''The Orphan or The Unhappy Marriage'' is a domestic

tragedy Tragedy (from the grc-gre, τραγῳδία, ''tragōidia'', ''tragōidia'') is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful events that befall a main character. Traditionally, the intention of tragedy ...

, written by

Thomas Otway Thomas Otway (3 March 165214 April 1685) was an English dramatist of the Restoration period, best known for ''Venice Preserv'd'', or ''A Plot Discover'd'' (1682). Life Otway was born at Trotton near Midhurst, the parish of which his father, H ...

in 1680. It was first produced at the

Dorset Garden Theatre The Dorset Garden Theatre in London, built in 1671, was in its early years also known as the Duke of York's Theatre, or the Duke's Theatre. In 1685, King Charles II died and his brother, the Duke of York, was crowned as James II. When the D ...

, and starred

Elizabeth Barry Elizabeth Barry (1658 – 7 November 1713) was an English actress of the Restoration period. Elizabeth Barry's biggest influence on Restoration drama was her presentation of performing as the tragic actress. She worked in large, prestigious L ...

as Monimia,

Thomas Betterton Thomas Patrick Betterton (August 1635 – 28 April 1710), the leading male actor and theatre manager during Restoration England, son of an under-cook to King Charles I, was born in London. Apprentice and actor Betterton was born in August 16 ...

as Castalio,

Thomas Gillow Thomas Gillow (died 1687) was an English stage actor of the Restoration era. His name was sometimes written Gilloe or Gillo. His first known role was at the Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre in Samuel Pordage's ''Herod and Mariamne'' in 1671. He re ...

as Acasto, John Wiltshire as Paulino, Henry Norris as Ernesto, William Smith as Chamont,

Thomas Percival Thomas Percival (29 September 1740 – 30 August 1804) was an English physician, health reformer, ethicist and author who wrote an early code of medical ethics. He drew up a pamphlet with the code in 1794 and wrote an expanded version in 18 ...

as Chaplain, Margaret Osborne as Florella and Joseph Williams as Polydore. It precedes ''

Venice Preserv'd ''Venice Preserv'd'' is an English Restoration play written by Thomas Otway, and the most significant tragedy of the English stage in the 1680s. It was first staged in 1682, with Thomas Betterton as Jaffeir and Elizabeth Barry as Belvidera. The ...

'' and is therefore the first of Otway's two famous tragedies. Written in

blank verse Blank verse is poetry written with regular metrical but unrhymed lines, almost always in iambic pentameter. It has been described as "probably the most common and influential form that English poetry has taken since the 16th century", and P ...

, it is the play that made Otway famous. ''The Orphan'' remained a stock piece on the stage until the 19th century.

was purported to have been deeply in love with Mrs. Barry, and it has been suggested that this play was inspired by this unrequited love.

Plot

Half the youth of

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

is at war but Acasto, a nobleman retired from court and living in the country, encourages his sons Castalio and Polydore to stay home, study art and politics, and avoid the company of women. As well as having a daughter, Serina, Acasto is the guardian of a young girl, Monimia. Both Castalio and Polydore are in love with Monimia but Castalio, being the first-born twin, claims to have the right to woo her first. He secretly contracts himself to Monimia in marriage but Polydore overhears and makes plans to replace Castalio on the wedding night. Using the wedding-night signal of ''"three soft strokes on the chamber door"'' he is allowed access to Monimia's bedroom. When Castalio then attempts to enter the room using the same signal he is believed to be Polydore, and turned away. When everything is discovered and explained the next day, there is only the prospect of death for those involved. In the end, Polydore provokes Castalio into a duel and runs into his brother's sword on purpose, after which Monimia takes a fatal draught of poison and Castalio stabs himself.

Prologue

In the prologue, Otway praises the

Duke of York Duke of York is a title of nobility in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of English (later British) monarchs. The equivalent title in the Scottish peerage was Du ...

and congratulates him on his safe return from

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

: ::The baneful cloud's withdrawn, ::And happiness again begins to dawn; ::Since back with joy and triumph he is come, ::That always drove fears hence, ne'er brought 'em home. ::Oft has he ploughed the boist'rous ocean o'er, ::Yet ne'er more welcome to the longing shore, ::Not when he brought home victories before; ::For then fresh laurels flourished on his brow, ::And he comes crowned with olive branches now. ::Receive him! Oh, receive him as his friends; and dedicates the published edition of the play to the Duchess of York, suggesting strong

Tory A Tory () is a person who holds a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalism and conservatism, which upholds the supremacy of social order as it has evolved in the English culture throughout history. Th ...

sympathies.

Legacy

The song "

Bad Review Bad or BAD may refer to: Common meanings *Evil, the opposite of moral good * Erroneous, inaccurate or incorrect * Unhealthy, or counter to well-being *Antagonist, the threat or obstacle of moral good Acronyms * BAD-2, a Soviet armored trolley ...

" on the 1997 album ''

Voyage to the Bottom of the Road ''Voyage to the Bottom of the Road'' is the sixth album by Birkenhead-based UK rock band Half Man Half Biscuit, released July 1997. Critical reception * Stewart Mason, AllMusic: "''Voyage to the Bottom of the Road'' is a surprising and enter ...

'' by English

post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-roc ...

band

Half Man Half Biscuit Half Man Half Biscuit are an English rock band, formed in 1984 in Birkenhead, Merseyside. Known for their satirical, sardonic, and sometimes surreal songs, the band comprises lead singer and guitarist Nigel Blackwell, bassist and singer Neil Cr ...

includes the line "Left to pick dry sticks and mumble to myself", a near-quote of "Picking dry sticks, and mumbling to herself" from ''The Orphan'' Act II Scene I.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Orphan, The English Restoration plays 1680 plays Tragedy plays Plays by Thomas Otway