219:
of suitors that clusters around the King's sister, Quisara. She is a celebrated beauty and a highly desirable potential match; local rulers, the Kings of Bacan and Syana, vie for her favour – as does a prominent member of the
Portuguese community, Piniero's uncle Ruy Dias. The local rulers, vain and pompous, quarrel among themselves; Quisara clearly prefers the more serious and mature Dias. Quisara humbles her suitors with a bold challenge: she will marry the man who rescues her brother the King from captivity. Even Ruy Dias's spirit is temporarily quelled; he says he must consult with his councillors before taking any action.
231:
private apartment. Quisara is offended by his violation of her privacy, but
Armusia charms her with his courtly manners and palliates much of her hostility. Ruy Dias, coming to see the princess, passes Armusia on his way out, and realises that he is losing the contest for the island princess's affections. He dismisses the idea of murder as unworthy, and challenges Armusia to a duel. They fight as Quisara watches: Armusia wounds Dias and wins the duel, but treats his defeated rival with nobility and compassion.
199:, controlled much of the spice production of the region, and constituted a tempting target of European greed and ambition. The Portuguese eventually became dominant in the later 16th century (though Spain ruled Portugal in the 1580–1640 era). While the Portuguese never fully conquered and colonised the Spice Islands, they were commercially and militarily predominant in the area for several decades – though by Fletcher's era the Portuguese were being supplanted by the Dutch.
227:
humiliated, and in conversation with his nephew
Piniero hints that he would like to see Armusia killed. Piniero encourages the idea; he plays with the role of villain, but only to provoke and study the reactions of others. Piniero goes to Quisara, and she too seems to welcome the idea of Armusia's death.
238:
Armusia faces torture, but refuses to bend on the matter of religious principle. Ruy Dias and the other
Portuguese attack Tidore to rescue him; in the process, Piniero and Panura expose the Governor of Ternate's disguise and manipulations. Seeing that they have been duped, the King forms a pact with
269:
paints the transformation of
Quisara throughout the play as a symbol for the eastern lands the Europeans sought after. The Spice Island princess challenges her suitors to save her brother, the King, with the promise of marriage. She also requests that Armusia change his religion, yet, upon becoming
218:
The play opens with a conversation among three
Portuguese gentlemen: Piniero and two confederates discuss the current political situation on Tidore. The King of Tidore has recently been captured by the Governor of Ternate, a local rival; but this does not prevent the Governor from joining the group
222:
One man present is not cowed: Armusia is a new arrival in the region, and with two friends he decides to take precipitate action to rescue the captured King. Sailing to
Ternate, Armusia masquerades as a merchant, rents a house next to the Governor's palace and prison, and loads it with gunpowder.
282:
beside the Dutch and
Portuguese. Armusia's presence and success are similarly emblematic of England's new wave of imperialism, different from its fading predecessors. Armusia is encouraged by the Portuguese to ravish Quisara, which he actively chooses not to do. Instead, he is able to enamor the
230:
Armusia is depressed by
Quisara's coldness and hostility, but his friends urge him to pursue the princess boldly – even encouraging him to ravish her. Armusia does not go so far, though he does bribe (with a kiss and a jewel) Panura, Quisara's waiting woman, into granting him access to Quisara's
234:
The
Governor of Ternate, attempting to get back at Armusia and the Portuguese, adopts a disguise as a native holy man; he uses his intimate knowledge of courtly affairs to impress the King and Quisara with his insight and wisdom. He stirs up ill-will against the Europeans on religious grounds.
257:
has been discussed by some late 20th century scholars and critics as part of the literature of colonialism and anti-colonialism. Furthermore, Michael Neill believes there is particular symbolism to the repeated image of fire in the play, claiming they represent the psychological state of the
226:
The rescue creates a sensation on Tidore. The King is abundantly grateful for rescue; but Quisara is appalled to find that her promise now commits her to marry a man she has never met. She reproves Ruy Dias for his slowness of action, and for allowing this situation to develop. Ruy Dias is
110:
Fletcher's solo authorship is generally recognized; his characteristic pattern of linguistic preferences is continuous throughout. The 1647 folio text is not especially short, though it does show some signs of cutting: several scenes have characters that appear but do not speak.
277:
Loomba also considers the portrayal and symbolism of the Europeans in this tropical setting. Armusia's delayed arrival to the islands, as well as his differing status of beliefs to both the colonizers and the natives, is a metaphor for England's late entry into the global
223:
When night comes he sets off the charge, and while the people of Ternate cope with the resulting conflagration, Armusia and his companions stage a prison break and free the King. They sail back to Tidore before the Governor and his officials can prevent them.
163:. Motteux's version, replete with songs, dances, and special effects, was popular, and frequently performed, down to 1708. All four adaptations were printed, the anonymous in 1669, d'Urfey's in 1682, Tate's in 1687, and Motteux's in 1699 and 1701.
293:
also notes transformative elements in the play that are symbolic of a changing influence in England. Both the revival of the noble gentleman in Armusia and his disguise as a merchant are important, as they signify the retooling of the
235:
Quisara agrees to marry Armusia – but she asks him to convert to the native religion, a notion that Armusia rejects, in angry and insulting terms. The disguised governor manipulates the King into imprisoning Armusia as a result.
210:. Quisara and other members of the indigenous culture refer to their "gods," and Quisara says that they worship the Sun and Moon. The play's Christian protagonist Armusia considers them devil worshippers.
283:
princess, a more courtly, refined approach compared to that suggested by the Portuguese. Even the name Armusia is a reference to the growing English power, as it is an alternate naming for
270:
enamored with him, willingly assimilates into his Christian world. The 180-degree adjustment of Quisara's faith and religious values is what Loomba superimposes on the growing
302:, who valiantly served their lords, are now projected onto the merchant class to serve as a reminder of their role in the expansion of the Queen's new empire.
62:
The authorship and the stage premier of the play are generally thought to have occurred c. 1619–21; it was acted at Court during the latter year, by the
563:
290:
685:
239:
the Europeans, and Quisara, awed by Armusia's courage and faith, experiences a conversion to Christianity, opening the way for their marriage.
171:
In crafting the play's plot, Fletcher exploits the recent history and contemporary events of his era, involving the European discovery of the
1274:
1047:
556:
274:
of the 19th century. The wooing of Quisara is emblematic of eastern lands, awaiting the conquering and colonialization of the west.
933:
549:
432:
Neill, Michael (1997). "'"Material Flames": The Space of Mercantile Fantasy in John Fletcher's "The Island Princess"'".
1259:
87:
402:
202:
Fletcher does not strive for factual accuracy in his treatment of his subject. Most notably, he mischaracterises the
497:
The Asian Trade Revolution of the Seventeenth Century: the East India Companies and the Decline of the Caravan Trade
678:
24:
1183:
63:
36:
510:
Nocentelli, Carmen (2010). "Spice Race: The Island Princess and the Politics of Transnational Appropriation".
320:
The Plays of Beaumont and Fletcher: An Attempt to Determine Their Respective Shares and the Shares of Others,
1188:
47:
1178:
1023:
884:
754:
159:
saw the production three times in the following year, on 7 January, 9 February and 23 April 1669, at the
456:
Loomba, Ania (2002). "Break Her Will, and Bruise No Bone Sir: Colonial and Sexual Mastery in Fletcher's
593:
187:(conquered in 1511) – sought trading rights and influence in the Spice Islands, the modern Moluccas or
43:
17:
541:
179:). During the 16th century, the first Europeans in East Asia – the Spanish, from their colony of the
160:
1112:
912:
905:
786:
1216:
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940:
849:
95:
1138:
83:
75:
1154:
1065:
999:
954:
740:
633:
573:
261:
More contemporary analyses of the play focus on the sexual and religious relationship of the
148:
1269:
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1092:
1030:
870:
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8:
1037:
926:
768:
613:
136:
947:
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747:
733:
719:
712:
527:
477:
79:
67:
51:
1198:
1146:
1082:
1058:
968:
835:
761:
481:
370:
Literature, Travel, and Colonial Writing in the English Renaissance, 1545–1625,
262:
144:
531:
1225:
1193:
1075:
1006:
726:
623:
600:
586:
519:
469:
139:
era in adapted forms. The play was adapted four times, by an anonymous author, by
1130:
814:
705:
91:
523:
346:
and Wendy Wall, eds., Evanston, IL, Northwestern University Press, 1997; p. 109.
1013:
961:
643:
628:
343:
249:
188:
99:
287:, a site where the English would defeat the established Portuguese influence.
1253:
919:
842:
821:
618:
381:
284:
386:
Travel Drama and Gender Politics, 1589–1642: Real and Imagined Worlds,
359:
Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press, 1926; pp. 49, 74, 82-6, 123 and ff.
976:
648:
608:
156:
473:
828:
279:
271:
266:
191:. Several small independent states in the region, notably the islands of
180:
172:
39:
638:
571:
140:
71:
299:
176:
295:
207:
123:
a novella by Le Seigneur de Bellan (1615), which derives from the
807:
418:
and race . In: Cheney, P., Hadfield, A. and Sullivan, GA., eds.,
196:
184:
192:
151:, the latter being the more successful. The anonymous version,
121:
L'histoire de Ruis Dias, et de Quixaire, Princess des Moloques,
388:
Manchester, Manchester University Press, 2003; p. 104 and ff.
203:
135:
Like many of Fletcher's plays, this play was revived in the
512:
Publications of the Modern Language Association of America
422:. Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2005, pp. 287–297
70:
offers a cast list for the play, a list that includes
1242:† = Not published in the Beaumont and Fletcher folios
399:
The Politics of Unease in the Plays of John Fletcher,
183:, and the Portuguese, operating out of their base in
335:The Space of Mercantile Fantasy in John Fletcher's
242:
119:Fletcher's sources were two books on exploration,
206:populations of Tidore and neighbouring states as
1251:
420:Early modern English drama: a critical companion
155:, was staged before royalty on 6 November 1668;
357:Beaumont and Fletcher on the Restoration Stage,
322:New Haven, Yale University Press, 1927; p. 140.
686:The Masque of the Inner Temple and Gray's Inn
557:
153:The Island Princess, or The Generous Portugal
1048:Four Plays, or Moral Representations, in One
494:
127:by Bartolemé Leonardo de Argensola (1609).
564:
550:
509:
462:Journal for Early Modern Cultural Studies
451:
449:
447:
166:
66:. The second Beaumont/Fletcher folio of
372:Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1998; pp. 1–2.
1252:
455:
545:
444:
431:
130:
1098:with Massinger, Chapman & Jonson
253:, another play in Fletcher's canon,
1275:Plays by John Fletcher (playwright)
13:
1108:with Massinger, Ford & Webster
14:
1286:
403:University of Massachusetts Press
48:first Beaumont and Fletcher folio
679:The Knight of the Burning Pestle
25:Island Princess (disambiguation)
503:
488:
298:mannerisms. Characteristics of
243:Critical responses and analyses
425:
408:
391:
375:
362:
349:
325:
312:
125:Conquista de las Islas Molucas
1:
1220:(Shakespeare & Fletcher?)
995:with Beaumont & Massinger
305:
105:
46:, initially published in the
1189:Beaumont and Fletcher folios
7:
1179:English Renaissance theatre
885:Rule a Wife and Have a Wife
524:10.1632/pmla.2010.125.3.572
495:Steensgaard, Niels (1977).
213:
57:
10:
1291:
1019:with Massinger & Field
114:
22:
18:The Island Princess (film)
15:
1260:English Renaissance plays
1240:
1207:
1169:
1122:
986:
934:The Custom of the Country
894:
778:
695:
670:
657:
581:
499:. Univ. of Chicago Press.
161:Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
1142:(Middleton & Rowley)
1113:The Fair Maid of the Inn
1024:The Honest Man's Fortune
913:The Little French Lawyer
787:The Faithful Shepherdess
265:and the island natives.
1217:The History of Cardenio
1103:Rollo, Duke of Normandy
850:The Humorous Lieutenant
16:For the 1954 film, see
1139:Wit at Several Weapons
405:, 1994; p. 224 and ff.
355:Arthur Colby Sprague,
1066:The Two Noble Kinsmen
1000:Thierry and Theodoret
574:Beaumont and Fletcher
474:10.1353/jem.2002.0010
341:Renaissance Drama 28,
263:Portuguese colonizers
167:Historical background
149:Peter Anthony Motteux
1093:The Maid in the Mill
1031:The Queen of Corinth
941:The Lovers' Progress
871:The Wild Goose Chase
337:The Island Princess,
23:For other uses, see
1229:(possibly based on
1038:The Knight of Malta
927:The Double Marriage
857:The Island Princess
769:The Noble Gentleman
614:William Shakespeare
458:The Island Princess
416:The Island Princess
318:E. H. C. Oliphant,
255:The Island Princess
32:The Island Princess
948:The Spanish Curate
878:A Wife for a Month
748:A King and No King
741:The Maid's Tragedy
131:In the Restoration
80:William Ecclestone
1247:
1246:
1199:Humphrey Robinson
1165:
1164:
1147:The Laws of Candy
1083:Wit Without Money
969:The Elder Brother
836:The Loyal Subject
794:The Woman's Prize
762:The Scornful Lady
755:Love's Pilgrimage
434:Renaissance Drama
397:Gordon McMullan,
368:Andrew Hadfield,
291:Carmen Nocentelli
1282:
1226:Double Falsehood
1194:Humphrey Moseley
1076:The Night Walker
1053:with Shakespeare
668:
667:
624:Thomas Middleton
601:Philip Massinger
587:Francis Beaumont
566:
559:
552:
543:
542:
536:
535:
507:
501:
500:
492:
486:
485:
453:
442:
441:
429:
423:
412:
406:
395:
389:
379:
373:
366:
360:
353:
347:
333:Material Flames:
331:Michael Neill, "
329:
323:
316:
1290:
1289:
1285:
1284:
1283:
1281:
1280:
1279:
1250:
1249:
1248:
1243:
1236:
1203:
1172:and publication
1171:
1161:
1131:The Nice Valour
1118:
988:
982:
896:
890:
815:Monsieur Thomas
774:
713:Cupid's Revenge
706:The Woman Hater
697:
691:
663:
661:
659:
653:
577:
570:
540:
539:
508:
504:
493:
489:
454:
445:
430:
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414:Claire Jowitt,
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245:
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147:, and again by
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92:Robert Benfield
60:
28:
21:
12:
11:
5:
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1278:
1277:
1272:
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1196:
1191:
1186:
1181:
1175:
1173:
1167:
1166:
1163:
1162:
1160:
1159:
1155:The Coronation
1151:
1143:
1135:
1126:
1124:
1120:
1119:
1117:
1116:
1109:
1106:
1099:
1096:
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1079:
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1044:
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1034:
1027:
1020:
1017:
1010:
1003:
996:
992:
990:
984:
983:
981:
980:
972:
965:
962:The Sea Voyage
958:
955:The Prophetess
951:
944:
937:
930:
923:
916:
909:
900:
898:
892:
891:
889:
888:
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874:
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839:
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811:
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723:
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699:
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690:
689:
682:
674:
672:
665:
655:
654:
652:
651:
646:
644:George Chapman
641:
636:
631:
629:William Rowley
626:
621:
616:
611:
605:
604:
597:
590:
582:
579:
578:
569:
568:
561:
554:
546:
538:
537:
518:(3): 572–588.
502:
487:
443:
424:
407:
390:
374:
361:
348:
344:Jeffrey Masten
324:
310:
309:
307:
304:
300:feudal knights
250:The Sea Voyage
244:
241:
215:
212:
189:Maluku Islands
168:
165:
145:Thomas d'Urfey
132:
129:
116:
113:
107:
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100:Thomas Pollard
84:Richard Sharpe
76:John Underwood
59:
56:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
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1007:Beggars' Bush
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920:The False One
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843:Women Pleased
840:
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831:
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826:
824:
823:
822:The Mad Lover
819:
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619:James Shirley
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594:John Fletcher
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468:(1): 68–108.
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428:
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401:Amherst, MA,
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382:Claire Jowitt
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88:Joseph Taylor
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44:John Fletcher
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1230:
1224:
1215:
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1137:
1129:
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1091:
1081:
1074:
1071:with Shirley
1064:
1057:
1046:
1036:
1029:
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1012:
1005:
998:
977:A Very Woman
975:
967:
960:
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946:
939:
932:
925:
918:
911:
904:
895:Fletcher and
883:
876:
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862:
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855:
848:
841:
834:
827:
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799:
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767:
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746:
739:
732:
725:
718:
711:
704:
698:and Fletcher
684:
677:
664:conjectural)
662:attributions
649:John Webster
609:Nathan Field
599:
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258:characters.
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175:(modern-day
170:
157:Samuel Pepys
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134:
124:
120:
118:
109:
96:George Birch
61:
31:
30:
29:
1270:1620s plays
1265:1610s plays
1170:Performance
1134:(Middleton)
1088:with Rowley
1014:Love's Cure
864:The Pilgrim
829:The Chances
801:Valentinian
734:The Captain
720:The Coxcomb
280:imperialism
272:orientalism
267:Ania Loomba
247:Along with
181:Philippines
173:East Indies
137:Restoration
40:tragicomedy
1254:Categories
1184:King's Men
1059:Henry VIII
1043:with Field
989:and others
639:Ben Jonson
306:References
141:Nahum Tate
106:Authorship
72:John Lowin
64:King's Men
35:is a late
1158:(Shirley)
906:Barnavelt
897:Massinger
727:Philaster
634:John Ford
482:148453455
296:chivalric
177:Indonesia
1231:Cardenio
987:Fletcher
779:Fletcher
696:Beaumont
671:Beaumont
532:56088402
214:Synopsis
58:The play
37:Jacobean
1208:Related
808:Bonduca
576:" Canon
197:Ternate
185:Malacca
115:Sources
1150:(Ford)
1123:Others
530:
480:
339:" in:
285:Hormuz
208:pagans
204:Muslim
193:Tidore
98:, and
660:(some
658:Plays
572:The "
528:S2CID
478:S2CID
143:, by
195:and
68:1679
52:1647
520:doi
516:125
470:doi
460:".
50:of
42:by
1256::
526:.
514:.
476:.
464:.
446:^
436:.
384:,
102:.
94:,
90:,
86:,
82:,
78:,
74:,
54:.
1233:)
1223:†
1214:†
1056:†
974:†
903:†
565:e
558:t
551:v
534:.
522::
484:.
472::
466:2
440:.
438:1
27:.
20:.
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