises himself as a parson – unbeknown to anyone except the audience – to perform the double wedding of Bellafront to Count Frederick and Kate to Strange, thereby nullifying the marriages, and giving his friend Scudmore time still to win Bellafront.
After the "weddings", the angry Captain Powts arrives and tells everyone he has slept with Kate "often". Kate demands that Strange rescues her honour by killing Powts and is furious when Strange refuses – he says it's not blood that's required; it's her "good name" that must be redeemed.
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Wikipedia