Gloriant is a
Middle Dutch
Middle Dutch is a collective name for a number of closely related West Germanic dialects whose ancestor was Old Dutch. It was spoken and written between 1150 and 1500. Until the advent of Modern Dutch after 1500 or , there was no overarching sta ...
drama
Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...
. It is one of the four ''
abele spelen'' ("able plays") contained in the
Van Hulthem Manuscript
The Van Hulthem Manuscript is a masterpiece of medieval Dutch literature, probably compiled in the Duchy of Brabant. It contains over 200 stories from across the Low Countries.
The manuscript is named after its last private owner, Charles van Hu ...
, and consists of 1,142 lines in
rhyme
A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds (usually the exact same phonemes) in the final Stress (linguistics), stressed syllables and any following syllables of two or more words. Most often, this kind of rhyming (''perfect rhyming'') is consciou ...
. The other abele spelen are ''
Esmoreit'', ''
Lanseloet van Denemerken'' and ''
Vanden Winter ende vanden Somer''.
The play is named after the male protagonist Gloriant, duke of Bruuyswijc. It deals with the love between two people of different religion and is followed by the ''sotternie'' (
farce
Farce is a comedy that seeks to entertain an audience through situations that are highly exaggerated, extravagant, ridiculous, absurd, and improbable. Farce is also characterized by heavy use of physical comedy, physical humor; the use of delibe ...
) ''
Buskenblaser''.
One of its sources is the 14th-century ''
chanson de geste
The , from 'deeds, actions accomplished') is a medieval narrative, a type of epic poetry, epic poem that appears at the dawn of French literature. The earliest known poems of this genre date from the late 11th and early 12th centuries, shortly ...
'' ''
Baudouin de Sebourc''.
Roles
* Gheraert (uncle of duke Gloriant)
* Godevaert (friend of duke Gloriant)
* Gloriant (Duke of Bruuyswijc)
* Florentijn die maghet (daughter of Rodelioen)
* Rogier (servant of Florentijn)
* Rode Lioen (Rodelioen, Lord of Abelant)
* Floerant (cousin of Rodelioen)
* De Hangdief (the executioner)
Plot
Gloriant is the duke of Bruuyswijc and a bachelor by heart. His relatives Gheraert and Godevaert urge him to marry to make sure there is a successor. Gloriant does not make haste.
Florentijn, daughter of Rodelioen from Abelant, hears of him and sees much of herself in Gloriant's way of doing. She sends her help Rogier to Gloriant with a portrait of hers.
When Gloriant sees it, he immediately falls in love with her, but then the trouble starts: his relatives now are less keen on him marrying Florentijn because Gloraint’s father had killed several relatives of Rodelieon during a crusade. This will not help in getting Gloriant a good reception.
Despite this Gloriant goes to Abelant to get Florentijn. They meet in an orchard near the palace and confess their love for each other. They decide to leave the very night. Overcome by fatigue Gloriant falls asleep in Florentijn's lap. Floerant, Rodelioen's cousin, finds them there; he takes Gloriant's sword (Brant) and betrays them.
Rodelioen is outraged and imprisons Gloriant and Florentijn in order to kill them. Faithful Rogier manages to free Gloriant and hides him in the forest. He plays a risky double play and goes to Rodelioen to advise him to have Florentijn beheaded right away. Because of her betrayal of her own religion for Christianity he agrees. Just before her death Gloriant leaps forward, kills Rodelioen and takes Florentijn to Bruuyswijc to marry her.
References
External links
{{Wikisourcelang, nl, Gloriant
*
Gloriant' at the
Digital Library for Dutch Literature
Dutch plays
Fictional dukes and duchesses
Fictional Dutch people
Middle Dutch literature
Plays set in the Middle Ages
Plays set in the Netherlands