Edward II And Mortimer As A Tragic Protagonists
Edward II And Mortimer As Tragic Characters
Edward II written by Marlowe is a wholly different kind of drama. It is different from his Tamburlaine, Dr. Faustus, The Jew of Malta etc.
As F. S. Boas observes;
As F. S. Boas observes;
"Turning aside from the fortunes of foreign and semi-legendary personages like Tamburlaine, Faustus and Barabas, he went for his materials to the national history of his own country and selected for dramatic treatment, the tragical career of Edward II....Thus Edward II stands on a different level from any of its authors' previous work."
What makes it different kind of drama from Marlowe's dreams is a tragical treatment of the historical figures. It is a history treated dramatically as a tragedy.The important dramatic characters in it are the King Edward II and the king's main opponent,Mortimer.The other important characters like Gaveston and Queen Isabella are only secondary characters moving round the central character of Edward II and Mortimer.While Gaveston is on the side of the king Edward II,Queen Isabella is on the sick of Mortimer.
As F.S.Boas says:
"But it is above all in power of characterization that the olay shows most distinctive evidence of growth.Marlowe's earlier dreams are dominated by the commanding figure of the hero which over shadows and dwarfs the other personage. . .In Edward II this fault is avoided and which the king stands clearly out as the central character.We have other well defined types in Gaveston and Mortimer."
Needless to stress that Edward II and Mortimers are the most central characters in the drama and the conflict between them brings out their tragic noisy and death..
Both Edward II and Mortimer are tragic characters They have each potent tragic trail in fatal flaw in their characters that brings out their downfall and misery.
This story of Edward II's life which is the theme if the drama in the story of his downfall and death brought out by his weakness for Gaveston. As A.Nicoll puts it:
"Marlowe tried his hard at one work of this kind,dealing(Edward II) with a young king whose impolitic and unhealthy devotion to a favourite brings view to ruin."
Gaveston,a French,is the favourite of Edward II.He knows the king's love for poetry and music.So,he manages to strengthen his hold on the king's affections and musical tastes and providing him with entertainment of all kinds. His devices are so successful that Edward II begins to neglect his duties as a king and husband. The king makes Gaveston an Earl Lord Of Man. This makes the nobles,Lords,peers and church to raise in revolt against the king as the king tells then:
"Make several kingdom of the monarchy,And shave it equally amongst you all,So,I may have some nook and corner left,To frolic with my dearest Gaveston."
The king's unnatural love for Gaveston which A Nicoll calls; "a private story of a homosexual infatuation." offends his wife, queen Isabella. She treats Gaveston as her rival.As she says;
"My lord I see your love to Gaveston will be the ruin if the realm and you,for now,the wrathful nobles threaten wars.And therefore,brother, vanish him for ever."
But the king pays no attention. The king does not mind his neglect of his kingdom and Queen and ignores the protests of his nobles,lords, peers and church.The king expresses his will and determination to live with Gaveston rather than care for kingdom, wife and protests of his noble men.As the king says;
"I'll bandy with the barons and the earls'
And either die or live with Gaveston."
As a result of this weakness of the king for Gaveston, the Queen Isabella sides with the king's hostile noble men led by Mortimer. They together rise n revolt against the king and fight for the Queen's right and farewell of the kingdom. So, Mortimer kills Gaveston and assumes power after the king'S imprisonment.The king is imprisoned and sentenced to death.Now the king realises his fault.As he says;
"O Gaveston!it is for thee that I am wronged." .Thus,Edward II is brought to ruin and tragic death because of his weakness for unworthy Gaveston. He is not like the protagonists of Marlowe's earlier plays. He lacks in Tamburlaine's commanding power and Dr. Faustus' indominatable will. He exhibits every form of royal baseness.
Another central character in the drama is Mortimer. He is a leader of the nobles in their conflict with Edward II and his favourite Gaveston. He is rough and determined in his opposition to the king. He is jealous of Gaveston. He is an accomplice of Queen Isabella. He kills Gaveston. He defeats the king's army and then orders the king's imprisonment and death. He usurps the royal power for his own selfish ends and employs vulgar murderers for the murder of the king. Clearly, he is mean, jealous,proud,selfish and ambitious. After deposing the king and assuming royal power,he vacants his authority with despotic arrogance.
"The prince I rule the queen do I command,And with a lowly conge to the ground.The proudest lords salute me as I pass;I seal, I cancel I do what I will."
Clearly,Mortiner is ambitious of power like Tamburlaine. He often speaks of himself in the true spirit of Tamburlaine. His lawlessly aspiring ambition make him a traitor. So when prince Edward II that is Edward III comes to know about Martiner's hand in the murder of his father of Edward II he orders Mortiner's imprisonment and death. Mortiner meets his fate with a haughty indifference and without a touch of repentance and regret. As he says:
What makes it different kind of drama from Marlowe's dreams is a tragical treatment of the historical figures. It is a history treated dramatically as a tragedy.The important dramatic characters in it are the King Edward II and the king's main opponent,Mortimer.The other important characters like Gaveston and Queen Isabella are only secondary characters moving round the central character of Edward II and Mortimer.While Gaveston is on the side of the king Edward II,Queen Isabella is on the sick of Mortimer.
As F.S.Boas says:
"But it is above all in power of characterization that the olay shows most distinctive evidence of growth.Marlowe's earlier dreams are dominated by the commanding figure of the hero which over shadows and dwarfs the other personage. . .In Edward II this fault is avoided and which the king stands clearly out as the central character.We have other well defined types in Gaveston and Mortimer."
Needless to stress that Edward II and Mortimers are the most central characters in the drama and the conflict between them brings out their tragic noisy and death..
Both Edward II and Mortimer are tragic characters They have each potent tragic trail in fatal flaw in their characters that brings out their downfall and misery.
This story of Edward II's life which is the theme if the drama in the story of his downfall and death brought out by his weakness for Gaveston. As A.Nicoll puts it:
"Marlowe tried his hard at one work of this kind,dealing(Edward II) with a young king whose impolitic and unhealthy devotion to a favourite brings view to ruin."
Gaveston,a French,is the favourite of Edward II.He knows the king's love for poetry and music.So,he manages to strengthen his hold on the king's affections and musical tastes and providing him with entertainment of all kinds. His devices are so successful that Edward II begins to neglect his duties as a king and husband. The king makes Gaveston an Earl Lord Of Man. This makes the nobles,Lords,peers and church to raise in revolt against the king as the king tells then:
"Make several kingdom of the monarchy,And shave it equally amongst you all,So,I may have some nook and corner left,To frolic with my dearest Gaveston."
The king's unnatural love for Gaveston which A Nicoll calls; "a private story of a homosexual infatuation." offends his wife, queen Isabella. She treats Gaveston as her rival.As she says;
"My lord I see your love to Gaveston will be the ruin if the realm and you,for now,the wrathful nobles threaten wars.And therefore,brother, vanish him for ever."
But the king pays no attention. The king does not mind his neglect of his kingdom and Queen and ignores the protests of his nobles,lords, peers and church.The king expresses his will and determination to live with Gaveston rather than care for kingdom, wife and protests of his noble men.As the king says;
"I'll bandy with the barons and the earls'
And either die or live with Gaveston."
As a result of this weakness of the king for Gaveston, the Queen Isabella sides with the king's hostile noble men led by Mortimer. They together rise n revolt against the king and fight for the Queen's right and farewell of the kingdom. So, Mortimer kills Gaveston and assumes power after the king'S imprisonment.The king is imprisoned and sentenced to death.Now the king realises his fault.As he says;
"O Gaveston!it is for thee that I am wronged." .Thus,Edward II is brought to ruin and tragic death because of his weakness for unworthy Gaveston. He is not like the protagonists of Marlowe's earlier plays. He lacks in Tamburlaine's commanding power and Dr. Faustus' indominatable will. He exhibits every form of royal baseness.
Another central character in the drama is Mortimer. He is a leader of the nobles in their conflict with Edward II and his favourite Gaveston. He is rough and determined in his opposition to the king. He is jealous of Gaveston. He is an accomplice of Queen Isabella. He kills Gaveston. He defeats the king's army and then orders the king's imprisonment and death. He usurps the royal power for his own selfish ends and employs vulgar murderers for the murder of the king. Clearly, he is mean, jealous,proud,selfish and ambitious. After deposing the king and assuming royal power,he vacants his authority with despotic arrogance.
"The prince I rule the queen do I command,And with a lowly conge to the ground.The proudest lords salute me as I pass;I seal, I cancel I do what I will."
Clearly,Mortiner is ambitious of power like Tamburlaine. He often speaks of himself in the true spirit of Tamburlaine. His lawlessly aspiring ambition make him a traitor. So when prince Edward II that is Edward III comes to know about Martiner's hand in the murder of his father of Edward II he orders Mortiner's imprisonment and death. Mortiner meets his fate with a haughty indifference and without a touch of repentance and regret. As he says:
" Base Fortune, now I see, that in thy wheel
There is a point, to which when men aspire,
They tumble headlong down: that point I touch'd,
And, seeing there was no place to mount up higher,
Why shall I grieve at my declining fall?
Farewell, fair queen. Weep not for Mortimer,
That scorns the world, and, as a traveller,Goes to discover countries yet unknown.”
The note in the given passage is what pervades in all Marlowe's tragedy.The note is that of a contempt for earthly limitation and human yearning for attaining the unattainable.This is Renaissance spirit in the character of Mortimer.
J.C. Maxwell rightly says," ..that dynamic and ambition element is transferred to the Machiavelian Mortimer" But this very spirit in him makes him traitor and ill at lover and a murderer.They are also a tragic trait in him that brings him to ruin and tragic misery and death.
Clearly Edward II and Mortimer in their characters are doubtless tragic characters.They have each a tragic trait. If Edward II has an unnatural weakness for Gaveston ,which is unworthy of a king Mortimer has an undesirable ambition of power and authority. This tragic trait brings them to ruin and tragic death.
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