Puer Adoptatus: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 17:43, 24 November 2025

AdoptionAge versus youthChildrenDeathDebtDeceptionDeceitful sonPrideFamilial relationshipsFather/son relationshipsFoolish old manLesson: greedSpendthrift sons

A rich French gentleman named Archelaus was childless for many years, and at last he and his wife decide to adopt a boy to carry their name. They adopt a child named Philemon, the child of one of his relatives. He grows up clever and beloved by all, and joins his adopted father in his business affairs. Eventually, Archelaus's wife sickens and dies, and Archelaus is inconsolable with grief. He retires to his estate in the country, and leaves the management of his affairs to Philemon.

Philemon takes advantage of his newfound wealth and freedom, and although he is careful not to let word get back to Archelaus, he lives a disolute life. So when Archelaus begins to talk about finding a wife for Philemon, he balks, protesting that a wife would interrupt his studies (but privately fearing she would intrude upon his freedoms). So Archelaus instead decides to be remarried, thinking such an announcement might change Philemon's mind, but it does not - and instead, Archelaus proceeded to court and wed Euphrosena, a lovely, virtuous, and clever damsel from a good family.

Archelaus instructs Euphrosena to involve herself in the family's business, and soon their subjects begin to come to her with complaints about Philemon's violence and disorderly conduct. She admonishes Philemon in private to change his ways and he promises to do so, but does not alter his behaviour. She threatens to tell his father; he makes no change. She informs Archelaus, who is shocked and reproves him; Philemon apologises and begs his forgiveness.

Shortly thereafter, Philemon abducts a gentleman's daughter, and carries her away; Archelaus orders him to be seized and thrown into the dungeon of a nearby castle. Philemon eventually befriends the lord of that castle, who knows his prisoner may someday inherit. Eventually Philemon confides in the lord that he has been targetted by his mother-in-law, Euphrosena, and that if the lord will help him be revenged upon her, he will make the lord's daughter his wife in due course. The lord agrees, and entreats Archelaus to come visit on urgent business.

[Adapted from Wikeley (1983) by Ava Byrne; expanded by Jane Bonsall].

Note
Analogous to Italian versions, although Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben sees similarities in the middle Dutch drama Esmoreit.

Critical Literature
Hoffman von Fallersleben (1838)

Puer Adoptatus appears in the following versions and secondary versions

Puer Adoptatus is narrated in the following occurrences

Narrator	Pages
Empress	Erasto, L'Amabile di Continentia

Puer Adoptatus appears in the following manuscripts
This inset story appears in no manuscripts of the database

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 {{Inset Story
 |Has Critical Literature=Hoffman von Fallersleben (1838)
-|Has Motif=Adoption; Age versus youth; Children; Death; Debt; Deception; Deceitful son; Pride; Familial relationships; Father/son relationships; Foolish old man; Lesson: greed
+|Has Motif=Adoption; Age versus youth; Children; Death; Debt; Deception; Deceitful son; Pride; Familial relationships; Father/son relationships; Foolish old man; Lesson: greed; Spendthrift sons
-|Has Summary=An adopted son wants to live frivolously and also inherit from his father, a French gentleman. To achieve this, he incites the murder of his innocent stepmother and then uses seven other to strangle his father.
+|Has Summary=A rich French gentleman named Archelaus was childless for many years, and at last he and his wife decide to adopt a boy to carry their name. They adopt a child named Philemon, the child of one of his relatives. He grows up clever and beloved by all, and joins his adopted father in his business affairs. Eventually, Archelaus's wife sickens and dies, and Archelaus is inconsolable with grief. He retires to his estate in the country, and leaves the management of his affairs to Philemon.
-Adapted from Wikeley (1983) by Ava Byrne.
+Philemon takes advantage of his newfound wealth and freedom, and although he is careful not to let word get back to Archelaus, he lives a disolute life. So when Archelaus begins to talk about finding a wife for Philemon, he balks, protesting that a wife would interrupt his studies (but privately fearing she would intrude upon his freedoms). So Archelaus instead decides to be remarried, thinking such an announcement might change Philemon's mind, but it does not - and instead, Archelaus proceeded to court and wed Euphrosena, a lovely, virtuous, and clever damsel from a good family.
+Archelaus instructs Euphrosena to involve herself in the family's business, and soon their subjects begin to come to her with complaints about Philemon's violence and disorderly conduct. She admonishes Philemon in private to change his ways and he promises to do so, but does not alter his behaviour. She threatens to tell his father; he makes no change. She informs Archelaus, who is shocked and reproves him; Philemon apologises and begs his forgiveness.
+Shortly thereafter, Philemon abducts a gentleman's daughter, and carries her away; Archelaus orders him to be seized and thrown into the dungeon of a nearby castle. Philemon eventually befriends the lord of that castle, who knows his prisoner may someday inherit. Eventually Philemon confides in the lord that he has been targetted by his mother-in-law, Euphrosena, and that if the lord will help him be revenged upon her, he will make the lord's daughter his wife in due course. The lord agrees, and entreats Archelaus to come visit on urgent business.
+[Adapted from Wikeley (1983) by Ava Byrne; expanded by Jane Bonsall].
 |Has Note=Analogous to Italian versions, although Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben sees similarities in the middle Dutch drama Esmoreit.
 }}