Esmoreit
Encyclopedia
Esmoreit is a Middle Dutch
drama
. It is one of the four abele spelen
that are contained in the Hulthemse handschrift
and consists of 1018 lines in rhyme
The other abele spelen are: Gloriant
, Lanseloet van Denemerken
and Vanden Winter ende vanden Somer
The play is named after the masculine leading character Esmoreit, crown-prince of the Kingdom
of Sicily
. It deals with the love
between two people of different social class and is followed by the sotternie, the farce
, Lippijn
.
At the court of Damascus
a prophecy
tells that a foreign prince will kill the king (of Damascus) and marry his daughter Damiët. The king then decides to look for this prince to take him to his court and raise him as his son to avoid the murder. He sends out Platus to look for the prince.
In Sicily Platus meets Robbrecht, trying to kill Esmoreit by drowning him in a well. Platus buys the child (‘om dusent pont van goude ghetelt’: for one thousand pounds in gold) and brings him to Damascus. Robbrecht accuses the queen of the murder on her son and she is imprisoned by the king, who is raged with grief
.
The king of Damascus leaves Esmoreit in the care of Damiët, telling her he is an abandoned child.
After many years…
Esmoreit discovers Damiët is not his sister and that she has fallen in love with him. Esmoreit has fallen in love with Damiët but she can’t respond to his love because she considers him of lower class.
He also finds out that he is not abandoned and goes to look for his parents.
When Esmoreit comes to Sicily he finds out his real identity: the cloth he was found in is recognized by the queen, still locked up. While the king and queen are united, Robbrecht still isn’t punished.
In the meantime Damiët can’t stand being without Esmoreit and she decides to go after him. She leaves with Platus, dressed as a pilgrim. Meeting him in Sicily gives great joy: Esmoreit introduces Damiët to his father who resigns his throne in behalf of Esmoreit.
Platus recognizes Robbrecht as the man he bought Esmoreit from. Robbrecht is hung.
Esmoreit and Damiët marry.
Middle Dutch
Middle Dutch is a collective name for a number of closely related West Germanic dialects which were spoken and written between 1150 and 1500...
drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
. It is one of the four abele spelen
Abele spelen
The Abele Spelen are a collection of four plays contained in the valuable Hulthemse Handschrift. This manuscript dates from 1410 and is in the collection of the Koninklijke Bibliotheek, the Royal Library in Brussels, Belgium, hs. 15.589-623....
that are contained in the Hulthemse handschrift
Van Hulthem (manuscript)
The manuscript known as the Van Hulthem manuscript is a masterpiece of medieval Dutch literature. Its contents of over 200 stories from around Brussels, Belgium was summarized in the following slogan: 'all of life’s intensity in one volume'....
and consists of 1018 lines in rhyme
Rhyme
A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds in two or more words and is most often used in poetry and songs. The word "rhyme" may also refer to a short poem, such as a rhyming couplet or other brief rhyming poem such as nursery rhymes.-Etymology:...
The other abele spelen are: Gloriant
Gloriant
Gloriant is a Middle Dutch drama. It is one of the four abele spelen that are contained in the Hulthemse handschrift and consists of 1142 lines in rhymeThe other abele spelen are: Esmoreit, Lanseloet van Denemerken and Vanden Winter ende vanden Somer...
, Lanseloet van Denemerken
Lanseloet van Denemerken
Lanseloet van Denemerken is a Middle Dutch drama. It is one of the four abele spelen that are contained in the Hulthemse handschrift and consists of 925 lines in rhyme...
and Vanden Winter ende vanden Somer
Vanden Winter ende vanden Somer
Vanden Winter ende vanden Somer is a Middle Dutch drama. It is the shortest of the four abele spelen that are contained in the Hulthemse handschrift and consists of 625 lines in rhyme...
The play is named after the masculine leading character Esmoreit, crown-prince of the Kingdom
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
of Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
. It deals with the love
Love
Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels...
between two people of different social class and is followed by the sotternie, the farce
Farce
In theatre, a farce is a comedy which aims at entertaining the audience by means of unlikely, extravagant, and improbable situations, disguise and mistaken identity, verbal humour of varying degrees of sophistication, which may include word play, and a fast-paced plot whose speed usually increases,...
, Lippijn
Lippijn
Lippijn is a Middle Dutch sotternie or farce. This sotternie is contained in the Hulthemse handschrift, and follows the abele spel Esmoreit and consists of 199 lines in rhyme....
.
Roles
- Robbrecht (“nephew of the king of Sicily”)
- Meester (“Master Platus, chamberlain to the king of Damascus”)
- de coninc (“de king of Damascus”)
- de jonge (jonc)vrouwe Damiët (“daughter of the king of Damascus”)
- de kersten coninc/sijn vader (“the (Christian) king of Sicily”)
- de vrouwe/sine moeder (“queen of Sicily/mother of Esmoreit”)
- de jonghelinc (“Esmoreit, crown-prince of Sicily, raised at the court of Damascus”)
Plot
Esmoreit is the crown-prince of Sicily. His birth is a concern for his cousin Robbrecht, until then the successor to the throne. He decides to kill Esmoreit.At the court of Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
a prophecy
Prophecy
Prophecy is a process in which one or more messages that have been communicated to a prophet are then communicated to others. Such messages typically involve divine inspiration, interpretation, or revelation of conditioned events to come as well as testimonies or repeated revelations that the...
tells that a foreign prince will kill the king (of Damascus) and marry his daughter Damiët. The king then decides to look for this prince to take him to his court and raise him as his son to avoid the murder. He sends out Platus to look for the prince.
In Sicily Platus meets Robbrecht, trying to kill Esmoreit by drowning him in a well. Platus buys the child (‘om dusent pont van goude ghetelt’: for one thousand pounds in gold) and brings him to Damascus. Robbrecht accuses the queen of the murder on her son and she is imprisoned by the king, who is raged with grief
Grief
Grief is a multi-faceted response to loss, particularly to the loss of someone or something to which a bond was formed. Although conventionally focused on the emotional response to loss, it also has physical, cognitive, behavioral, social, and philosophical dimensions...
.
The king of Damascus leaves Esmoreit in the care of Damiët, telling her he is an abandoned child.
After many years…
Esmoreit discovers Damiët is not his sister and that she has fallen in love with him. Esmoreit has fallen in love with Damiët but she can’t respond to his love because she considers him of lower class.
He also finds out that he is not abandoned and goes to look for his parents.
When Esmoreit comes to Sicily he finds out his real identity: the cloth he was found in is recognized by the queen, still locked up. While the king and queen are united, Robbrecht still isn’t punished.
In the meantime Damiët can’t stand being without Esmoreit and she decides to go after him. She leaves with Platus, dressed as a pilgrim. Meeting him in Sicily gives great joy: Esmoreit introduces Damiët to his father who resigns his throne in behalf of Esmoreit.
Platus recognizes Robbrecht as the man he bought Esmoreit from. Robbrecht is hung.
Esmoreit and Damiët marry.
External links
Original Middle Dutch text- Esmoreit (with linenumbers) at the Digitale Bibliotheek voor de Nederlandse letteren: The digital library for Dutch literature