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The Changeling. Structure and metrics (incluido en Grupo Fundacional de Verso )

Before its showing, soon, in English (by Donnellan), I detect its structure.

Play by Middleton y Rowley, written in 1622, performed in 1624 and published in 1653. Almost contemporaries of Shakespeare, somewhat later.

Dramatis Personae (reorganized)

VERMANDERO, father to Beatrice TOMAZO de Piracquo, a noble lord ALONZO de Piracquo, his brother, suitor to Beatrice ALSEMERO, a nobleman, afterwards married to Beatrice JASPERINO, his friend DEFLORES, servant to Vermandero MADMEN BEATRICE [Joanna], daughter to Vermandero DIAPHANTA, her waiting woman [Two] SERVANTS [to Alsemero] [A SERVANT to Vermandero]	ALIBIUS, a jealous doctor LOLLIO, his man PEDRO, friend to Antonio ANTONIO, the changeling FRANCISCUS, the counterfeit madman ISABELLA, doctor's wife
main plot	secondary plot

 

There art two plots: the main one is Beatrice loving Alsemero and bieing pretended by Alonzo y DeFlores, in different status and situations. Both plots are almost entirely independent, except by deep links, not apparent.

The secondary one is the Doctor Alibius, psiquiatrist (?) trying to protect his wife Isabella fron lovers, Antonio being one. In the first part both are independent, the second one being comical; both are, but that  is more.

Curiously, the play on stage by Donellan reproduce  the schema, sitting in chairs the main characters; De folres in the middle, with his back to the public, Alsemero on his left, Beatrice at his right, Alonzo besides her, and Tomazo besides Alsemero.

The main trait of the play is the changes that the main character suffer. First, and haw, Beatrice that loves three men in succession, try to kill one to have another, cheats him after, wants her faithful attendant Diophante dead after she entices her to help in the tricks. Her final love for DeFlores is strikingly strange. She is a box full of surprises.

From the point of view of metrics,  the whole play oscillates between iambic pentameters, chaining half verses between dialoging characters in a rather mechanical way, and prose.