The Crown Of Aethelred

The Moor of Granada

Synopsis: A respected military commander of African descent serves the King of Spain during the Reconquista. He is brought low by the insidious manipulations of a jealous aide, who plants false evidence of his wife's infidelity and his own treachery, leading to murder and madness.

Style: A psychological tragedy of jealousy and prejudice, in the style of Othello.

The Lion of the North

Synopsis: The proud but aging king of a Nordic realm, intent on securing his legacy, makes a series of rash decisions regarding his succession. His pride clashes with the integrity of his youngest, truest heir, tearing his family and kingdom apart in a tragic civil war.

Style: A grand, epic tragedy focused on family, hubris, and political collapse, mirroring King Lear.

The Athenian Consul

Synopsis: A Roman statesman of immense personal honor, caught between the old Republic and the rise of an Empire, joins a conspiracy to assassinate the charismatic new Caesar. The play explores the moral weight of his actions and the violent chaos that follows the attempt to restore an idealized past.

Style: A political and moral tragedy in the vein of Julius Caesar and Coriolanus, steeped in Roman ideals.

Histories of Kingship and War

The Wars of the Sable Hart

Synopsis: A multi-part historical cycle detailing the struggle between two rival houses for control of a medieval English-analogue throne. The first part focuses on the usurpation of a weak king, the second on the rise of a charismatic, unifying monarch, and the third on his son's glorious, but costly, foreign war.

Style: A sweeping historical epic in the tradition of the Henry IV and Henry V series.

The Last Tudor

Synopsis: A drama focusing on the intrigue, spies, and religious turmoil of Queen Elizabeth I's court, culminating in the trial and execution of her cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots. It explores the personal cost of the crown and the necessity of ruthlessness for survival.

Style: Tense court intrigue, full of political speeches and espionage.

The Welsh Uprising

Synopsis: A history play from the perspective of Owen Glendower, the charismatic and learned Welsh leader who declared himself Prince of Wales and led a long, bloody rebellion against King Henry IV of England.

Style: A tale of rebellion, national identity, and the moral complexities of war.

Comedies of Wit and Mistaken Identity

The Duke's Double

Synopsis: Set in a bustling Italian port city, a young woman disguises herself as her banished twin brother to find work. She is immediately entangled in a web of mistaken identities, cross-purposes, and romantic mix-ups involving her brother's former fiancée, a debt collector, and the local, bumbling city guard.

Style: A rapid-fire comedy of errors with slapstick and wit, in the style of Twelfth Night and The Comedy of Errors.

A Masque for May Day

Synopsis: In an enchanted forest outside London, four lovers become hopelessly mixed up by a mischievous spirit using a magical herb. Meanwhile, a group of local artisans attempts to rehearse a terrible play for the Queen, leading to chaos and magical confusion.

Style: Pure whimsical fantasy and farce, heavily inspired by A Midsummer Night's Dream.

The Scholar's Wooing

Synopsis: A group of male scholars in a university town makes a vow to abstain from all contact with women to focus on their studies. This vow is immediately challenged when the Princess of France and her ladies arrive to settle a diplomatic dispute, leading to witty battles of the sexes and hypocrisy.

Style: A clever comedy of language and love in the vein of Love's Labour's Lost.

Much Ado About a Will

Synopsis: A wealthy man dies, leaving a controversial will that forces two proud, witty, and mutually antagonistic relatives to marry each other to inherit his estate. They must navigate family conspiracies, slanderous rumors, and their own stubborn pride to find love.

Style: Sharp, verbal sparring and romantic comedy, like Much Ado About Nothing and Taming of the Shrew.

Romances and Tragicomedies

The Sea-Captain's Daughter

Synopsis: A young princess, believed dead in a shipwreck caused by a jealous uncle, is actually raised by a kindly sea captain. Years later, she returns to her father's coastal kingdom, where forgiveness, reunion, and a magical resolution must overcome past betrayals.

Style: A late-play romance full of magic, loss, and reconciliation, similar to The Winter's Tale and Pericles.

The Isle of the Sorcerer

Synopsis: An exiled duke, a master of the forbidden arts, resides on a mystical island with his daughter and a spirit slave. When his treacherous brother's ship is wrecked on the shore, the duke orchestrates a grand illusion to achieve justice, but must ultimately choose between vengeance and mercy.

Style: A philosophical and magical romance, a direct homage to The Tempest.

The Alchemist's Apprentice

Synopsis: Set amidst the smoky hustle of London, a young man becomes entangled with a charismatic charlatan claiming he can turn lead into gold. The play blends satire of human greed with a heartwarming story of true love found amidst the cons and deceptions.

Style: A satirical tragicomedy focusing on social climbing and human folly.

The Gentleman of Verona's Choice

Synopsis: Two best friends travel to Milan, where their friendship is tested when both fall in love with the same woman. The play explores themes of loyalty, betrayal, and forgiveness.

Style: An early-style comedy focused on friendship versus love, moral failings, and eventual resolution.

Complex Character Dramas

The Painter's Passion

Synopsis: A famed Renaissance artist is commissioned by a powerful Cardinal. The artist must choose between his artistic integrity, his love for his muse, and his own physical safety as he navigates the dangerous politics of the Catholic Church.

Style: A character-driven historical drama focusing on art, power, and faith.

The Spy of London

Synopsis: The complex, internal struggle of a spymaster in Queen Elizabeth's court. He is a patriot dedicated to protecting the realm from Catholic plotters but is wracked by moral ambiguity, especially when forced to betray friends and family for the 'greater good'.

Style: A tense political thriller with deep character exploration, similar to the tone of Hamlet or a history play with a focus on internal conflict.

The Innkeeper’s Tale

Synopsis: Set entirely within a busy, lively inn, the play weaves together the stories of a diverse group of travelers: a returning soldier, a runaway noble, a traveling physician, and a local scoundrel. Their lives intersect in a single night of drinking, fighting, and unexpected revelations.

Style: A vibrant ensemble piece that mixes comedy and pathos, showcasing different social classes like scenes with Falstaff and the commoners in Henry IV.

The Queen’s Champion

Synopsis: A respected knight is banished by the Queen he serves after a misunderstanding and the lies of a rival. He must fight his way back to court and expose the true villain before the Queen makes a fatal political mistake.

Style: A dramatic romance with action, political maneuvering, and a quest for honor.

The Senator’s Wife

Synopsis: In the late Roman Republic, the wife of a powerful but naive Senator discovers her husband's closest ally is plotting to overthrow him. She must use her intellect and influence to save her husband and Rome, navigating a world where women hold no official power but manipulate from the shadows.

Style: A serious drama with a strong female protagonist, focusing on intelligence, duty, and political maneuvering.

Here is an original excerpt by the blogger ibikunle Abraham from the beginning of "The Crown of Aethelred":

THE CROWN OF AETHELRED

Actus Primus. Scaena Prima.

A barren heath. Thunder and lightning. Enter three Crones, meeting.

FIRST CRONE

When shall we three meet again?

In thunder, lightning, or in rain?

SECOND CRONE

When the hurlyburly’s done,

When the battle’s lost and won.

THIRD CRONE

That will be ere the set of sun.

FIRST CRONE

Where the place?

SECOND CRONE

Upon the heath.

THIRD CRONE

There to greet Aethelred of Perth,

And brave Glamis’ Thane.

FIRST CRONE

I come, I come, the Gray-Malkin calls.

ALL

Fair is foul, and foul is fair:

Hover through the fog and filthy air.

Exeunt.

Scaena Secunda.

A camp near the battlefield. Alarums within. Enter KING DUNCAN, MALCOLM, DONALBAIN, and LENNOX, meeting an injured CAPTAIN.

KING DUNCAN

What bloody man is that? He can report,

As seemeth by his plight, of the revolt

The newest state.

MALCOLM

This is the noble Captain

Who fought against my capture. Hail, brave friend!

Say to the King the knowledge of the broil

As thou didst leave it.

CAPTAIN

Doubtful it stood;

As two spent swimmers, that do cling together

And choke their art. The merciless Macduff,

Who leads the rebel host, disdaining fortune,

With his brandish’d steel which smoked with bloody execution,

Carved out his passage till he faced the Lord of Fife,

And seem’d to make him yield. But the fresh Norwegians,

With new supplies of men and warlike arms,

Began a new assault.

KING DUNCAN

Dismay’d not this

Our captains, Aethelred and young Donalbain?

CAPTAIN

Yes; as sparrows eagles, or the hare the lion.

If I say sooth, I must report they proved

The rebels’ bane. For as the Norsemen came,

They doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe:

Except they meant to bathe in reeking wounds,

Or memorise another Golgotha,

I cannot tell. But I am faint; my gashes cry for help.

KING DUNCAN

So well thy words become thee as thy wounds;

They smack of honour both. Go get him surgeons.

Exit CAPTAIN, attended.

Enter ROSSE.

Who comes here?

MALCOLM

The worthy Thane of Rosse.

LENNOX

He seems to have the haste of one that brings

Glad tidings.

ROSSE

God save the King!

KING DUNCAN

Whence cam’st thou, worthy Thane?

ROSSE

From Fife, great King;

Where the Norwegian banner flouts the sky

And fan the people cold. Norway himself,

With most arterial troops and foreign aid,

Was met by Aethelred; who, with his might

Did quell the uprising. The victory is ours.

KING DUNCAN

Great happiness! No more that Thane of Cawdor shall deceive

Our bosom interest. Go pronounce his present death,

And with his former title greet young Aethelred.

ROSSE

I’ll see it done.

KING DUNCAN

What he hath lost, noble Aethelred hath won.

Exeunt omnes.

This excerpt is an original creation designed to adhere to the requested style while avoiding plagiarism of specific existing works.

Scaena Tertia.

A heath, near the previous location. Enter the three Crones again.

FIRST CRONE

Sister, where hast been?

SECOND CRONE

Killing swine.

THIRD CRONE

Sister, where thou?

FIRST CRONE

A sailor’s wife had chestnuts in her lap,

And munch’d, and munch’d, and munch’d:—

‘Give me,’ quoth I:—

‘Aroint thee, witch!’ the rump-fed ronyon cries.

Her husband’s to Aleppo gone, master o’ the Tiger:

But in a sieve I’ll thither sail,

And, like a rat without a tail,

I’ll do, I’ll do, and I’ll do.

SECOND CRONE

I’ll give thee a wind.

FIRST CRONE

Thou art kind.

THIRD CRONE

And I another.

FIRST CRONE

I myself have all the other;

And the very ports they blow,

All the quarters that they know

I’ the shipman’s card.

I’ll drain him dry as hay:

Sleep shall neither night nor day

Hang upon his pent-house lid;

He shall live a man forbid.

Weary sevennights nine times nine

Shall he dwindle, peak and pine:

Though his bark cannot be lost,

Yet it shall be tempest-tost.

Look what I have.

SECOND CRONE

Show me, show me.

FIRST CRONE

Here I have a pilot’s thumb,

Wreck’d as homeward he did come.

Drum within.

THIRD CRONE

A drum, a drum!

Aethelred doth come.

ALL

The weird sisters, hand in hand,

Posters of the sea and land,

Thus do go about, about:

Thrice to thine and thrice to mine

And thrice again, to make up nine.

Peace! the charm’s wound up.

Enter AETHELRED and young DONALBAIN, fresh from the battle.

AETHELRED

So foul and fair a day I have not seen.

How far is’t called to Forres? What are these

So wither’d and so wild in their attire,

That look not like the inhabitants o’ the earth,

And yet are on’t? Live you? or are you aught

That man may question? You seem to understand me,

By each at once her choppy finger laying

Upon her skinny lips: you should be women,

And yet your beards forbid me to interpret

That you are so.

DONALBAIN

Speak, if you can: what are you?

FIRST CRONE

All hail, Aethelred! hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!

SECOND CRONE

All hail, Aethelred! hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!

THIRD CRONE

All hail, Aethelred, that shalt be King hereafter!

DONALBAIN

Good sir, why do you start; and seem to fear

Things that do sound so fair? I' the name of truth,

Are ye fantastical, or that indeed

Which outwardly ye show? My noble partner

You greet with present grace and great prediction

Of noble having and of royal hope,

That he seems rapt withal: to me you speak not.

If you can look into the seeds of time,

And say which grain will grow and which will not,

Speak then to me, who neither beg nor fear

Your favours nor your hate.

FIRST CRONE

Hail!

SECOND CRONE

Hail!

THIRD CRONE

Hail!

FIRST CRONE

Lesser than Aethelred, and greater.

SECOND CRONE

Not so happy, yet much happier.

THIRD CRONE

Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none:

So all hail, Aethelred and Donalbain!

FIRST CRONE

Aethelred and Donalbain, all hail!

AETHELRED

Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more:

By Finel’s death, I know I am Thane of Glamis;

But how of Cawdor? The Thane of Cawdor lives,

A prosperous gentleman; and to be king

Stands not within the prospect of belief,

No more than to be Cawdor. Say from whence

You owe this strange intelligence? or why

Upon this blasted heath you stop our way

With such prophetic greeting? Speak, I charge you.

Witches vanish.

DONALBAIN

The earth hath bubbles, as the water has,

And these are of them. Whither are they vanish’d?

AETHELRED

Into the air; and what seem’d corporal melted

As breath into the wind. Would they had stay’d!

DONALBAIN

Were such things here as we do speak about?

Or did we taste the insane root

That takes the reason prisoner?

AETHELRED

Your children shall be kings.

DONALBAIN

You shall be king.

AETHELRED

And Thane of Cawdor too: went it not so?

DONALBAIN

To the selfsame tune and words. Who’s here?

Enter ROSSE and ANGUS.

ROSSE

The king hath happily received, Aethelred,

The news of thy s