Eastward Ho!: Analysis of Setting
"Eastward Ho!" is a comedic play that intricately explores various settings, each contributing to the narrative's themes of aspiration, disillusionment, and social status. Central to the story is Touchstone's goldsmith shop in London, which reflects the industrious nature of the middle class and serves as a grounding force against the naive dreams of his daughter Gertrude and his apprentice Quicksilver. Gertrude's hope to marry the extravagant Sir Petronel Flash is tied to his illusory "castle in the air" in Essex, symbolizing her eventual disillusionment when she discovers its nonexistence. The play also introduces Virginia, a fictional North American colony that embodies the allure of wealth and adventure, further complicating the characters' aspirations.
Another notable setting is Cuckholds' Haven, where the adventurers are comically shipwrecked, leading to humorous misunderstandings about their location. The narrative culminates in The Counter, a debtor's prison where characters undergo significant transformations, reflecting the consequences of their previous choices. This prison setting becomes a pivotal point for redemption and forgiveness, as Touchstone's compassion leads him to reconcile with Quicksilver and Sir Petronel. Overall, the settings in "Eastward Ho!" not only advance the plot but also enrich the themes of reality versus illusion and the pitfalls of ambition.
Eastward Ho!: Analysis of Setting
First published: 1605
First produced: 1605
Type of work: Drama
Type of plot: Comedy
Time of work: c. 1605
Asterisk denotes entries on real places.
Places Discussed
Touchstone’s goldsmith shop
Touchstone’s goldsmith shop. London shop that establishes the industrious middle-class nature of the goldsmith Touchstone. The shop helps to define the shrewd common sense that underlies Touchstone’s skepticism about the foolish dreams of his daughter Gertrude, who hopes to become a lady by marrying the improvident Sir Petronel, and the pretensions of Quicksilver, his apprentice, who imagines that he can become a gentleman of leisure by following untrustworthy friends and romantic illusions fostered by unrealistic plays.
Sir Petronel Flash’s castle
Sir Petronel Flash’s castle. Nonexistent “castle in the air” in Essex that is the major reason for Gertrude’s marriage to Sir Petronel. It is also the source of Gertrude’s disillusionment when she makes a journey by coach into Essex only to find that the castle does not exist.
*Virginia
*Virginia. Proposed North American site of an English colony, which is advertised as the source of great wealth, an illusory fantasy for Sir Petronel and his fellow adventurers, Scapethrift and Spendall. Since Virginia had not been settled at the time of the play’s first performance, the truth about its actual hardships was not known.
Cuckholds’ Haven
Cuckholds’ Haven. Landing on the Isle of Dogs in the Thames where the adventurers are shipwrecked by a sudden squall as they are setting out to go “Eastward Ho” down the river to begin their voyage to Virginia. Their belief that they have found refuge on the coast of France provides one of the play’s funniest moments, as Sir Petronel tries to communicate in French to the first gentleman they encounter, only to exasperate him when he learns they are actually English.
*The Counter
*The Counter. Debtors’ prison in which Quicksilver, Sir Petronel, and their cronies are incarcerated, and where they all conveniently undergo religious “conversions.” Although Touchstone initially is adamant in his refusal to pay their debts and secure their release, his compassion toward them is aroused when his virtuous former apprentice and current son-in-law Golding, who is sympathetic toward Quicksilver, has himself jailed there on a technicality. Forced to visit the prison, Touchstone relents, and in a Dickensian ending forgives his erring former apprentice, and his son-in-law, Sir Petronel, and pays their debts, thereby gaining their release.
Bibliography
Adams, J. Q. “Eastward Hoe and Its Satire Against the Scots.” Studies in Philology 28 (1931): 157-169. Treats an isolated, but interesting, facet of the play, helping to fit it into the larger political and legal circumstances of the period.
Brettle, R. E. “Eastward Ho, 1605, by Chapman, Jonson and Marston: Bibliography and Circumstances of Production.” The Library 4th series, no. 9 (1928-1929): 287-302. A close examination of the origins and initial presentation of the drama. More for the advanced than the general student.
Petter, C. G. Introduction to Eastward Ho! London: Ernest Benn, 1973. A brief but highly informative survey of the drama that provides a wealth of information for the serious student and the casual reader. Additional material offers background on contemporary social issues, as well as Jonson’s and Chapman’s imprisonment for their supposed slur on the Scots.
Spivack, Charlotte. George Chapman. New York: Twayne, 1967. A general overview of Chapman’s life and career, including his role as a collaborator on Eastward Ho! Does an excellent job in placing Chapman’s dramatic work within the context of his life.
Van Fossen, R. W. Introduction to Eastward Ho! Manchester, England: Manchester University Press, 1979. Examines various aspects of the play, including authorship, contents, stage history, staging, and other issues. Includes background material on the plot and a selection of letters by Chapman and Jonson relating to the drama.