Page:The Elizabethan stage (Volume 3).pdf/80

 before an ordinary private house; still less, of course, when the house is a castle, and in a castle courtyard scene we get very near the scenes with 'walls' already described. Some prison scenes, in the Tower or elsewhere, are apparently of this type, although others seem to require interior action in a close chamber or even a dungeon. Threshold scenes may also be before the outer gate of a palace or castle, where another analogy to assault scenes presents itself; or before a church or temple, a friar's cell, an inn, a stable, or the like. Nor are shop scenes, since a shop may be a mere adjunct to a house, really different in kind.

shut'. They are therefore at the outer door of the courtyard; cf. p. 69, n. 2. Similarly ''1 Rich. II'', ii, which begins with 'Enter Woodstock, Lancaster, and Yorke, at Plashey', and 'heere at Plasshy house I'le bid you wellcome', is clearly in a courtyard. A servant says (114), 'Ther's a horse-man at the gate He will not off an's horse-backe till the inner gate be open'. Gloucester bids 'open the inner gate lett hime in', and (s.d.) 'Enter a spruce Courtier a horse-backe'. It is also before the house, for the Courtier says, 'Is he within', and 'I'le in and speake with the duke'. Rather more difficult is Englishmen for my Money, sc. iv, 'Enter Pisaro' with others, and says, 'Proud am I that my roofe containes such friends' (748), also 'I would not haue you fall out in my house' (895). He sends his daughters 'in' (827, 851), so must be in the porch, and a 'knock within' (s.d.) and 'Stirre and see who knocks!' (796) suggest a courtyard gate. But later in the play (cf. p. 58, n. 4) the street seems to be directly before the same house.]*
 * [Footnote: house', and Shakebag says 'This is the doore; but soft, me thinks tis