Context of the Play:
Edward III is a play in five acts sometimes attributed to William Shakespeare, though with little evidence other than the resemblances of this play to Shakespeare's early history plays and an occasional passage. It was not included in the First Folio of 1623. A quarto text was published in 1596; the play must have been written before that date, presumably in the early 1590s, when history plays of this sort were much in vogue. It was mainly based on Raphael Holinshed's Chronicles.
Character List:
The English:
King Edward III
Queen Philippa, the King's wife
Edward, the Black Prince, the son of King Edward II and Queen Philippa
Earl of Salisbury
Countess of Salisbury, Salisbury's wife
Earl of Warwick, Countess of Salisbury's father
Sir William Montague, Salisbury's nephew
Earl of Derby
Lord Audley
Lord Percy
John Copland, esquire, later Sir John Copland
Lodowick, Kind Edward's secretary
Two Esquires
Herald
Supporters of the English
Robert, Count of Artois
Lord Mountford, Duke of Brittany
Gobin de Grace, a French prisoner
The French
King John II
Prince Charles, Duke of Normandy, King John's son
Prince Philip, King John's youngest son
Duke of Lorraine
Villiers, Norman lord
Captain of Calais
Another Captain
Mariner
Three Heralds
Two Citizens from Crécy
Three other Frenchmen
Woman with two children
Six wealthy citizens of Calais
Six poor citizens of Calais
Supporters of the French
King of Bohemia
Polonian Captain
Danish troops
The Scots
King David the Bruce of Scotland
Sir William Douglas
Two Messengers
Plot Summary
Events:
The Count informs King Edward III of Artois that he, Edward, is the true heir to the previous king of France.
The French ambassador insisted that Edward pay tribute to the new French king for the Guyenne lands.
Edward refused to do so, insisting he would invade to enforce his rights. The messenger informs that the Scots are besieging a castle in the north of England.
As Edward's army approaches, the rampaging Scots flee, leaving the castle in the hands of the beautiful Countess of Salisbury, wife of the Earl of Salisbury.
To bluff Edward, the Countess vows to kill her husband if Edward kills his wife.
She rebuffs him, but he persists.
The rampaging Scots flee.
Edward falls for the beautiful Countess of Salisbury and woos her for himself.
When she realizes that Edward finds the plan morally acceptable, she threatens to commit suicide if he does not cease his pursuit.
In the end, Edward expresses great shame, admits his fault, and consents.
He dedicates himself to using his energies to pursue his rights and duties as king.
Second Part of the Play:
Several scenes resemble those of Henry V in which Edward joins his army in France and fights for the French crown.
During the Battle of Crécy, the king and the son of King Edward exchanged arguments for their claims.
The king refuses to assist Prince Edward when he is in danger, and Prince Edward proves himself in battle after defeating the king of Bohemia.
The French fled to Poitiers after the English won the war.
Amid his siege of Calais, Edward sends the prince to pursue them.
This play switches between the French and English camps, where the prince is outnumbered and surrounded by Poitiers.
The English campaign appears hopeless, while the French campaign appears arrogant.
After brooding about the morality of war, Prince Edward defeated the French king in the Battle of Poitiers despite seemingly insurmountable odds.
When the citizens of Calais realize that they will surrender to King Edward, Edward orders that six city leaders be punished, but Queen Philippa appears and convinces Edward to pardon the citizens.
A messenger informs Edward that the English have secured Brittany after Sir John Copland brings Edward, the king of Scots, captured in battle.
However, the success is undermined when the news arrives that Prince Edward will likely lose at Poitiers.
King Edward declares he will take revenge.
Prince Edward comes with news of his victory, bringing the captured French king with him.
The English entered Calais in triumph.
Sources:
Edward III | play by unknown author | Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Edward-III-play-by-unknown-author
Edward III (play) - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_III_(play)
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