12 Annotations

First Reading

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Interesting title... "Father's own Son" Sounds more like something you'd come across in the Victorian era.

Sam's keeping his vow to Beth up admirably I see.

Bradford  •  Link

Or akin to that country-western classic, "I'm My Own Grand-Paw."

In fact this is the subtitle of a comedy by---you'll never guess who:

"Monsieur Thomas, or Father's Own Son," by John Fletcher, c. 1610-1616, or 1619, depending on which Website you believe. What did Sam make of this speech, cited by an elderly Bartlett's Quotations?:

O woman, perfect woman! what distraction
Was meant to mankind when thou wast made a devil!
---Monsieur Thomas. Act iii. Sc. 1.

Maybe the perspicacious can link us to a plot summary.

RexLeo  •  Link

"..and then Sir W. Pen and his daughter and I and my wife to the Theatre,.."

I wonder how much it cost at that time to go to the Theatre which Sam seems to be doing every day. I don't think at current prices a typical "salary man" can indulge in this passion as often.

Paul Chapin  •  Link

how much it cost to go to the Theatre
From what I've read and heard, I have the impression that going to the Theatre then was pretty much like going to the movies today. Anyone and everyone could and did.

Nix  •  Link

"Monsieur Thomas can hardly be called a good play, though it has good scenes. The dilemma of the travelled young gentleman, who is obliged, at the same time, to convince his father that he is a rake and his mistress that he is a reformed character, has comic possibilities which are not quite effectively worked out."

The Cambridge History of English and American Literature (1907-21), Volume VI.

http://www.bartleby.com/216/0514.…

Xjy  •  Link

Going to the movies...
"I have the impression that going to the Theatre then was pretty much like going to the movies today. Anyone and everyone could and did."
All right for some :-) Films aren't cheap. If they were, no-one would bother with videos.
Mind you, I expect the lure of live entertainment was much greater then than today -- what else was there but the church :-(

daniel  •  Link

" -- what else was there but the church :-(“

-which could be considered also a form of live enteretainment for Sam and his fellow parishioners.

Glyn  •  Link

Good question. In Pepys' defence, he always seems to go to the cheaper seats.

A basic set meal in a tavern (meat and broth and a beer) cost 3 pennies. I'm assuming this would be about the same.

Wim van der Meij  •  Link

'Father's own Son'.
Warrington has the following on this play: "The only mention of this play occurs in an enumeration of plays belonging to Will. Beeston, as governor of the Cockpit, in Drury Lane. This list is dated 10th August 1639. - See Collier's 'Annals of the Stage', ii.92"

David Ross McIrvine  •  Link

FATHER'S OWN SON

You can download the complete text of "Father's Own Son"--the Beaumont & Fletcher play Sam sees--under the other title MONSIEUR THOMAS--in various formats
here:

http://ota.ahds.ac.uk/texts/1021.…

By the way, Cyrus Hoy (whom I used to refer to as "Cyrus the Great"), the editor of Beaumont and Fletcher's plays, was one of my Renaissance Drama professors, so I like that Sam saw so much of Fletcher and appreciated it so much.

gary m. dobbs  •  Link

Just had to write a quickie to say what a great concept this is. Makes learning so easy and I've used this page to eductate my eleven year old son on this period. Because it works like an everyday blog he has become fascinated and just asked me to purchase some books found mentioned on the site.
Thank you so very much

Second Reading

Sasha Clarkson  •  Link

Sir William has obviously forgiven Sam for his role in the recent practical joke.

Of course Batten, the instigator and hence the real "tankard prankard*", is away at the moment.

* Yes - I know the word doesn't exist, but it should! :)

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