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    The Tragedy Of Pompey The Great: “Life, a beauty chased by tragic laughter.”
    The Tragedy Of Pompey The Great: “Life, a beauty chased by tragic laughter.”
    The Tragedy Of Pompey The Great: “Life, a beauty chased by tragic laughter.”
    Ebook108 pages1 hour

    The Tragedy Of Pompey The Great: “Life, a beauty chased by tragic laughter.”

    By John Masefield

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    John Edward Masefield was born in 1878 in the sleepy market town of Ledbury in rural Hertfordshire. An idyllic childhood was ruined when he was left an orphan and sent to live with an Aunt who decided his education and life would be better spent at sea. At age 13 he boarded a school ship and there his love of writing and reading blossomed. By 1899 he began to publish and apart from brief service during World War I he now had a life of writing and lecture tours. He published much; novels, poetry and even an account of the disastrous war effort in the Dardanelles at Gallipoli. Upon the death of Robert Bridges in 1930, Masefield was given the prestigious position of Poet Laureate, a role he would fulfill until his death; the only poet to hold the position for a longer period was Alfred, Lord Tennyson. Despite later ill health and the death of his wife in 1960, Masefield continued to write. In 1966, he published his last book of poems, In Glad Thanksgiving, at the age of 88. In the latter part of 1966 gangrene was diagnosed in his ankle. This gradually spread through his leg and claimed his life on May 12, 1967. He was cremated and his ashes placed in the Poet’s Corner of Westminster Abbey. Here we present The Tragedy Of Pompey The Great.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherCopyright Group
    Release dateJan 26, 2015
    ISBN9781785431180
    The Tragedy Of Pompey The Great: “Life, a beauty chased by tragic laughter.”
    Author

    John Masefield

    John Masefield was a well-known English poet and novelist. After boarding school, Masefield took to a life at sea where he picked up many stories, which influenced his decision to become a writer. Upon returning to England after finding work in New York City, Masefield began publishing his poetry in periodicals, and then eventually in collections. In 1915, Masefield joined the Allied forces in France and served in a British army hospital there, despite being old enough to be exempt from military service. After a brief service, Masefield returned to Britain and was sent overseas to the United States to research the American opinion on the war. This trip encouraged him to write his book Gallipoli, which dealt with the failed Allied attacks in the Dardanelles, as a means of negating German propaganda in the Americas. Masefield continued to publish throughout his life and was appointed as Poet Laureate in 1930. Masefield died in 1967 the age of 88.

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      Book preview

      The Tragedy Of Pompey The Great - John Masefield

      The Tragedy Of Pompey The Great by John Masefield

      John Edward Masefield was born in 1878 in the sleepy market town of Ledbury in rural Hertfordshire.

      An idyllic childhood was ruined when he was left an orphan and sent to live with an Aunt who decided his education and life would be better spent at sea.  At age 13 he boarded a school ship and there his love of writing and reading blossomed. 

      By 1899 he began to publish and apart from brief service during World War I he now had a life of writing and lecture tours.  He published much; novels, poetry and even an account of the disastrous war effort in the Dardanelles at Gallipoli.

      Upon the death of Robert Bridges in 1930, Masefield was given the prestigious position of Poet Laureate, a role he would fulfill until his death; the only poet to hold the position for a longer period was Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

      Despite later ill health and the death of his wife in 1960, Masefield continued to write. In 1966, he published his last book of poems, In Glad Thanksgiving, at the age of 88.

      In the latter part of 1966 gangrene was diagnosed in his ankle. This gradually spread through his leg and claimed his life on May 12, 1967. He was cremated and his ashes placed in the Poet’s Corner of Westminster Abbey.

      Index of Contents

      Argument

      Scenes

      Persons

      Time

      Act I

      Act II

      Scene I

      Scene II

      Act III

      Epilogue Spoken by Cotta

      Notes

      John Masefield - A Short Biography

      John Masefield - A Concise Bibliography

      ARGUMENT

      In the years 50 and 49 b. c, Cneius Pompeius Magnus, the head of the patrician party, contested with C. Julius Caesar, the popular leader, for supreme power in the State. Their jealousy led to the troubles of the Civil War, in which, after many battles, Cneius Pompeius Magnus was miserably killed.

      SCENES

      Act I. The determination of Pompeius to fight with his rival, then marching upon Rome.

      Act II. The triumph of Pompey's generalship at Dyrrachium. His overthrow by the generals of his staff. His defeat at Pharsalia.

      Act III. The death of that great ruler on the seashore of Pelusium in Egypt.

      PERSONS

      Antistia.

      Philip.

      A Lute-Girl.

      Cornelia.

      Julia

      Q. Caecilius Metellus Pius Scipio.

      Cneius Pompeius Magnus (called Pompey the Great).

      Cneius Pompeius Theophanes.

      Marcus Porcius Cato.

      A Gaulish Lancer.

      Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus.

      Cotta, a Centurion.

      Marcus Acilius Glabrio.

      Lucius Lucceius.

      Lucius Afranius.

      Publius Lentulus Spinther.

      A Ship-Captain.

      A Ship-Boy.

      A Mate.

      A Boatswain.

      Achillas Egyptian.

      Lucius Septimius.

      Centurions, Sentries, Soldiers, Trumpeters, Sailors.

      TIME

      Act I Rome.  January a. u. c. 705 (b. c. 60).

      ACT II. Scene I Dyrrachium. July a. u. c. 706.

      Act II. Scene II. Pharsalia. August a. u. c. 709 (June b. c. 48).

      Act III. Pelusium. September a. u. c. 706 (Aug. b. c. 48).

      ACT I

      A room in Pompey' s house near Rome. Walls hung with draperies of a dark blue. Doors curtained. Balcony, open, showing distant lights. A gong and mallet. Wine, glasses, etc. Papers in a casket. Lamps.

      Horns without as troops pass. Antistia alone, lighting lamps with a taper.

      Antistia

      [Looking towards the window.] More soldiers. Blow your horns. Spread your colours, ensign. Your colours'll be dust the sooner. Your breath will be in the wind, a little noise in the night. That's what you come to, soldiers. Dust, and a noise in the trees. Dust, and the window rattling. No more flags and horns then. [Lighting the last lamp.] I wish I knew the rights of it. [Settling books on table.] I wish Philip would come.

      A Voice

      [Without, in the balcony.] Pompey.

      Antistia

      What was that?

      The Voice

      Pompey.

      Antistia

       [Frightened.] Who calls Pompey?

      The Voice

      Not so loud. Not so loud, Pompey.

      Antistia

      What is it? What d' you want with Pompey?

      The Voice

      Philip must tell Pompey at once.

      Antistia

      What must he tell him?

      The Voice

      To stamp his foot at once.

      Antistia

      To stamp his foot at once?

      The Voice

      [Amid laughter.] Stamp your foot, Pompey. Aha! Ha!

      Pompey.

      Antistia

      [Going to the window.] What's this? Who are you?

      The Voice

      [Going.] Aha! Pompey. Stamp your feet, Pompey.

      Antistia

      [Going to a door R. scared.] Philip, Philip.

      Philip

      [Putting down tray.] What's the matter? What's happened?

      Antistia

      There was a voice. A voice. Something at the window. Jeering Pompey.

      Philip

      [Opening window.] Come out of that. There's no one there now. Was it a man?

      Antistia

      There was no one. It had a man's voice. It spoke. It laughed.

      Philip

      It's gone. It's gone, my dear. Don't. Don't. It's gone.

      Antistia

      They say that the dead come back. To cry in the night [pause] whenever bad times are coming. Dead men's souls. They want blood. Licking. Licking blood in the night. Whenever Rome's in danger.

      Philip

      Hush. Hush. Don't talk such things. It gives them life. What was it saying?

      The Voice

      Stamp your foot, Pompey. Stamp your foot, Pompey.

      Antistia

      Ah!

      Philip

      [Exorcising at window, with things from tray.] Wine for blood. [Pours wine.] Bread for flesh. [Breaks bread.] Salt for life. [Flings salt.] A cloak of blue on Rome. A net of gold over this house. To the desert. To the night without stars. To the wastes of the sea. To the two-forked flame. [Returning heavily.] God save my dear master, Pompey. I fear there's trouble coming.

      Antistia

      [Hysterically.] Ah! Ah!

      Philip

      [Pouring water.] Drink this. Drink this. I'll fetch another glass.

      Antistia

      [Hysterically.] Not off that tray. Not off that tray.

      Philip

      There. There. God save us! Why, Antistia, they've no power.

      Antistia

      I see the marching of armies. Dust. Dust. That is what the trumpets mean. War. Civil War. Pompey and Caesar. Like eagles struggling.

      Philip

      No. No. Don't say that. You bring things to pass.

      Antistia

      What else could it mean? What did it mean?

      Philip

      [Distractedly.] I don't rightly know what it said.

      Antistia

      About stamping? About Pompey stamping?

      Philip

      Pompey said it. In the Senate yesterday. Reports came in. There

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