''The Tragedie of Gorboduc'', also titled ''Ferrex and Porrex'', is an English play from 1561. It was first performed at the Christmas celebration given by the

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional associations for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and ...

in 1561, and performed at Whitehall before

Queen Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". El ...

on 18 January 1561, by the Gentlemen of the Inner Temple. The authors were

Thomas Norton Thomas Norton (153210 March 1584) was an England, English lawyer, politician, writer of verse, and playwright. Official career Norton was born in London, the son of Thomas Norton and the former Elizabeth Merry. He was educated at university o ...

and Thomas Sackville, said to be responsible for the first three Acts, and the final two, respectively. The first

quarto Quarto (abbreviated Qto, 4to or 4º) is the format of a book or pamphlet produced from full sheets printed with eight pages of text, four to a side, then folded twice to produce four leaves. The leaves are then trimmed along the folds to produc ...

, published by the bookseller William Griffith, was published 22 September 1565. A second authorized quarto corrected by the authors followed in 1570, and was printed by John Day with the title ''The Tragedie of Ferrex and Porrex''. A third edition was published in 1590 by

Edward Allde Edward Allde (''Alde'', ''Alldee'', or ''Alday''; born c. 1560, died 1627) was an English printer in London during the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras. He was responsible for a number of significant texts in English Renaissance drama, includin ...

. The play is notable for several reasons: as the first

verse drama Verse drama is any drama written significantly in verse (that is: with line endings) to be performed by an actor before an audience. Although verse drama does not need to be ''primarily'' in verse to be considered verse drama, significant portio ...

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

to employ

blank verse Blank verse is poetry written with regular metrical but unrhymed lines, almost always in iambic pentameter. It has been described as "probably the most common and influential form that English poetry has taken since the 16th century", and Pa ...

; for its political subject matter (the realm of

Gorboduc Gorboduc ('' Welsh:'' Gorwy or Goronwy) was a legendary king of the Britons as recounted by Geoffrey of Monmouth. He was married to Judon. When he became old, his sons, Ferrex and Porrex, feuded over who would take over the kingdom. Porrex tried ...

is disputed by his sons

Ferrex Ferrex was the son of the legendary king Gorboduc of the Britons (historic), Britons, and fought with his brother Porrex I, Porrex for the throne, according to Geoffrey of Monmouth. When his father had become old, he quarrelled with his brother Po ...

and Porrex), which was still a touchy area in the early years of Elizabeth's reign, while the succession to the throne was unclear; for its manner, progressing from the models of the

morality play The morality play is a genre of medieval and early Tudor drama. The term is used by scholars of literary and dramatic history to refer to a genre of play texts from the fourteenth through sixteenth centuries that feature personified concepts ( ...

and

Senecan tragedy Senecan tragedy refers to a set of ten ancient Roman tragedies, probably eight of which were written by the Stoic philosopher and politician Lucius Annaeus Seneca. Senecan Tragedies The group comprises: * '' Hercules Furens'' * ''Medea'' * ...

in the direction which would be followed by later playwrights. That is, it can be seen as a forerunner of the whole trend that would later produce ''

Titus Andronicus ''Titus Andronicus'' is a tragedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written between 1588 and 1593, probably in collaboration with George Peele. It is thought to be Shakespeare's first tragedy and is often seen as his attempt to emul ...

''Carroll, James D. (2004) "Gorboduc and Titus Andronicus", ''Notes and Queries'', 51: 267-9. and ''

King Lear ''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane ...

''. It also provides the first well-documented performance of a play in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

Charles Blount, 8th Baron Mountjoy Charles Blount, 1st Earl of Devonshire, KG (pronounced ''Blunt''; 15633 April 1606) was an English nobleman and soldier who served as Lord Deputy of Ireland under Queen Elizabeth I, and later as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland under King James I. ...

staged it at

Dublin Castle Dublin Castle ( ga, Caisleán Bhaile Átha Cliath) is a former Motte-and-bailey castle and current Irish government complex and conference centre. It was chosen for its position at the highest point of central Dublin. Until 1922 it was the s ...

in 1601.

Synopsis

The playtext summarizes the plot in the 'Argument': "Gorboduc, King of Britain, divided his realm in his lifetime to his sons, Ferrex and Porrex. The sons fell to dissension. The younger killed the elder. The mother that more dearly loved the elder, for revenge killed the younger. The people, moved with the cruelty of the fact, rose in rebellion and slew both father and mother. The nobility assembled and most terribly destroyed the rebels. And afterward, for want of issue of the prince, whereby the succession of the crown became uncertain, they fell to civil war in which both they and many of their issues were slain, and the land for a long time almost desolate and miserably wasted." Gorboduc announces his plan to divide his kingdom between his sons Ferrex and Porrex. His councillors advise against it, reminding him of the conflict that arose between the cousins Morgan and Cunedag when Britain was divided between them, which led to Morgan's death. Gorboduc appreciates their advice but goes ahead with his plan. Ferrex is advised by the parasite Hermon to take the whole Kingdom. Tyndar tells Porrex that his brother is making plans for war, meaning Porrex decides to invade Ferrex's realm. Dordan writes to Gorboduc of this. Gorboduc bewails this and is advised to raise a force against them. However, a nuntius (messenger) then enters, bearing the news of Ferrex's death. Porrex meets his father and justifies his actions, saying that he was content to rule his kingdom but that his brother plotted to take his lands. However, his mother Videna then stabs him dead while he is sleeping in revenge for Ferrex. The people rise up in anger and kill both her and Gorboduc, blaming the King for Porrex's death. The nobles prepare to act against the rebels. However, the succession is left uncertain. Fergus, Duke of Albany, plans to gain the throne and begins raising an army while his friends try to gather support. The nobles defeat the rebels, but hear that Fergus has raised an army and intends to take the crown. The nobles oppose Fergus, thinking of him as a foreign invader. Arostus says that Parliament must decide upon a new King. Eubulus bemoans the chaos that has happened to the country and says that Parliament should have been called while the King was alive, but that justice will eventually prevail.

Characters

, King of Great Britain * Videna, Queen and wife to King Gorboduc *

, Elder Son to King Gorboduc * Porrex, Younger Son to King Gorboduc * Clotyn, Duke of Cornewall * Fergus, Duke of Albany * Mandud, Duke of Leagre * Gwenard, Duke of Cumberland * Eubulus, Secretary to the king Gorboduc * Arostus, A Counsellour of king Gorboduc * Dordan, A Counsellour assigned by the king to his Eldest Son Ferrex * Philander, A Counsellour assigned by the king to his younger Son Porrex * Hermon, A Parasite of Ferrex and Fergus's slave * Tyndar, A Parasite of Porrex * Nuntius, A Messenger of Ferrex's death * Nuntius, A Messenger of Duke Fergus rising * Marcella, A Lady of the Queen's privy Chamber * Chorus, Four ancient and sage men of Britain

References

External links

''The Tragedie of Gorboduc''
(1565) original black-letter edition.
''Gorboduc or Ferrex and Porrex, a tragedy''
by T. Norton and T. Sackville, ed. by L.T. Smith (1883) {{Authority control English Renaissance plays British traditional history 1561 plays Tragedy plays