before an ordinary private house; still less, of course, when the house is a castle, and in a castle courtyard scene we get very near the scenes with 'walls' already described.[1] Some prison scenes, in the Tower or elsewhere, are apparently of this type, although others seem to require interior action in a close chamber or even a dungeon.[2] Threshold scenes may also be before the outer gate of a palace or castle, where another analogy to assault scenes presents itself;[3] or before a church or temple, a friar's cell, an inn, a stable, or the like.[4] Nor are shop scenes, since a shop may be a mere adjunct to a house, really different in kind.
- [Footnote: house', and Shakebag says 'This is the doore; but soft, me thinks tis
shut'. They are therefore at the outer door of the courtyard; cf. p. 69, n. 2. Similarly 1 Rich. II, III. ii, which begins with 'Enter Woodstock, Lancaster, and Yorke, at Plashey', and 'heere at Plasshy house I'le bid you wellcome', is clearly in a courtyard. A servant says (114), 'Ther's a horse-man at the gate. . . . He will not off an's horse-backe till the inner gate be open'. Gloucester bids 'open the inner gate . . . lett hime in', and (s.d.) 'Enter a spruce Courtier a horse-backe'. It is also before the house, for the Courtier says, 'Is he within', and 'I'le in and speake with the duke'. Rather more difficult is Englishmen for my Money, sc. iv, 'Enter Pisaro' with others, and says, 'Proud am I that my roofe containes such friends' (748), also 'I would not haue you fall out in my house' (895). He sends his daughters 'in' (827, 851), so must be in the porch, and a 'knock within' (s.d.) and 'Stirre and see who knocks!' (796) suggest a courtyard gate. But later in the play (cf. p. 58, n. 4) the street seems to be directly before the same house.]*
- ↑ In K. to K. Honest Man, scc. x-xii (continuous scene at Servio's), Phillida is called 'forth' (1058) and bidden keep certain prisoners 'in the vpper loft'. Presently she enters 'with the keyes' and after the s.d. 'Here open the doore' calls them out and gives them a signet to pass 'the Porter of the gates', which Servio (1143) calls 'my castell gates'. In 1 Hen. VI, II. iii, the Countess of Auvergne, to entrap Talbot, bids her porter 'bring the keyes to me'; presumably Talbot's men are supposed to break in the gates at the s.d. 'a Peale of Ordnance'. Rich. III, III. vii, is at Baynard's Castle. Buckingham bids Gloucester (55) 'get you vp to the leads' to receive the Mayor, who enters with citizens, and (95) 'Enter Richard with two bishops a lofte'. Similarly in Rich. II, III. iii. 62, 'Richard appeareth on the walls' of Flint Castle, and then comes down (178) to the 'base court'. B. Beggar of Alexandria, sc. ii, is before the house of Elimine's father and 'Enter Elimine above on the walls'. She is in a 'tower' and comes down, but there is nothing to suggest a courtyard.
- ↑ 1 Sir John Oldcastle, IV. iv, v (a continuous scene), is partly 'neare vnto the entrance of the Tower', beyond the porter's lodge, partly in Oldcastle's chamber there, with a 'window that goes out into the leads'; cf. p. 67.
- ↑ Famous Victories, sc. vi, 60, 'What a rapping keep you at the Kings Court gate!'; Jack Straw, II. ii (a City gate).
- ↑ A Shrew, ind. 1, 'Enter a Tapster, beating out of his doores Slie Droonken'; 1 Oldcastle, V. iii-vii (inn and barn); True Tragedy of Rich. III, sc. viii, 'Earle Riuers speakes out of his chamber' in an inn
