The play begins not with a private scene but with courtiers preparing for a masque, a public celebration of a royal wedding. Lysippus, the King's brother, asks Strato about the masque's quality, and Strato replies dryly that masques 'must commend their King, and speak in praise of the Assembly, bless the Bride and Bridegroom, in person of some God; th'are tyed to rules of flattery.' This early remark signals that ceremony and performance will be central—and suspect. When Melantius, a soldier just returned from war, is invited to 'tread a Soldiers measure,' he dismisses the 'soft and silken wars' of the court, preferring 'Musick must be shrill, and all confus'd, That stirs my blood, and then I dance with armes.' The contrast between martial honesty and courtly artifice is drawn before the main characters even appear.

A Marriage Made by Command

The first act establishes that Amintor has married Evadne on the King's order, though he was previously betrothed to Aspatia. In the excerpts, this backstory is not dramatized but is referenced obliquely. When Melantius asks 'But is Amintor Wed?' and hears 'This day,' he offers a blessing, calling Amintor 'my friend' and praising his worth. The audience learns that the marriage is a political arrangement, not a love match. Aspatia, the jilted bride, appears only in the list of persons, but her presence as 'troth-plight wife' hangs over the celebration. The masque itself, a spectacle of praise, becomes ironic: the bride is not what she seems, and the groom is bound to a woman he did not choose.

Evadne's Confession and Amintor's Response

In a later excerpt, the private confrontation between Amintor and Evadne reveals the play's central crisis. Evadne confesses she is not a virgin: she has been the King's mistress. Her language is extreme: she calls herself 'the same monster,' 'hell,' and 'the foulest creature.' She says she is 'soul-sick' and begs forgiveness. Amintor, after initial shock, forgives her but insists on separation: 'The last kiss we must take.' He tells her, 'My honour falls no farther, I am well then.' This scene is remarkable for its intensity and for Evadne's active role in naming her own shame. She does not plead ignorance; she describes herself as 'the same Evadne, Drest in the shames I liv'd in.' The language of disease and poison—'Lerna e're bred, or Nilus'—suggests a corruption that cannot be washed away by mere words.

The King's Suspicion and Calianax's Accusation

Another excerpt shifts to the King and Calianax, Aspatia's father. Calianax reports that Melantius has threatened to seize a fort and kill the King. The King is skeptical: 'I cannot tell how I should credit this From you that are his enemy.' Calianax insists, but the King warns that if the accusation is false, Calianax will 'hereafter doat in your own house, not in the Court.' This exchange is important for two reasons. First, it shows that the King is surrounded by conflicting loyalties and that trust is fragile. Second, it introduces a plot of military rebellion that will intertwine with the personal revenge. Calianax's motive is clear: he hates Melantius, and his daughter has been dishonored. The King's response—to test Melantius—sets up a confrontation that the excerpts do not resolve.

The Language of Shame and Honor

Throughout the excerpts, characters speak in heightened, often paradoxical terms. Evadne calls herself a 'monster' and 'hell,' yet she also claims a desire for redemption: 'I will redeem one minute of my age.' Amintor, forgiving her, says his 'frozen soul melts' but then insists on physical separation. The word 'honour' recurs: Amintor worries about his 'honour,' Evadne promises to 'wash her stains away.' The King, too, is concerned with appearances—he wants to believe Calianax but fears a lie. This vocabulary of shame and honor is not merely decorative; it drives the action. The excerpts do not show the revenge itself, but they establish that the characters are trapped by their own codes. A reader should attend to how each character defines honor and whether their actions match their words.

The excerpts offer a concentrated view of the play's moral and emotional dynamics: a forced marriage, a hidden affair, a public confession, and the threat of rebellion. Because the text is a drama, pay attention to who speaks and who is silent. Aspatia, for instance, never appears in these excerpts, yet her absence is a presence. The masque that opens the play is a promise of order; what follows is its unraveling. As you read, note how the characters' self-descriptions—monster, innocent, frozen soul—prepare for the violence that the title promises.