The Old Wives' Tale by George Peele
"The Old Wives' Tale" is a play by George Peele set against the backdrop of an enchanted English forest. The narrative follows a trio of characters—Antic, Frolic, and Fantastic—who become lost and seek refuge in the cottage of Clunch, a blacksmith. The story unfolds as Clunch's wife, Madge, recounts a tale that involves a king's daughter named Delia, who is kidnapped by a magician disguised as a dragon. This tale weaves together themes of magic, familial bonds, and the quest for identity, as Delia’s brothers embark on a perilous journey to rescue her, encountering various enchanted figures along the way.
The play explores the consequences of magic and enchantment, notably through characters who transform into animals and the trials they face. It also touches on the complexities of love, loyalty, and the dichotomy between appearances and reality, as characters such as the enchanted Erestus and the sorcerer Sacrapant navigate their fates. Through a rich tapestry of folklore and fantasy, Peele's work reflects the cultural and social dynamics of late 16th-century England, offering insights into gender roles, familial obligations, and societal expectations. "The Old Wives' Tale" remains a notable example of early modern drama, combining humor and moral lessons with fantastical elements, captivating audiences with its imaginative storytelling.
On this Page
The Old Wives' Tale by George Peele
First produced: c. 1591-1594; first published, 1595
Type of work: Drama
Type of plot: Comedy
Time of plot: Indeterminate
Locale: England
Principal characters
Antic , ,Frolic , andFantastic , pagesClunch , a blacksmithMadge , his wifeErestus , an enchanted man, called SenexLampriscus , a farmerHuanebango , a braggartSacrapant , a magicianEumenides , a knightDelia , a princess of ThessalyCalypha andThelea , her brothersVenelia , the betrothed of ErestusZantippa andCelanta , the daughters of Lampriscus
The Story:
Antic, Frolic, and Fantastic, three pages, are lost at night in an English forest. There they encounter Clunch, a blacksmith, who takes them to his cottage to spend the night in comfort and safety. When Madge, Clunch’s wife, offers them food, they refuse it; Antic asks for a story instead. Oddly enough, Antic thereupon goes to sleep with old Clunch; his companions stay up to hear Madge’s story.
Once upon a time, a king had a daughter of great beauty. This daughter was stolen away. The king sent men in search of her until there were no men left in the realm except her brothers. Finally they, too, went in search of their sister. It was a magician disguised as a dragon who had kidnapped her. This magician imprisoned her in a great stone castle. The magician also placed at the crossroad a young man who by enchantment appeared by day as an old man, but who by night was changed into a bear.
At this point in Madge’s tale two young men appear and declare dejectedly that they have arrived in England in search of their sister, Delia. They have given alms to an old man whom they encounter at a crossroad. In return for their kindness, the old man repeats a verse for them and tells them to say to anyone who asks about the rhyme that they had learned it from the white bear of England’s wood.
After the brothers leave, the old man tells aloud his own story. He had been happily married to a beautiful woman in Thessaly. Sacrapant, a sorcerer, had fallen in love with her and had enchanted the husband, Erestus, so that now, by day, he appears to be an old man and by night a bear. His beloved Venelia, under the influence of Sacrapant, becomes a lunatic. Distracted, she runs past the crossroad and is recognized by Senex, as Erestus is called in his enchanted form of an old man.
A farmer named Lampriscus, knowing a bear’s fondness for sweets, gives Erestus a pot of honey. Lampriscus discloses that he is twice a widower; by his first wife he has a beautiful daughter who, in her pride and petulance, is a great burden to him; by his second wife he has another daughter who is ugly and deformed. Erestus directs Lampriscus to send his daughters to the well to drink of the water of life; there they will find their fortunes.
Huanebango, a braggart who claims that he can overpower sorcerers, and Booby, a peasant, arrive at the crossroad. Both seek to win the favor of the fair lady enchanted by Sacrapant. Huanebango refuses to give alms to Erestus; Booby, however, gives him a piece of cake. Erestus predicts that Huanebango will soon be deaf and that Booby will go blind.
In his study room, meanwhile, Sacrapant discloses that he, the son of a witch, has transformed himself into a dragon and has kidnapped Delia, the daughter of the king. Delia enters the study and sits down to a magic feast with her captor. As the pair dine, the two brothers enter. Delia and Sacrapant flee, but Sacrapant soon returns to overcome the brothers with his magic. After they are taken to a dungeon in the castle, Sacrapant triumphantly reveals aloud that he can die only by a dead man’s hand.
When Eumenides, a wandering knight, arrives at the crossroad, Erestus forecasts his fortune for him in a rhymed riddle. Eumenides lays down to sleep. Before long he is awakened by an argument between two country fellows and a churchwarden; the churchwarden refuses to bury their friend, Jack, who has died a pauper. Eumenides, recalling a stipulation of the riddle, pays the churchwarden all of the money he has so that Jack will be properly buried.
Huanebango and Booby arrive at Sacrapant’s stronghold. Huanebango is struck down by a flame; Booby is stricken blind and turned loose to wander. Sacrapant then changes Delia’s name to Berecynthia and takes her to the fields to supervise the labors of her brothers, who are digging in the enchanted ground. Delia, ignorant of her true identity, fails to recognize her brothers.
In the meantime, Zantippa, the proud daughter of Lampriscus, and Celanta, the deformed daughter, go to the well of life. Zantippa breaks Celanta’s water pot. At the same time, two Furies bring Huanebango, in a trance, to the well. As Zantippa dips her pot into the well, she beholds a head in the water. She impetuously breaks her pot on the head; thunder and lightning follow. Huanebango, deaf by enchantment, awakes from his trance. Unable to hear the strident railings of the beautiful Zantippa, he is smitten with love for her. The two leave the well together.
Eumenides, continuing his wanderings, arrives at the well, where he is joined by the ghost of Jack, for whose burial he had given all of his money. The ghost declares its intention to serve him, but Eumenides insists that the ghost should be his equal and share his worldly wealth. The ghost goes ahead to an inn to arrange supper for the destitute Eumenides. As he is eating, Eumenides looks into his purse, which he believes completely empty, and discovers that it is full of money. Having dined, Eumenides, followed by the ghost, turns his steps toward Sacrapant’s castle.
At the well, Celanta, with a new pot, has returned in the company of the blinded Booby. The peasant, unable to see her deformity, falls in love with her. Celanta, who is a gentle creature, obeys the dictates of the head in the well and is thereupon rewarded with a pot of gold.
Eumenides and the ghost approach the castle. The ghost, placing wool in the knight’s ears, directs him to sit quietly. When Sacrapant comes out of his cell and asks Eumenides’ identity, the ghost removes Sacrapant’s magic wreath and takes away his sword. Shorn of his magic powers, Sacrapant dies. At the ghost’s direction, Eumenides digs into the hillside and discovers a light enclosed in glass, but he is unable to get to the light. The ghost then gives Eumenides a horn to blow. At the sound of the blast, Venelia appears, breaks the glass, and extinguishes the magic light to free everyone from the power of Sacrapant.
Eumenides and Delia pledge their troth. Eumenides sounds the horn again, and Venelia, the two brothers, and Erestus appear. Now that all are together, the ghost demands, upon the terms of equality with Eumenides, one-half of Delia. Eumenides is reluctant; but, true to his word, he prepares to cut Delia in half with his sword. Convinced of Eumenides’ good faith, the ghost withholds the stroke of the sword and leaves the group. All declare their intention of returning immediately to Thessaly.
Fantastic awakes Madge, for day is breaking. The old woman moves toward the kitchen and declares that breakfast will soon be ready.
Bibliography
Ardolino, Frank. “The Protestant Context of George Peele’s ’Pleasant Conceited’ Old Wives Tale.” Medieval and Renaissance Drama in England 18 (2005): 146-165. Describes how Peele uses figures of speech from folklore, romance, and religious ritual to demonstrate the conflict between Catholicism and English Protestantism in the character of Sacrapant. Examines how Peele’s other plays reflect his pro-Protestant view of religion and politics.
Boas, Frederick S. An Introduction to Tudor Drama. 1933. Reprint. Oxford, England: Clarendon Press, 1966. A dated but still helpful introduction by a major twentieth century scholar on the beginnings of Elizabethan drama. Not much discussion of The Old Wives’ Tale, but a good introduction to its general context.
Bruster, Douglas. “Kingly Harp and Iron Pen in the Playhouse: George Peele.” In Prologues to Shakespeare’s Theatre: Performance and Liminality in Early Modern Drama. New York: Routledge, 2004. Examines the function of the prologue in English Renaissance plays, including Peele’s The Old Wives’ Tale.
Nardo, Don. Great Elizabethan Playwrights. San Diego, Calif.: Lucent Books, 2003. In this biography written for younger readers, Nardo explains the origins of English theater and playwriting, including the dramatic works of Peele and William Shakespeare.
Peele, George. The Dramatic Works of George Peele. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1970. The long introduction provides a good appraisal of The Old Wives’ Tale that also attempts a rational compromise between earlier schools of thought. Part of the Life and Works of George Peele series.
‗‗‗‗‗‗‗. The Old Wives’ Tale. Edited by Patricia Binnie. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1980. A carefully prepared edition with an enthusiastic, but intelligent and readable, introduction to the play.