The Roaring Girl
Act 1: Scene 1: Mary Fitzgerald visits her love Sebastian, dressed as a semester. They were betrothed and something has happened to stop the marriage. Sebastian tells Mary about Moll, whom he’s pretending to love to trick his father. Scene 2: Sir Alexander (Sebastian Father) is having guests over. He takes them on a tour of his home and then tells them a story of a man who is in love with a Moll! (Mary and Sebastian were betrothed until his father discovered how low the dowry was, and then he decided not to allow the marriage.
Sebastian then pretends to be in eve with Moll to trick his father into letting him marry Mary) A monster… It comes to light that the story is about his own son and Sebastian gets offended and storms out. Sir Alexander then hires Trapdoor to spy on Moll, track her down, and kill her.
Act 2: Scene 1: Scenes opens at a group of stores. Here Lagoon is trying to borrow money from Mrs.. Gallop. He pretends to want to sleep with her when really he is using her to get money. (He acts like they have never had the opportunity) We also find out that Lagoon wants to pay Moll for sex… E offers and they agree on a time and place, Gray Inns Fields at 3:00. We have Goshawk who is told a by Mr.. Openwork that he has been seeing a prostitute but sworn to secrecy (Goshawk later in the scene tells his secret because he wants to seduce Mrs.. Openwork) We also see Mrs.. Openwork insult Moll and yell to get out of her store because Moll is considered a where, low class, thief, trash, etc. We also know Moll cross dresses and she pulls a sword on a man who assaulted her at a local tavern. Then Trapdoor approaches Moll and pretends to be her friend, asks to be at her service.
They agree to meet at Gray Inns Fields as well between 3:00-4:00.
Scene 2: Sebastian is lamenting to himself saying a free man should marry who he wants. His father is hiding in the room and Sebastian sees him but pretends not too. Then Moll and a Porter enter with a Viol. Sebastian then begs Moll for marriage and she states that she is simply too independent to marry. Sir Alexander is dumbfounded. Moll tells him she could possibly love him, but to rethink his proposal, for he could be being too hasty. Then a tailor enters and takes measurements for Molls manly clothing (pants).
Moll and Tailor leave and Sir Alexander makes his presence known. He yells at Sebastian for using bad Judgment, he is bewitched, and badmouths Moll saying their marriage would disgrace him. Sebastian defends her Then Sir Alexander leaves and we hear Sebastian saying how he is using Moll to get Mary.
Act 3: Scene 1: Moll meets Lagoon and she takes his money. Then she pulls off her cloak and draws a sword and challenges a duel. She wants to teach him a lesson that not all women are whore’s. She says if it were not a sin, women would be better off to sleep with men, for they lie about it anyway and treat them with disrespect.
They fight and she wins. Lagoon apologizes and leaves. Shortly after, Trapdoor shows (and later he tells Sir Alexander that Moll had met with Sebastian that day) but he doesn’t recognize her at first dressed like a man. He then follows Moll.
Scene 2: This scene opens with Mrs.. Gallop being somewhat moody and angry before her guests arrive. Mr.. Gallop comes in and asks her if she’s pregnant. He unknowingly delivers a love letter from Lagoon (requesting 30 more pounds) Mr.. Gallop walks back in and catches her reading the letter.
She tears up the letter and to cover up her scheme she tells him that she and Lagoon had a contract to be aired, but she thought he was dead. Now he has tracked her down (at the cost of 30 pounds) and wants to marry her. He doesn’t want a court battle so agrees to pay Lagoon. Then the guests arrive, they think Mrs.. Gallop is ill and she should lay down, so they leave. Then Lagoon arrives and he falls into the plan (he did not know until he picked up hints from Mrs.. Gallop). He then acts angry at the fact not being able to marry her… He says he would marry her no matter what.
He takes the 30 pounds and the Gaslight’s leave. The scene closes with Lagoon saying women are deceiving.
Scene 3: (Sir Alexander acts like Trapdoor owes him money so he can run and talk to him) Scene opens with Trapdoor telling Sir Alexander that he has Moll on the ropes. Trapdoor tells him that Moll meets Sebastian dressed as a man (and says they met that day at three… Moll had once again tricked them) Then we see Sir Dad who is Jack Diapers’ father talking about how bad/wild his son is. He tells his plan to hire policeman to arrest Jack, put him in Jail to teach him a lesson.
Sir Dad is talking to the two cops (Curtail and Hanger) and they do not realize they are talking to Sir Dad they insult him to his face and look like fools) The cops go looking for Jack, but Moll and Trapdoor overhear them and warn Jack before they can catch Jack. The cops get angry at Moll, and she’s pleased with her good deed’.
Act 4: Scene 1: Opens again with Trapdoor bragging that he has Moll. Sir Alexander tries to set Moll up by planting expensive items for her to steal. (Gold Chain, money). They exit and Moll, Mary (both dressed as men) enter with Sebastian. They are talking, Moll tells that she has never initiated (or had) sex?
Then Moll sings and later sees the gold chain and diamond. Sebastian then plans to give 40 pound to Moll (maybe to pay for enters. And Sebastian covers saying she is a musician and he is paying for her services.
Scene 2: This scene opens with Mrs.. Gallop and Mrs.. Openwork talking. Mrs.. Openwork admits to knowing what Goshawk is up to… She says she asked her husband about the affair and she also knows Goshawk wants to date her. Mrs.. Gallop then admits that Lagoon was after her too, but she is finally rid of him as well. Goshawk enters and offers to try to trap Mr.. Openwork in an affair(? They put on masks and Lagoon enters. Then so does Mr.. Openwork. He wants them to take off the masks and she lets him know they are angry (Goshawk doesn’t know Mrs.. Openwork told Mr.. Openwork that he told his secret, so he gets really nervous thinking she is going to give him away). Mrs.. Openwork then says for her husband to “Seek his where” and Mr.. Openwork starts asking who told. No one will tell and he confronts Goshawk, it comes out that Goshawk had told and that everything was a trick to teach him a lesson. Mr.. Openwork had set Goshawk up but now forgives him. Next, Mr..
Gallop enters with Greenest disguised as a Sumner and Lagoon. Lagoon is emending more money based on Mrs.. Gaslight’s lie. Greenest then removes his mask and Mrs.. Gallop tells the truth (and tells that they did not have sex). Lagoon says he was only testing Mrs.. Gallop and was doing it in noble honesty, but says she refused him. Lagoon agrees to pay Mr.. Gallop back in full plus interest for what he did.
Act 5: Scene 1 : Jack Dapper, Moll (dressed as a man) and Sir Beauteous Ganymede enter. Moll tells them that she knows about Trapdoor being a fraud, and Jack says he knows that he father was the one who sent the cops after him.
Then Attract and Trapdoor enter disguised as soldiers (Moll recognizes them) Claimed to have fought in a war that was over 100 years ago. Moll pulls off his patch and reveals him. They still claim to be soldiers and beggars. They give them money. Moll asks Trapdoor if he will still pretend to go along with Sir Alexander plot. Then several structures enter and Moll describes the ways of thieving (busting them), so they leave.
Scene 2: Sir Alexander, Goshawk, and Greenest enter. Sir Alexander is still complaining about his son wanting to marry Moll. Sir Guy Fitzgerald enters and taunts him about his son’s new choice (?
Sir Alexander begs Sir Guy for help, but he is still upset for him not allowing the marriage to happen in the first place. So Sir Alexander agrees to give up half his estate to get rid of Moll. Then Moll enters it is told that she helped to trick Sir Alexander. Sebastian apologized to his father, Sir Alexander apologized to Mary and Moll states that she did them all a favor. Moll then announces that when gallants are not in fear of being arrested for debt, etc… Then she will marry (in other words, never) Sir Alexander thanks Moll, Trapdoor confesses, and everyone is happy!
