The Bloody Banquet
The Bloody Banquet[1] is an early 17th-century play, a revenge tragedy of uncertain date and authorship, attributed on its title page only to "T.D."
It has attracted a substantial body of critical and scholarly commentary, chiefly for the challenging authorship problem it presents.
The Bloody Banquet was never entered into the Register of the Stationers Company, but an order from the Lord Chamberlain (then Philip Herbert, 4th Earl of Pembroke), dated 19 August 1639, lists it among forty plays that are the property of William Beeston and can be performed only by his company, Beeston's Boys.
Zenarchus kneels and begs his father to act honourably and show pity on the Old King of Lydia, but this petition is quickly countered by objections from the Tyrant's shrewd advisor, Mazeres.
Resigning himself to his fate, the Old King of Lydia retires from the court accompanied by two faithful servants, Fidelo and Amorpho.
Mazeres notes that a gesture of kindness toward the Old King's son would be politically astute because it would make the Tyrant look good.
Scene 2: A forest Disguised as a beggar, the Old Queen of Lydia bemoans her fate and wonders aloud what will become of her two infant sons.
Assuring the Old Queen that Lapyrus is truly penitent, he asks her what she would do if she should happen to cross paths with her traitorous nephew.
Lapyrus gives the Old Queen his sword, kneels, removes his false beard, and encourages her to take his life.
To cheer him up, Zenarchus arranges to meet his stepmother, the Queen, a beautiful young woman whom the Tyrant keeps imprisoned under strict supervision.
After noting the importance of keeping women under strict observance, he greets his wife warmly and anticipates the sexual pleasure they will share that night.
In a soliloquy brimming with sexual innuendo, Roxano says that he can tell from the Young Queen's face that she intends to deceive her husband.
The Young Queen insists that Tymethes must lie with her without knowing her true identity, a measure necessary to guard against the Tyrant's obsessive jealousy.
Scene 2: Outside a sheepcote; a fruit tree beside a pit Lapyrus enters complaining about the cruelty of Nature and the difficulty of finding food.
When Lapyrus identifies himself, the Clown calls him a traitorous villain, replaces the boughs covering the pit, and exits.
Scene 3: The Lydian Castle; outdoors Tymethes, Amphridote and Zenarchus notice that they are being observed by Mazeres (the Tyrant's advisor).
Scene 4: Outside a sheepcote; a fruit tree beside a pit The Old King of Lydia enters bemoaning the loss of his wife.
When Lapyrus and the Old King returned to find the Old Queen gone, they assumed she had died, and left in a state of extreme grief.
Scene 1: The lodge where Tymethes is supposed to meet Roxano Roxano enters, enviously contemplating Tymethes' date with the Young Queen: "I that could never aspire above a dairy wench, the very cream of my fortunes—that he should bathe in nectar, and I most unfortunate in buttermilk, this is good dealing now, is't?"
Roxano re-assumes his "beggar" disguise and tells Tymethes that he must wear a hood over his head before he can be brought to the "anonymous young lady."
Scene 2: A room in the lodge The Young Queen forces her servants to take an oath of secrecy and loyalty and then gives them documents detailing the roles they must play in facilitating her secret date with Tymethes.
In the note, she promises him a night of pleasure, but begs him to keep their encounter a safely guarded secret.
Frustrated that his attempt at murder was foiled, he makes plans to ruin Tymethes by telling the Tyrant about his encounter with the Young Queen.
Scene 1: A room in the castle Tymethes shows Zenarchus a jewel he stole during his encounter with the mysterious young "lady".
Laying plans to catch the Young Queen red-handed, he tells his servant to spread a rumour that he has travelled far away from the castle.
Mazeres enters disguised as Roxano and recounts the details of The Young Queen's secret meeting with Tymethes at the lodge.
Comparing the Young Queen to a hunter who has killed a deer, the Tyrant orders his servants to butcher Tymethes' body and prepare it for a feast.
Assuming that Amphridote will be pleased to hear that Tymethes' death has been avenged, Zenarchus tells her how he facilitated Mazeres' execution.
He finds the bodies of his dead daughter and son, shrieks in horror, and orders his servants to take the corpses away.
The Old King, Lapyrus, Sertorio and Lodovico enter, all disguised as pilgrims seeking refuge from the storm.
