The Contrast, Superstition and Charles II Flashcards
The Contrast (Breif Summary)
Act One
Sc. 1 - Charlotte and Letitia discuss the forthcoming marriage between Maria and Billy Dimple. Dimple’s father (deceased) and Van Rough were business partners who arranged a match with Dimple and Maria. While Dimple is in England, Maria improves her taste and realized she “unthinkingly engaged her hand without her heart.”
Sc. 2 - Maria bemoans her situation. Maria tells her father that she doesn’t like Dimple, her father cares more about the money than his daughters feelings. Maria, not wanting to disappoint dad consents.
Act Two
Char. discovers her brother the ever so manly Colonel Manly is in town. Letitia and Char. both reveal they are being courted by Dimple as well. Jessamy (snob) meets Jonathan (stage yankee) and convinces him to pursue maids in the city, namely Jenny. Jon then tries to kiss Jenny who angrily refuses.
Act Three
Dimples loves Char. but needs Letitia’s money. He wants Maria to decline the match. Dimple meets Manly and holds his tongue about his true views of women after discovering Char. is his sister.
Act Four
Maria tells Char that she hates Dimple and has met a man of good character. Char tries to “excite her to discharge him” Manly and Dimple enter and the family relations are revealed to all characters. Van Rough finds out Dimple lost a ton of money and decides he doesn’t want Maria to marry him. He then overhears a conversation between Maria and Manly talking of their affection for each other.
Act Five
Jessamy attempts to teach Jonathan high society rules (specifically rules about laughing). Dimple meets Let. tells her he loves her and Char. is nothing to him. Letitia pretends to leave and overhears Dimple meeting Char telling her he loves her and saying mean things about Let. Dimple tries to kiss Char, she screams Manly enters and then Van Rough enters and keeps them from killing each other. Let tells everyone what happened. Dimple leaves dishonored, Van Rough agrees to Manly’s proposal to marry Maria.
Charles the Second (Brief Summary)
When his mistress, Lady Clara (Mrs. Clarke), accuses the Earl of Rochester (Mr. Stanley) of being “the chief cause of the king’s irregularities,” the Earl agrees to help reform Charles II (Edmund Simpson). He takes the King to a seaman’s tavern run by old Captain Copp (Thomas Hilson). There he deserts the King, leaving him to fend for himself without any money. Copp threatens to have the King arrested, but the King escapes through a window. Realizing the Earl and the lady have had his best interests at heart, the King is forgiving and promises to mend his ways. He pays his debt to Copp and gives him a fine watch as well.
Sir Reginald Egerton (Superstition Characters)
George’s Uncle, brought George to the America’s to keep him from the “dissolute companions” at Charles’ court and “cool… [his] blood..in the wiilderness” (pg. 44)
George Egerton (Superstition Characters)
Nephew to Sir Reginald Egerton, was brought to America to cool off after association with Charles and the dissolute members of his court. During the play he harasses Mary, enters into a duel with Charles because Charles caught him harassing Mary, loses to Charles and exits injured.
Ravensworth (Superstition Characters)
Mary’s father, strict, unsympathetic, fanatic, really hates Isabella and Charles because they don’t conform to the towns religious and social norms. He refuses to hear or accept that Mary loves Charles and also refuses to acknowledge any good in Charles and Isabella do (ex. fighting off the Indians). Ravensworth holds a biased trial against Charles which then results in Charles death, followed by Mary’s death and then Isabella’s death. Doesn’t realize the error of his ways until everyone else is dead.
He is representative of the clergy during colonial times and their intolerance of non conformers.
‘Walford (Superstition Characters)
Alice’s father, friend to Ravensworth. He doesn’t have as harsh, fanatical viewpoint on Charles and Isabella the way that Ravensworth does. He tells Ravensworth that the superstition and the responses to it are too extreme. He then refuses to take part in the trial against Charles. He is present during the last scene where everyone dies.
Charles (Superstition Characters)
Son of Isabella, in love with Mary, duels,with George for harassing Mary, fights in the battle against the Indians. Ravensworth holds a trial against him and his mother because of their non-comformist ways which cause superstition among Ravensworth and his followers. Dies as a result of the confusion and hysteria caused by the trial and a coincidental thunderstorm.
The Unknown (Superstition Characters)
mysterious person who appears throughout the play. It is revealed that he was banished from England nineteen years before the events of the play occur, due to a murder charge. It is later discovered that he is Isabella’s father, (charles’s grandfather) and at the end of the play receives a pardon from the King for his crime, but not in time, as Isabella has just died from the shock of Charles death.
This character is based on William Goff, a regicide (person who kills a king), member of the Roundheads who during the English Civil War signed a death warrant for Charles I and as a result, Goff was banished.
Isabella (Superstition Characters)
daughter of the Unknown, mother to Charles. She doesn’t conform to the ways of the village, she doesn’t go to church on Sundays and doesn’t have a husband. Ravensworth has a vendetta against her because of this. She is close to Mary, serves as a a sort of mother figure to her. She dies at the end of the play as a result of the shock of her son, Charles’s death.
Mary (Superstition Characters)
daughter of Ravensworth, in love with Charles, close to Isabella who is like a mother to her, best friend of Alice George fancies her. Ravensworth disapproves of her love of Charles and frightens her, so much so that when she is discovered alone with him at the end of the play she cries out as though Charles is attacking her, in fear of what her father will do to her. She dies at the end of the play in shock at Charles’ death.
Alice (Superstition Characters)
friend to Mary, serves as a confidante for Mary throughout the play.
Charlotte (The Contrast Characters)
best friend to Letitia, brother of Colonel Manly is one of the three women Dimple is simultaneously courting, loves gossip and scandal
Letitia (The Contrast Characters)
best friend to Charlotte, is one of the three women Dimple is simultaneously courting, she is the one who overhears his conversation with Charlotte and uncovers his treachery.
Jessamy (The Contrast Characters)
the snobby manservant to Dimple. He enjoys schooling Jonathan on the finer, English way of doing things. He convinces Jonathan to pursue one of the maids, takes him to a play and teach his him proper laugh decorum. In reality puts on fancy airs and isn’t nearly as sophisticated as he thinks he is, he’s just kind of a dick who wishes he was English. He is a sharp contrast to Jonathan.
Jonathan (The Contrast Characters)
Stage Yankee
He is Manly’s servant. He is a bit simple, but honest and good intentioned, he is satisfied with little. He is suprised Jessamy is a waiter, he is convinced to pursue a maid whom he tries to kiss, and he doesn’t realize he’s been to see a play. He is a sharp contrast to Jessamy.
