First published edition of Marlowe's Edward II
Poster for the Edward II representation directed by Martín Acosta being presented in the UNAM Juan Ruiz de Alarcón thatre Thursdays ($30), Saturdays and Sundays ($100) until November 30.
Edward the Second is a play by the Elizabethan player and poet Christopher Marlowe.
'Kit' Marlowe was a great influence for Sheakespeare, specially for his early works, and some authors even sugested a conspiracy theory proposing that Marlowe feigned his own death (the records about it are mysterius and inconsistent) to continue writing under the name of William Sheakespeare.
In his life, he was a controversial figure: admired by his fellow artists, but despised by the society and acused of being a spy, a brawler, a heretic, and a homosexual. All his plays deal with controversial themes (as seen in this play) , which made of him the controversial person he was.
Inroduction for the Martín Acostas Representation of the Alfredo Michel's traduction of Edward II
"Eduardo II de Christopher Marlowe, que para algunos es la obra más importante del autor isabelino contemporáneo de Shakespeare, se presenta por primera vez en México, con una traducción de Alfredo Michel y bajo la dirección de Martín Acosta, destacado hacedor de teatro que se ha desempeñado como director, dramaturgo, escenógrafo y docente.
Eduardo II es el hijo perfecto del imperfecto mundo isabelino, brutal, tan brutal como una carnicería; bello como la mirada de los enamorados; incómodo como el limón en las heridas; patético como dark room al amanecer. Es un discurso poético y político. Es una postura ideológica y una novelita para adolescentes calenturientos.
Es teatro negro salido de una cantina junto al río Támesis. Es el puñal que mató a Marlowe. Es el amante despechado que dejó una serpiente entre las sábanas. Es el dolor. Es el mundo de la intolerancia. Del miedo a lo otro. Al otro. A lo diferente. A lo incontrolable, es una obra llena de imperfecciones, como la luna. Y como la luna, desata las mareas."
Synopsis
The play telescopes most of Edward II's reign into a single narrative, beginning with the recall of his lover, Piers Gaveston, from exile, and ending with his son Edward III's execution of Mortimer Junior for the king's murder.
Marlowe's play opens at the very outset of the reign, with Edward's exiled favourite, Piers Gaveston, rejoicing at the recent death of Edward I and his own resulting ability to return to England. In the following passage he plans the entertainments with which he will delight the king:
Music and poetry is his delight;
Therefore I'll have Italian masques by night,
Sweet speeches, comedies, and pleasing shows;
And in the day, when he shall walk abroad,
Like sylvan nymphs my pages shall be clad;
My men, like satyrs grazing on the lawns,
Shall with their goat-feet dance an antic hay.
Sometime a lovely boy in Dian's shape,
With hair that gilds the water as it glides,
Crownets of pearl about his naked arms,
And in his sportful hands an olive tree
To hide those parts which men delight to see,
Shall bathe him in a spring; and there, hard by,
One like Actaeon, peeping through the grove,
Shall by the angry goddess be transformed,
And running in the likeness of a hart
By yelping hounds pulled down and seem to die.
Such things as these best please his majesty. (I.i.53-70)
Upon Gaveston’s reentry into the country, Edward gives him titles, access to the royal treasury and the option of having guards protect him. Although Gaveston himself is not of noble birth, he maintains that he is better than common people and craves pleasing shows, Italian masques, music and poetry. However much Gaveston pleases his majesty, however, he finds scant favour from the king's nobles, who are soon clamouring for Gaveston's exile. Edward is forced to agree to this and banishes Gaveston to Ireland, but Isabella of France the Queen, who still hopes for his favour, persuades Mortimer, who later becomes her lover, to argue for his recall, though only so that he may be more conveniently murdered. The nobles accordingly soon find an excuse to turn on Gaveston again, and eventually capture and execute him. Edward in turn executes two of the nobles who persecuted Gaveston, Warwick and Lancaster.
Edward now seeks comfort in a new favourite, Spencer, and his father, decisively alienating Isabella, who takes Mortimer as her lover and travels to France with her son in search of allies. France however, will not help the queen and refuses to give her any arms, although she does get help from Sir John of Hainault. Edward, both in the play and in history, is nothing like the soldier his father was — it was during his reign that the English army was disastrously defeated at Bannockburn — and is soon outgeneralled. Edward is taking refuge in Neath Abbey, but is betrayed by a mower, who emblematically carries a scythe. Both Spencers are executed, and the king himself is taken first to Kenilworth. His brother Edmund, Earl of Kent, after having initially renouncing his cause, now tries to help him but realizes too late the amount of power the young Mortimer now has. Arrested for approaching the imprisoned Edward, Edmund is taken to court, where Mortimer, Isabella, and Edward III presides. He is executed by Mortimer, who claims he is a threat to the throne, despite the pleading of Edward III.
The prisoner king is then taken to Berkeley Castle, where he meets the luxuriously cruel Lightborn, whose name is an anglicised version of “Lucifer”. Despite knowing that Lightborn is there to kill him, Edward asks him to stay by his side. Lightborn, realizing that the king will not fall for deception, kills him. Maltravers and Gurney witnesses this before Gurney kills Lightborn to keep his silence. Later however Gurney flees, and Mortimer sends Maltravers after him as they fear betrayal. Isabella arrives to warn Mortimer that Edward III, her son with Edward II, has found out about their plot. Before they can plan according, her son arrives with attendants and other lords, accusing Mortimer of murder. Mortimer denies it, but eventually is arrested and taken away. He tells Isabella not to cry for him, and the queen begs her son to show Mortimer mercy, but he refuses. Edward III then orders Mortimer's death and his mother's imprisonment, and the play ends with him taking the throne.