Summary of Wagner and Robin, the Clown:
Wagner and Robin enter, Act I, scene iv; the Clown, a rustic buffoon, has stolen a conjuring book from Doctor Faustus, and desires to learn from Wagner how to conjure. Wagner wryly suggests that Robin is louse-infected. Robin, “Stavesacre? That’s good to kill vermin! Then, belike, if I serve you I shall be lousy.” In pretending to misunderstand what is said to him, Robin resembles the zanni in the Italian commedia dell’arte, a shrewd clown.
Wagner, “Well sirrah, leave your jesting and take these guilders.” “Guilders” are Dutch coins. Wagner offers to confirm the hiring of Robin by giving him wages. Robin, “Yes marry sir, and I thank you too.” Wagner, “So, now thou art to be at an hour’s warning whensoever and wheresoever the devil shall fetch thee.” Robin, “Here, take your guilders, I’ll none of ’em!” The clown knows it is a bad idea to be at the beckon call of the devil.
Two Devils enter, and Wagner, “How now sir, will you serve me now?” Robin, “Ay, good Wagner, take away the devil then.” Wagner, “Spirits, away!” The two Devils exit, and Wagner, “Now sirrah, follow me.” Robin, “I will sir! But hark you master, will you teach me this conjuring occupation?” Wagner, “Ay sirrah, I’ll teach thee to turn thyself to a dog or a cat or a mouse or a rat or anything.” Wagner, “Villain, call me Master Wagner. And see that you walk attentively, and let your right eye be always diametrically fixed upon my left heel.”
Analysis of Wagner and Robin, the Clown:
Wagner and Robin enter, Act I, scene iv; Wagner asks, “Come hither, sirrah boy” (1) Robin replies, “Boy! O, disgrace to my person! Zounds, boy in your face! You have seen many boys with such pickadevants, I am sure” (2-4).
The Clown, a rustic buffoon, is a highly identifiable stage character in the Elizabethan theatre. In both texts, the Clown indicates that he has stolen one of Faustus’s conjuring books, further identifying him with the Clown of I.vi, who wants to learn from Wagner how to conjure with such books. This ‘apprenticeship’ to Wagner of an unemployed rascal does not necessarily conflict with what we learn in II.ii, that Robin is by then a stable-boy in an inn. “Zounds” is by God’s wounds (2). A “pickadevants” are short beards trimmed to a point. This word is from the French word pick, which means peak, and devant, which means in front. Therefore, a pickedevant is a peaked beared in front.
Wagner, “Sirrah, hast thou no comings in?” (5) “Comings” means income (5). Robin, “Yes, and goings out too, you may see sir” (6). “Goings out” are expenses (6). Wagner, “Alas, poor slave! See how poverty jests in his nakedness. I know the villain’s out of service, and so hungry that I know he would give his soul to the devil for a shoulder of mutton, though it were blood-raw” (7-11). “Out of service” means unemployed (8).
Robin, “Not so, neither! I had need to have it well roasted, and good sauce to it, if I pay so dear, I can tell you” (12-14). Wagner, “Sirrah, wilt thou be my man and wait on me? And I will make thee go like Qui mihi discipulus” (15-16) “Qui mihi discipulus” is Latin, and means one who is my disciple or student. This Latin phrase is the beginning of a Renaissance poem by William Lyly, 1466 to 1522, familiar to schoolboys regarding proper behavior.
Robin, “What, in verse?” (17) Wagner, “No, slave, in beaten silk and stavesacre” (18). Faustus desires to dress university students “in beaten silk” (18). However, with a punning suggestion of softened silk, for the silk is to be worn on the vulnerable body of a pupil. “Stavesacre” are the seeds of a species of delphinium used for killing vermin (18). Wagner wryly suggests that Robin is louse-infected.
Robin, “Stavesacre? That’s good to kill vermin! Then, belike, if I serve you I shall be lousy” (19-20). In pretending to misunderstand what is said to him, Robin resembles the zanni in the Italian commedia dell’arte. As well, Robin intentionally mishears Gridirons for guilders and Banio for Balioll in Act II. Robin is a very shrewd clown.
Wagner, “Why, so thou shalt be, whether thou dost it or no; for sirrah, if thou dost not presently bind thyself to me for seven years, I’ll turn all the lice about thee into familiars and make them tear thee in pieces” (21-25). “Familiars” are attendant evil spirits (24). Robin, “Nay sir, you may save yourself a labor, for they are as familiar with me as if they paid for their meat and drink, I can tell you” (26-28). “They paid for their meat and drink” means they treat me with as little ceremony as if it was they who kept and fatted me up for their own eating (27-28).
Wagner, “Well sirrah, leave your jesting and take these guilders” (29-30). “Guilders” are Dutch coins (30). Wagner offers to confirm the hiring of Robin by giving him wages. Robin, “Yes marry sir, and I thank you too” (31). Marry” is a mild oath from or by the “Virgin Mary” (31). Wagner, “So, now thou art to be at an hour’s warning whensoever and wheresoever the devil shall fetch thee” (33-34). Robin, “Here, take your guilders, I’ll none of ’em!” (35) The clown knows it is a bad idea to be at the beckon call of the devil.
Wagner, “Not I, thou art pressed. Prepare thyself, for I will presently raise up two devils to carry thee away. Banio! Belcher!” (36-38) Obviously, Wagner’s mind is on his belly and wordplay with Banio, which means belly-all, and Belcher, which means belching. Robin, “Belcher! And Belcher come here I’ll belch him. I am not afraid of a devil” (39-40). “And” means in this case if (39). Therefore, it means if Belcher comes here, I’ll belch him.
Two Devils enter, and Wagner, “How now sir, will you serve me now?” (41) Robin, “Ay, good Wagner, take away the devil then” (42). Wagner, “Spirits, away!” (43) The two Devils exit, and Wagner, “Now sirrah, follow me” (43-44). Robin, “I will sir! But hark you master, will you teach me this conjuring occupation?” (45-46) Wagner, “Ay sirrah, I’ll teach thee to turn thyself to a dog or a cat or a mouse or a rat or anything” (47-48). Robin, “A dog or a cat or a mouse or a rat? O brave Wagner!” (49-50) The reference to “Brave” is a reference to being splendid (49).
Wagner, “Villain, call me Master Wagner. And see that you walk attentively, and let your right eye be always diametrically fixed upon my left heel, that thou mayst quasi vertigiis nostris insistere” (51-54). “Diametrically” in this context means fixed (53). “Quasi vertigiis nostris insistere” is in Latin, and means as if to follow in our footsteps (54). Robin, “Well sir, I warrant you” (55).
Work Cited:
Marlowe, Christopher, “Doctor Faustus,” Signet Classic, Ed. Barnet, Sylvan, New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., New York , New York , 2001, Print.
Marlowe, Christopher, “Doctor Faustus,” Ed. Bevington, David and Eric Rasmussen, Manchester University Press, Manchester and New York , 1993, Print.
