Last night I finished my second Middleton play this week, this one being of superior quality to Michaelmas Term. A Trick to Catch the Old One has whores, devils, cheats, lies, and laughter. What else can be expected from a Jacobean city comedy?
The main plot is that Witgood has his courtesan pretend to be a rich widow, and that in order for him to marry her he must come back into his lands that his uncle Lucre somehow cheated him of. Along the way the enemy of Lucre, Hoard, comes in and steals the "rich widow" from Witgood. This is ok because Witgood had no intention of marrying his courtesan, he really loves Hoard's niece. SO everyone believes this widow rich and desperately want to marry her, and it is finally Hoard that has the honor, and to see his surprise when he finds out if rather comical. Though the courtesan, Jane, has a great speech at the end, which shows her as more than a prop in the play. She talks as though she had feelings and thoughts. I'm beginning to sense the realism in Middleton and how he cares for his characters. Hoard accepts his fate, Witgood gets his property and marries the niece, and Lucre learns a lesson. What is weird is that Witgood says he slept with Jane and then says he can't anymore because she is his aunt, with aunt having a double meaning of relative and prostitute. What a strange way to end the play! But funny throughout.
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