Edward III by William Shakespeare

Shakespeare Project 2020

The last of the history plays though this one comes with some controversy as the authorship was questioned for centuries. While it may have been co-authorized, like other Shakespeare plays, it was  attributed to the Bard and added to the canon in the 1700's though some  not until much later (Oxford Complete Works - 2005) and others not at all (mine did not include it).

Several of the battle scenes were rather gruesome, much as his other histories, and the adulterous love story got lost, but as with most of the histories I found myself enjoying it more than I though I would. 

While I enjoyed the play, King Edward is not likeable:

King Edward in dictating a love letter to the woman he would like to be his mistress - his secretary writes "More fair and chaste." To which King Edward responds: "I did not bid thee talk of chastity to ransack to the treasure of her mind for I had rather have her chased than chaste." (II.1)

Here his son is outnumbered in battle and the King's men's implore him to send troops to rescue him:

III.5 

King Edward:"Tut, let him fight, we gave him arms today

and he is labouring for a knighthood, man."

II.1 

Warwick: "...lilies that fester smell far worse than weeds..." wait, that seems familiar?!?  Ah, yes it was a line in Sonnet 94!

III.2 

Frenchman: "Aye so the grasshopper doth spend the time

in mirthful jollity till winter come

and then too late he would redeem his time

when frozen cold hath nipped his careless head."

Also sounds familiar?? Did Shakespeare steal this from Aesop?

IV.4.

Audley: "To die is all as common as to live

the one in choice the other holds in chase

for from the instant we begin to live

we do pursue and hunt the time to die."