The Woman Hater, or, The Hungry Courtier is an early Jacobean era stage play, a comedy by Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher.
The title page of the first quarto states that the play was acted by the Children of Paul's, a company of child actors that is thought to have ceased activity after the summer of 1606.
Lazarillo - a courtier and gourmand Oriana - Valore's sister Julia - a prostitute Mercer Panderer The Duke of Milan cannot sleep.
As he walks with his courtiers, Arrigo and Lucio, he explains that the cause of his insomnia is not some heavy matter of state, or the welfare of his people, but a woman.
Specifically, the head of an umbrannes fish delivered to the Duke of Milan and passed on to his friend, the general Gondarino.
This rare delicacy has attracted the attention of the courtier Lazarillo, a gourmand who spends his days hunting down the best dishes in Milan and securing invitations to events where they are served.
Though a mere fifteen years old, Oriana is determined to experience all the outside world has to offer, and against her brother's wishes, sets out to court.
Though distressed by his sister's actions, Valore is glad at the approach of Lazarillo, hoping the gourmand will provide him some distraction.
Valore acquiesces, but for his own amusement orders his spies to accompany Lazarillo, in the off chance the gourmand make some sort of treasonous comment.
While Lazarillo has been busy soliciting an introduction from Valore, his boy has discovered that the umbrannes is no longer in the Duke's possession, but has been sent to the general Gondarino.
When his servant informs him that the umbrannes is, in fact, a gift from the Duke, Gondarino has it sent to his mercer, as remuneration for a previous unpaid shipment of silks.
Though the general flings insults at her, Oriana responds with nothing but pleasantries; that is, up until the point that she informs Gondarino that she sought out his house specifically because of his reputation as a woman hater, hoping to amuse herself by aggravating him.
While Gondarino rails against the presence of a woman in his house, the Duke begins to suspect his protests are a ruse designed to conceal an illicit love affair with his beloved Oriana.
Sensing his chance to avenge himself, Gondarino slanders Oriana by not only confirming the Duke's suspicions but by denouncing her as an "arrant whore."
As punishment, Gondarino is bound to a chair and is made to suffer as Oriana directs the ladies of the court to fondle him.
"[7] This play has the earliest attested usage of a number of words and phrases in the Oxford English Dictionary, including: