The Old Wives' Tale

Old Wives' Tale, The

    Alternative Title: The Old Wife's Tale

    Author: George Peele

    First Performance: c.1590, London

    Published: 1595

    Genre: Com. in 1 act; prose and verse

    Setting: Woods, a cottage, and imaginary locations in a fantastic past

    Cast: 17m, 6f, extras

Three men, lost in the woods, are given shelter for the night. Old Madge entertains them with stories that are acted out before them: the story of the princess Delia, abducted by the sorcerer Sacrapant, who is being sought by her two brothers. They in turn are told the story of Erestus, who is regularly transformed into a bear, and of Lampriscus, who suffers from his two daughters, one beautiful but evil-tempered, the other incredibly ugly. The boastful Huanebango appears, intent on outdoing Sacrapant, and...

[The entire page is 355 words long]

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