- sistent with the fact that the two entrants are wildly seeking
the same lady, and one may well have been in London and the other at Highgate. She herself enters from the neighbouring house; that is to say, a third, central, door. With Marston's acknowledged plays, we reach an order of drama in which interior action of the 'hall' type is conspicuous.[1] There are four plays, each limited to a single Italian city, Venice or Urbino. The main action of 1 Antonio and Mellida is in the hall of the doge's palace, chiefly on 'the lower stage', although ladies discourse 'above', and a chamber can be pointed to from the hall.[2] One short scene (V. 1-94), although near the Court, is possibly in the lodging of a courtier, but probably in the open street. And two (III. i; IV) are in open country, representing 'the Venice marsh', requiring no background, but approachable by more than one door.[3] The setting of 2 Antonio and Mellida is a little more complicated. There is no open-country scene. The hall recurs and is still the chief place of action. It can be entered by more than one door (V. 17, &c.) and has a 'vault' (II. 44) with a 'grate' (II. ii. 127), whence a speaker is heard 'under the stage' (V. 1). The scenes within it include several episodes discovered by curtains. One is at the window of Mellida's chamber above.[4] Another, in Maria's chamber, where the discovery is only of a bed, might be either above or below.[5] A third involves the appearance of a ghost 'betwixt the musichouses', probably above.[6] Concurrently, a fourth*
- ↑ I give s.ds. with slight corrections from Bullen, who substantially follows 1633. But he has re-divided his scenes; 1633 has acts only for 1 Antonio and Mellida (in spite of s.d. 'and so the scene begins' with a new speaker at III. ii. 120); acts and scenes, by speakers, for 2 Antonio and Mellida; and acts and scenes or acts and first scenes only, not by speakers and very imperfectly, for the rest.
- ↑ 1 Ant. and Mell. I. 100, 'Enter above . . . Enter below' . . . (117) 'they two stand . . . whilst the scene passeth above' . . . (140) 'Exeunt all on the lower stage' . . . (148) 'Rossaline. Prithee, go down!' . . . (160) 'Enter Mellida, Rossaline, and Flavia'; III. ii. 190 'Enter Antonio and Mellida' . . . (193) 'Mellida. A number mount my stairs; I'll straight return. Exit . . . (222) Feliche. Slink to my chamber; look you, that is it'.
- ↑ IV. 220, 'Enter Piero (&c.) . . . Balurdo and his Page, at another door'.
- ↑ 2 Ant. and Mell. I. ii. 194, 'Antonio. See, look, the curtain stirs' . . . (s.d.) 'The curtains drawn, and the body of Feliche, stabb'd thick with wounds, appears hung up' and 'Antonio. What villain bloods the window of my love?'
- ↑ III. ii. 1, 'Enter . . . Maria, her hair loose' . . . (59) 'Maria. Pages, leave the room' . . . (65) 'Maria draweth the curtain: and the ghost of Andrugio is displayed, sitting on the bed' . . . (95) 'Exit Maria to her bed, Andrugio drawing the curtains'.
- ↑ V. ii. 50, 'While the measure is dancing, Andrugio's ghost is placed
