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E
dward III is the story of
one of England’s most
formidable warrior kings,
who ruled the country for half a
century until his death in 1377.
The play was written in the
early 1590s, around the same time
as the Henry VI plays, but only in
the last few decades has it been
accepted among Shakespeare’s
works. Most editors now agree that
Shakespeare did at least have a
hand in some of the play but they
generally believe that he was
responsible for at most a few
scenes, including Scenes 2 and 3,
between Edward and the Countess
of Salisbury, and Scene 12, in
which Edward the Black Prince
ruminates on death. Performances
have been so few that, when
the RSC staged it in 2002, they
described it, rather inaccurately,
as a “new” play by Shakespeare.
The story covers Edward III’s
defense of the kingdom against the
Scottish King David II, and his wars
in France, including the historical
rout of the French navy at Sluys
(1340), his victory over superior
French forces at Crécy (1346), and
finally the battle of Poitiers (1356)
at which his young son, Edward,the Black Prince, proved himself
a hero. However, the portrait of
Edward III presented in this
play is very different from that of
Shakespeare’s other great warrior
king, Henry V. While Henry V
emerges as a dynamic young
leader, inspiring his troops to
victory with stirring speeches,
Edward is anything but inspiring.
No sooner has he, like Henry, sent
the French ambassador packing
with a declaration of war than we
see him in Scotland in a far from
heroic light.Rough wooing
Arriving to lift the Scottish siege
of Roxburgh Castle, Edward is
entranced by the beautiful
Countess of Salisbury, whose
husband is fighting in France. He
then embarks on a siege of his own
to conquer her, and his tactics are
not honorable. After his love letters,
penned by his secretary Lodowick
are rejected, he resorts to power
games, commanding her father to
order her to submit to his desire.
The strong-willed countess refuses,
and desperately tells Edward that
their spouses stand between them.
Astoundingly, Edward offers to kill
both of them, saying, as if he isIN CONTEXT
THEMES
Honor, kingship, valor,
patriotism, brutality of warSETTING
The royal court, London;
Roxburgh Castle, Scottish
borders; Flanders; Crécy,
Poitiers, and Calais, FranceSOURCES
1377 Jean Froissart’s
Chronicles, a French source
for the early battles of the
Hundred Years War.1575 The Palace of Pleasure,
by William Painter, features a
story entitled “The Countesse
of Salesberrie,” on which the
wooing scene is based.1587 Raphael Holinshed’s
Chronicles is a source for the
battles (although for dramatic
reasons they have been
compressed in time).LEGACY
Early 1590s Date and place of
first performance is not known.1596 The play is published
anonymously in London.1623 The play is omitted
from the First Folio, possibly
because of political objections
to its portrayal of the Scots.
1911 The Elizabethan Stage
Society performs one scene
at the Little Theatre, London.2001 The Pacific Repertory
Theater performs the play
at the Carmel Shakespeare
Festival in California, US.2002 The RSC performs
the full play, to mixed reviews.EDWARD III
In the play, the Black Prince is a
gung-ho adventurer, a portrayal that is
probably close to the historical truth.
His tomb in Canterbury Cathedral
shows him resplendent in armor.Tell him the crown that
he usurps is mine,
And where he sets his foot
he ought to kneel.
King Edward
Scene 1