Elizabeth 1: A Girl Worth Gold

Renaissance Drama Exit Survey

The following constitutes our collective wisdom on two subjects of utmost importance: which characters in the plays we have read have the most attractive, silliest, or simply the most striking names; and what is the most memorable, attractive, or even the grossest method of dying represented in the plays? With about 23 of the 45 students polled reporting in, here are the results of the survey.

Favorite Character Names

• Count Malateste (The Duchess of Malfi) 2
• Shakebag (Arden of Feversham 2
• Constarbus (Tragedy of Mariam) 2
• Usumcasane (Tamburlaine) 2
• Androgino (Volpone) 1
• Subtle (The Alchemist) 1
• Hieronimo (The Spanish Tragedy) 1
• Castrucchio (The Duchess of Malfi) 1
• Roughman (Fair Maid of the West) 1
• Goodlack (Fair Maid of the West) 1
• Spencer (Fair Maid of the West) 1
• Salome (Tragedy of Mariam) 1
• Zenocrate (Tamburlaine) 1
• The Duchess of Malfi (Duchess of Malfi) 1
• Bosola (Duchess of Malfi) 1
• Bess (Fair Maid of the West) 1
• Dame Pliant (The Alchemist) 1
• Nano (Volpone) 1
• Death (Everyman)1
• De Flores (The Changeling) 1
• Truewit (Epicene) 1
• Laxton (Epicene) 1
• Tamburlaine (Tamburlaine) 1

There didn't seem to be any clear consensus on what is the best name, just a general demonstration that there are many strange names in Renaissance Drama. Some people favored amusing allegorical names, such as Castrucchio or Nano. Others chose their favorites for reasons of euphony: "Usumcasane--it just flows! Hieronimo--sounds like a sumo wrestler. Castrucchio--it flows trippingly from the tongue. Spencer--that's a perfect name for me, for an idiot of love." There was also a groundswell of support from those good, old English names in Fair Maid of the West.

Favorite methods of Death, Execution, Torture, or Murder

• The Braining of Bajazeth and Zabina (Tamburlaine, Part 1) 10
• Hieronimo biting off his own tongue (The Spanish Tragedy) 5
• Hanging and gutting of Horatio (The Spanish Tragedy) 1
• Faustus's dismemberment (Dr. Faustus) 2
• Hanging ("turning off") of Pedringano (The Spanish Tragedy) 1
• Drawing and quartering (where is that?) 1
• Cleopatra's asp 1
• Hot coals down the throat: Portia wife of Brutus and (almost!) Celia (Volpone) 1
• Piercing of Olympia's throat unwittingly by Theridamus, who thinks he is demonstrating a miracle drug! (Tamburlaine, Part 2) 1
• Julia kissing the Cardinal's poisoned bible (The Duchess of Malfi) 1
• The Impalement Edward II (Edward II) 1

Here there was more consensus. Marlowe wins hands-down with the braining of Bajazeth and Zabina. Hieronimo's final statement to the Spanish court--no more statements!--was also popular. The Spanish Tragedy stands out as the play with the greatest variety of bodily mutilation.

Thank you all for a fun and profitable quarter. I'm terribly sorry to report that no one got an automatic A from being bitten by an asp, and as of last count, no one had fallen off a building. If, in the heat of the chase you forgot to vote, you can e-mail Dr. Desmet at cdesmet@uga.cc.uga.edu.

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