''The Famous Chronicle of King Edward the First, sirnamed Edward Longshankes, with his returne from the holy land. ALSO THE LIFE OF LLEVELLEN rebell In Wales. Lastly, the sinking of Queen Elinor, who sunck at Charingcrosse, and rose againe at Pottershith, now named Queenehith.'' is a

play Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * P ...

George Peele George Peele (baptised 25 July 1556 – buried 9 November 1596) was an English translator, poet, and dramatist, who is most noted for his supposed, but not universally accepted, collaboration with William Shakespeare on the play ''Titus Andronic ...

, published 1593, chronicling the career of

Edward I of England Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots (Latin: Malleus Scotorum), was King of England from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he was Lord of Ireland, and from 1254 ...

Editions

A quarto edition duly appeared with the date 1593, printed by Abel Jeffes and sold for him by William Barley in Gracechurch Street. Copies of this edition are preserved in the

Bodleian Library The Bodleian Library () is the main research library of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1602 by Sir Thomas Bodley, it is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. With over 13 million printed items, it is the second-largest library in ...

and the

British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...

. These editions are composed with tolerable care but represent a very corrupt text. A second edition appeared in 1599.

Plot

The play concentrates on the power struggle between Edward I and

Llywelyn ap Gruffudd Llywelyn ap Gruffudd ( – 11 December 1282), also known as Llywelyn II and Llywelyn the Last (), was List of rulers of Gwynedd, Prince of Gwynedd, and later was recognised as the Prince of Wales (; ) from 1258 until his death at Cilmeri in 128 ...

, also glancing at the reign and fall of

John Balliol John Balliol or John de Balliol ( – late 1314), known derisively as Toom Tabard (meaning 'empty coat'), was King of Scots from 1292 to 1296. Little is known of his early life. After the death of Margaret, Maid of Norway, Scotland entered an ...

. The play's presentation of Llywelyn's life while in rebellion against Edward is based on the legend of

Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary noble outlaw, heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature, theatre, and cinema. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions o ...

. Although some sympathy is extended to the Welsh the playwright effectively endorses the aim of uniting Britain by force. Heavily influenced by

ballads A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...

, the play is rambling and episodic. It has been argued that the text is corrupt and that Peele did not write certain scenes, particularly a (ballad-based) deathbed confession by Queen

Eleanor Eleanor () is a feminine given name, originally from an Old French adaptation of the Old Provençal name ''Aliénor''. It was the name of a number of women of royalty and nobility in western Europe during the High Middle Ages">Provençal dialect ...

that of all her children, only the last, Edward of Caernarfon, is her husband's. The first editor to break the play into scenes was Arthur Henry Bullen. The following scene breaks are based on Frank S. Hook's 1961

Yale University Press Yale University Press is the university press of Yale University. It was founded in 1908 by George Parmly Day and Clarence Day, grandsons of Benjamin Day, and became a department of Yale University in 1961, but it remains financially and ope ...

edition (spelling of character names is based on the original): * Scene 1: 2 August 1274: Edward's return to England from the

Ninth Crusade Lord Edward's Crusade, sometimes called the Ninth Crusade, was a military expedition to the Holy Land under the command of Edward I of England, Prince Edward Longshanks (later king as Edward I) in 1271 – 1272. In practice an extension of t ...

; he establishes a "colledge" icfor wounded soldiers (ahistorical). * Scene 2: Introduction of the Welsh characters and their plot against England, including the comic relief group of Friar Hugh ap David, Morgan Pigott the Harper, and Jack the Novice. * Scene 3: The Scottish pledge fealty to England. Queen Elinor's interpolated speech breaks the action. Lluellen is persuaded to allow Edward's entourage in Wales after threats to his brother, David, (including cutting his nose and threatening to put hot pincers in his eyes, reminiscent of the blinding scene in

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's '' King John''), and the release of his beloved, Elinor de Montfort. Two lines before Queen Elinor's speech (called such in a stage direction), she says, "Shake thy speres in honour of his name," which has led some to believe that William Shakespeare played the title role. * Scene 4: Meredeth takes David prisoner. * Scene 5: Battle between the Welsh and the English. * Scene 6: Arranging the marriage of Princess Jone to Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester. At the end of the scene, we learn that Queen Elinor has gone into labour. * Scene 7: Wooing scene in

masquerade. Friar Hugh ap David, of course, plays Friar Tuck. Lluellen is Robin Hood, Rice is

Little John Little John is a companion of Robin Hood who serves as his chief lieutenant and second-in-command of the Merry Men. He is one of only a handful of consistently named characters who relate to Robin Hood and one of the two oldest Merry Men, alo ...

, and Elinor de Montfort is

Maid Marian Maid Marian is the heroine of the Robin Hood legend in English folklore, often taken to be his lover. She is not mentioned in the early, medieval versions of the legend, but was the subject of at least two plays by 1600. Her history and circums ...

. * Scene 8: Mortimor, in love with Elinor de Montfort, disturbs the masquerade and battles Friar Hugh ap David as a proxy for Lluellen. * Scene 9:

, King of Scotland, tells Lord Versses to send message to King Edward that the Scottish will no longer be subservient to England. * Scene 10: Birth of the future

Edward II Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), also known as Edward of Caernarfon or Caernarvon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I, Edward became the heir to the throne follo ...

in a tent in Wales, making him the first

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...

. Elinor is angry at Edward for not offering her or his son enough honor, demanding that all English men will cut their beard and all English women will cut off their breasts. * Scene 11: Friar Hugh ap David cheats a Farmer at cards and gets King Edward to take his side. In battle, King Edward downs Lluellen, and David downs Mortimor. * Scene 12: Following the marriage of Gilbert and Joan and the christening of Prince Edward, Versses, a halter about his neck, reports to King Edward that John Balioll intends to battle King Edward. Edward gives Versses a silver chain of office (marking Versses as Edward's servant), and sends him back to Balliol. * Scene 13: Versses returns to John Balioll. He tells Balliol he has accepted Edward's silver chain of office. The rope halter he took to Edward, he now brings back to Balliol, to signify Edward will have Balliol hanged ("I tooke the chaine and give your Grace the rope.") Balioll orders Versses hanged with the chain of office. * Scene 14: Mortimor pursues the rebels (three lines, plus stage directions—believed to have been truncated) * Scene 15: Queen Elinor and her servant, Katherine, bind the Mayoress (often spelled "Maris") of London to a chair and make her

wet nurse A wet nurse is a woman who breastfeeding, breastfeeds and cares for another's child. Wet nurses are employed if the mother dies, if she is unable to nurse the child herself sufficiently or chooses not to do so. Wet-nursed children may be known a ...

an adder in a scene that anticipates Shakespeare's ''

Antony and Cleopatra ''Antony and Cleopatra'' is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The play was first performed around 1607, by the King's Men at either the Blackfriars Theatre or the Globe Theatre. Its first appearance in print was in the First Folio published ...

''. This scene is derived and abridged from the ballads and in consequence contains curious exposition about whether the Mayoress would prefer to work as a nurse or a laundress. While dying, she calls out to "Ah husband sweete ''Iohn Bearmber'' Maior of London," a name that appears to be authorial invention. * Scene 16: Lluellen and David flee, David with a halter around his neck ready to hang himself. David apparently does so after his final speech, while Lluellen is slain on a pike immediately after David's exit. * Scene 17: Friar Hugh, halter about his neck, says his farewell to the dead Lluellen, but he is captured by Mortimor at the bidding of Queen Elinor. * Scene 18: Queen Elinor blasphemes against Heaven; Heaven punishes her, and she is swallowed by a

sinkhole A sinkhole is a depression or hole in the ground caused by some form of collapse of the surface layer. The term is sometimes used to refer to doline, enclosed depressions that are also known as shakeholes, and to openings where surface water ...

Charing Cross Charing Cross ( ) is a junction in Westminster, London, England, where six routes meet. Since the early 19th century, Charing Cross has been the notional "centre of London" and became the point from which distances from London are measured. ...

, Jone watching in horror. * Scene 19: King Edward captures John Balioll and makes him swear allegiance to him. * Scene 20: A Potter's Wife, and John, her serving man, witness Queen Elinor spat up by the earth at Queenhithe and come to her aid. * Scene 21: Two messengers arrive, one alerting King Edward to David's hanging, the other to report the sinking of Queen Elinor. * Scene 22: David is drawn on a hurdle with Mortimor and officers, accompanied by Friar Hugh, the Novice, the Morgan Pigot the Harper, and Lluellen's head on a spear. * Scene 23: King Edward and his brother Edmund, disguised as friars, receive the deathbed confession of Queen Elinor that only Prince Edward is King Edward's son, the others all "baselie borne begotten of a Frier." Jone learns of her illegitimacy and dies of grief at the foot of the queen's bed, but not before quoting, in the original Italian, a broadly comic couplet regarding destiny from

Ludovico Ariosto Ludovico Ariosto (, ; ; 8 September 1474 – 6 July 1533) was an Italian poet. He is best known as the author of the romance epic '' Orlando Furioso'' (1516). The poem, a continuation of Matteo Maria Boiardo's ''Orlando Innamorato'', describ ...

's ''

Orlando Furioso ''Orlando furioso'' (; ''The Frenzy of Orlando'') is an Italian epic poem by Ludovico Ariosto which has exerted a wide influence on later culture. The earliest version appeared in 1516, although the poem was not published in its complete form ...

'' (XX.131.7-8). A messenger alerts Edward that Balioll is attacking

Northumberland Northumberland ( ) is a ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North East England, on the Anglo-Scottish border, border with Scotland. It is bordered by the North Sea to the east, Tyne and Wear and County Durham to the south, Cumb ...

. Edward vows to defeat "false Balioll," leaving Gilbert, Earl of Gloucester to mourn the death of Jone. In the midst of Gloucester's grieving speech, Mortimor enters with Lluellen's head, and Gloucester decides it profits him none to weep like

Niobe Niobe (; : Nióbē) was in Greek mythology a daughter of Tantalus and of either Dione or of Eurythemista or Euryanassa. She was the wife of Amphion and the sister of Pelops and Broteas. Niobe is mentioned by Achilles in Homer's ''Iliad ...

. While scholars are not sure whether

Christopher Marlowe Christopher Marlowe ( ; Baptism, baptised 26 February 156430 May 1593), also known as Kit Marlowe, was an English playwright, poet, and translator of the Elizabethan era. Marlowe is among the most famous of the English Renaissance theatre, Eli ...

's ''

'' or Peele's ''Edward I'' was written first, there is general agreement that one play influenced the other. The stage direction of Mortimor with the head appears to be a reflection on the end of ''Edward II'', in which Mortimer's nephew's head is brought to the newly crowned

Edward III Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring royal authority after t ...

ten lines before the end of the play. Hook describes the stage direction as "surely wrong, but it comes with a grim, though unintentional, humor." (The immediately following line has Gloucester comment on Jone's teeth.) "How it happened to be inserted here, unlike the songs the Sirens sang, seems beyond conjecture. The most startling point to be noted is that Peele's 'signature' indicates that surely here the compositor was working directly from the author's manuscript."

Characters

(list from Frank S. Hook's edition for Yale University Press (1961), pp. 70–71)

I. Speaking Parts

The English

Edward I Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots (Latin: Malleus Scotorum), was King of England from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he was Lord of Ireland, and from 125 ...

, called Longshanks, King of England * Edmund, Duke of Lancaster, brother of the King * Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester * Mortimer, Earl of March *

Earl of Sussex Earl of Sussex is a title that has been created several times in the Peerages of England, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom. The early Earls of Arundel (up to 1243) were often also called Earls of Sussex. The fifth creation came in the Pee ...

* Sir Thomas Spencer *Bishop *Soldier *John, servant to Potter's Wife *First Messenger *Second Messenger * Elinore of Castille, Queen of England * Helinor, Queen Mother * Joan of Acon, daughter of Queen Elinor * Elinor de Montfort, fiancée of Lluellen * Mary Bearmbar, wife of the

Lord Mayor of London The Lord Mayor of London is the Mayors in England, mayor of the City of London, England, and the Leader of the council, leader of the City of London Corporation. Within the City, the Lord Mayor is accorded Order of precedence, precedence over a ...

*Katherine, lady-in-waiting to Queen Elinor *Potter's Wife

The Welsh

* Lluellen, Prince of Wales * David of Brecknock, Lluellen's brother * Rice ap Meredith ) * Owen ap Rice} supporters of Lluellen *Guenther) *Friar Hugh ap David, called Friar Tuck *Jack, the Friar's novice * Morgan Pigot, the Welsh Harper *Soldier *Mantle Baron *Farmer *Peddler * Guenthian, the Friar's wench

The Scots

, King of Scotland *Lord Versses *Scottish lord

II. Walk-Ons

Hugh de Cressingham Sir Hugh de Cressingham (died 11 September 1297) was the treasurer of the England, English administration in Scotland from 1296 to 1297. He was an adviser to John de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey at the Battle of Stirling Bridge. He suggested a f ...

Robert Bruce Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (), was King of Scots from 1306 until his death in 1329. Robert led Scotland during the First War of Scottish Independence against England. He fought successfully dur ...

*Scottish lords (7) *Scottish pages (9) *Welsh barons (3) *Negro Moors (4) *Footmen (4) *Barbers (2) *Ancient *Heralds *Lords attendant, both English and Scottish *Musicians *Soldiers *Sailors *Nurse *Ladies-in-waiting Edward II is born during the play, but is never more than an infant in any of his scenes.

III. Unexplained characters

* Signor de Montfort, Earl of Leicester (l. 40, S.D.) *Charles de Montfort (l. 40, S.D.) *Potter (l. 2247, S.D.) *Mary, Duchess of Lancaster (l. 1453, S.D.)

Recent developments

In 1974, a "retroform" of the play prepared by G.K. Dreher was published, with the dubious scenes removed and the remaining text streamlined. Although this would be considerably easier to stage than the full text, there has to date been no modern fully-staged production. A one-off performance of the full surviving script was given at the

Sam Wanamaker Playhouse The Sam Wanamaker Playhouse is an indoor theatre forming part of the Shakespeare's Globe complex, along with the recreated Globe Theatre on Bankside in Southwark, London. Built by making use of 17th-century plans for an indoor English theatre, ...

, part of

Shakespeare's Globe Shakespeare's Globe is a reconstruction of the Globe Theatre, an Elizabethan playhouse first built in 1599 for which William Shakespeare wrote his plays. Like the original, it is located on the south bank of the River Thames, in Southwark, Lon ...

's on 10 February 2019. Part of the theatre's ''Read Not Dead'' series, the performance was semi-staged and performed with limited rehearsal and script-in-hand before a live audience. In ''Shakespeare the Player'' (2000), John Southworth (following the Victorian scholar F. G. Fleay) argued that the actor who had originally portrayed Edward was not, as is commonly supposed,

Edward Alleyn Edward Alleyn (; 1 September 156621 November 1626) was an England, English actor who was a major figure of the Elizabethan theatre and founder of the College of God's Gift in Dulwich. Early life Alleyn was born on 1 September 1566 in Bishop ...

, but

References

External links

Full text
of ''King Edward the First'' at

Open Library Open Library is an online project intended to create "one web page for every book ever published". Created by Aaron Swartz, Brewster Kahle, Alexis Rossi, Anand Chitipothu, and Rebecca Hargrave Malamud, Open Library is a project of the Internet ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Famous Chronicle Of King Edward The First English Renaissance plays Plays by George Peele 1593 plays Cultural depictions of Edward I of England Plays set in the 13th century Biographical plays about English royalty Cultural depictions of Edward II of England Cultural depictions of Eleanor of Castile