Here is a short, original scene written in blank verse (unrhymed iambic pentameter),by the blogger ibikunle Abraham laniyan a common form in Shakespeare's works, focusing on themes of ambition and betrayal.
SCENE I. A room in the Duke's palace.
[Enter DUKE VINCENTIO and his advisor, LORD ANTONIO]
VINCENTIO:
Good Antonio, doth the air of late hang heavy
With whispers of deceit and hollow hearts?
Methinks the smiles of men are but as masks,
Hiding the foul intent of their ambition.
ANTONIO:
My lord, the world is ever full of such,
Who, by dissembling, seek to climb the height
Of power's steep mountain. Yet in your fair realm,
Justice prevails, and order holds the day.
VINCENTIO:
Nay, you speak with a tongue too kind, my friend.
My trust was placed in Marcus, whom I deemed
A man of honour, steadfast as the oak.
But now, reports do paint a darker shade,
Suggesting commerce with my enemies.
ANTONIO:
(Aside)
The Duke suspects what all the court has known.
(To Vincentio)
If it be true, then let swift justice fall,
Lest mercy's hand encourage further ill.
VINCENTIO:
We shall observe him, Antonio. The truth,
Like murder, cannot long be hid from light.
Until then, let our vigilance be sharp.
[Exeunt]
Here is another complete, original play titled "The Usurper's Fear," written by the blogger ibikunle Abraham laniyan adhering to Shakespearean conventions of blank verse and dramatic themes.
The Usurper's Fear
Dramatis Personae:
LORD MALCOLM: The newly crowned King.
SIR TOBY: His loyal but cynical advisor.
A MESSENGER: Bearing ill news.
SCENE I. A dimly lit chamber in the royal castle.
[Enter KING MALCOLM, pacing furiously, his crown askew. SIR TOBY observes him from a shadowy corner.]
MALCOLM:
The crown sits heavy on a troubled brow,
And sleep, that gentle nurse of quiet minds,
Doth flee my chambers as a frighted ghost.
Dost hear the wind without, good Toby? List!
It howls as if the very air condemns
The hand that seized the throne by force of might.
SIR TOBY:
My liege, the tempest is a natural thing,
No more a judge of men than is the moon.
Your enemies are vanquished, and their heads
Do grace the spikes above the city gates.
Rule with firm hand; the people crave but peace.
MALCOLM:
Peace? There is no peace for one who spilled
His brother's blood to clasp a golden ring!
I see his face in every flickering flame,
His dying curse upon my soul is writ.
This fear, this gnawing worm within my breast,
Is a more cruel tyrant than I could e'er be.
SIR TOBY:
Ambition's price is often paid in dread.
You took the gamble, sir, you won the prize.
Now wear it boldly, or all was for naught.
The dead stay dead; the living must govern.
[A loud knocking is heard offstage.]
MALCOLM:
Who knocks with such a rude and sudden hand?
Go see what news the dark night brings to us.
[SIR TOBY exits briefly and returns with a MESSENGER, whose clothes are travel-worn and face pale.]
SIR TOBY:
A messenger, my liege, with urgent word.
MALCOLM:
Speak, man, and quickly, what dark tidings ride
On midnight's wind?
MESSENGER:
My King, forgive my haste, but news is grave.
Duke Richard, thought to be in quiet exile,
Hath raised a powerful and mighty force.
He marches now upon the eastern gate,
With banners high and vengeance in his heart!
MALCOLM:
(To himself)
Richard! That serpent that I should have crushed!
(To the Messenger)
How many men doth this rebellious Duke command?
MESSENGER:
A host, my lord, outnumbering our guard
By three to one. They come with haste and fury.
MALCOLM:
(Drawing his sword, his fear replaced by rage)
Then let them come! The crown I seized with blood,
I shall defend with iron and with fire!
Toby, assemble all our loyal men.
We ride to meet this upstart ere the dawn!
If I must lose this throne, then I shall fall
With sword in hand, a king, not a mere slave
To shadows and the ghosts of my own guilt.
To arms! To arms! The battle calls for blood!
[MALCOLM rushes out, followed by SIR TOBY and the MESSENGER.]
[CURTAIN]
Title: The Unquiet Crown
Genre: Tragedy (Five-Act Structure)
Central Conflict: A newly crowned king, Malcolm, who seized the throne by force, is tormented by guilt and challenged by a rival, the exiled Duke Richard, leading to a war and his eventual downfall.
Act I: Exposition
Purpose: Introduce characters, the setting (a castle in turmoil), and the main conflict (Malcolm's usurpation of the throne and his rising fear of discovery/retribution).
Key Scenes:
Scene 1: Malcolm expresses his paranoia to his advisor, Sir Toby, and news of Richard's rebellion arrives.
Scene 2: Duke Richard, in exile, gathers support and plots his return.
Act II: Rising Action
Purpose: The conflict builds, stakes are raised, and obstacles increase. Malcolm takes steps to secure his power, while Richard's forces grow stronger.
Key Scenes:
Malcolm orders the execution of suspected loyalists to Richard.
Richard secures an alliance with a neighboring kingdom.
Toby begins to question Malcolm's sanity and fitness to rule.
Malcolm faces internal struggle and nightmares.
Act III: Climax
Purpose: The turning point, where the main conflict peaks. A major confrontation occurs, after which the protagonist's fate is sealed.
Key Scenes:
A decisive battle between Malcolm's and Richard's armies.
Malcolm makes a critical, irreversible choice that leads to great loss (e.g., the death of a beloved figure or a key strategic failure).
Act IV: Falling Action
Purpose: The consequences of the climax unfold. Malcolm's power wanes, and his downfall becomes inevitable. Loose ends are tied up for the final catastrophe.
Key Scenes:
Malcolm's allies abandon him.
Sir Toby defects or is killed.
Malcolm is cornered in his castle.
Richard's army lays siege to the castle.
Act V: Resolution (Catastrophe)
Purpose: The final conclusion. All loose ends are resolved, resulting in the protagonist's tragic end and the restoration of order.
Key Scenes:
Malcolm's last stand and death in single combat with Richard.
Richard is crowned King.
Order is restored to the kingdom, and the themes of justice and ambition are affirmed.
Act I of The Unquiet Crown
SCENE I. A room in the King's castle. Night. Thunder and lightning.
[Enter KING MALCOLM and SIR TOBY, bearing a map.]
MALCOLM:
Good Toby, doth the air of late hang heavy
With whispers of deceit and hollow hearts?
Methinks the smiles of men are but as masks,
Hiding the foul intent of their ambition.
This crown, this very ring of gilded weight,
Doth press upon my temples like a vice.
My sleep is murder'd by a thousand fears.
SIR TOBY:
My lord, the world is ever full of such,
Who, by dissembling, seek to climb the height
Of power's steep mountain. Yet in your fair realm,
Justice prevails, and order holds the day.
The folk do honour their new-seated King.
MALCOLM:
Nay, you speak with a tongue too kind, my friend.
My trust was placed in Marcus, whom I deemed
A man of honour, steadfast as the oak.
But now, reports do paint a darker shade,
Suggesting commerce with my enemies.
Dost think that Marcus means to play me false?
SIR TOBY:
I know not, sir; a man's heart is a maze
The sharpest eye of reason cannot pierce.
But if it be true, then let swift justice fall,
Lest mercy's hand encourage further ill.
MALCOLM:
We shall observe him, Toby. The truth,
Like murder, cannot long be hid from light.
Until then, let our vigilance be sharp.
[A loud knocking is heard offstage.]
MALCOLM:
Who knocks with such a rude and sudden hand?
Go see what news the dark night brings to us.
[SIR TOBY exits briefly and returns with a MESSENGER, travel-worn and pale.]
SIR TOBY:
A messenger, my liege, with urgent word.
MALCOLM:
Speak, man, and quickly, what dark tidings ride
On midnight's wind?
MESSENGER:
My King, forgive my haste, but news is grave.
Duke Richard, thought to be in quiet exile,
Hath raised a powerful and mighty force.
He marches now upon the eastern gate,
With banners high and vengeance in his heart!
MALCOLM:
(To himself, his hand clutching his sword)
Richard! That serpent that I should have crushed
When first his treason showed its ugly head!
(To the Messenger)
How many men doth this rebellious Duke command?
MESSENGER:
A host, my lord, outnumbering our guard
By three to one. They come with haste and fury.
MALCOLM:
(His fear replaced by rage and resolve)
Then let them come! The crown I seized with blood,
I shall defend with iron and with fire!
Toby, assemble all our loyal men.
We ride to meet this upstart ere the dawn!
If I must lose this throne, then I shall fall
With sword in hand, a king, not a mere slave
To shadows and the ghosts of my own guilt.
To arms! To arms! The battle calls for blood!
[MALCOLM rushes out, followed by SIR TOBY and the MESSENGER.]
SCENE II. The rebel camp, near the eastern border.
[Enter DUKE RICHARD and LORD GREY, armed for battle.]
RICHARD:
The wind is with us, Grey, the people swell
Our righteous cause against the tyrant Malcolm.
He sits upon a throne of stolen worth,
His hand yet stained with his own brother's life.
Justice, though slow, arrives with heavy sword.
LORD GREY:
My Lord, the men are restless for the fight.
They speak of Malcolm's cruel and sudden reign,
His taxes high, his justice harsh and swift.
They'll follow you to hell to see him fall.
RICHARD:
Good news, Grey. When the sun doth kiss the hills,
We strike. No mercy for the usurping dog,
Who broke the natural order of the realm.
This war is just, and Heaven smiles on us.
Go bid the captains to prepare their hosts.
By nightfall, we shall feast in Malcolm's hall,
Or sup with heroes in Valhalla's grand abode.
[Exit, determined.]
[END OF ACT I
Here is the start of Act II of the original play The Unquiet Crown, continuing the story with the building conflict and the characters' rising actions.
Act II of The Unquiet Crown
SCENE I. A Hall in the Castle. Morning.
[Enter KING MALCOLM and SIR TOBY with several GUARDS.]
MALCOLM:
The sun doth rise, but brings no warmth to me;
My heart is cold with war's sharp expectation.
Hath Marcus been secured, as I ordained?
SIR TOBY:
He hath, my liege. Within the lower dungeon,
He waits your pleasure and your royal word.
MALCOLM:
Go fetch him here; I mean to question him.
The air is thick with treasons, and I'll purge
This castle of all venomous intent.
[Exit Sir Toby.]
They look on me with eyes that question power,
And whisper that my reign is built on sand.
But blood shall be the mortar of my throne,
And fear, the scepter that I wield with might.
The people's love is but a summer's breeze,
It shifts with every turn of fortune's wheel.
But fear, good constant fear, that stays the course.
If they will not love me, they shall fear.
[Re-enter SIR TOBY with MARCUS, guarded.]
MALCOLM:
So, Marcus, once a friend of highest trust,
A pillar of my new-established court.
How now, does your ambition taste so sweet
That you would risk your head upon a spike?
We hear of letters sent to Richard's camp,
Of promises and oaths of loyalty
To him, the rebel Duke who seeks my crown.
MARCUS:
My King, these accusations wound my soul.
I served your brother well, I serve you now,
With faithful heart and ever-willing hand.
The letters are a forgery, a lie
Contrived by those who envy my estate.
I pray you, judge me not on baseless words,
But on my deeds of service in the past.
MALCOLM:
(To Toby)
His tongue is smooth, built for deceitful ends.
(To Marcus)
Your 'service' is a cloak to hide your shame!
I know you met with Richard's spy, last night,
Beneath the hollow oak, a secret tryst!
Confess thy treason, and a swifter death
May be your mercy. Deny it, and the rack
Shall stretch the truth from your ungrateful bones.
MARCUS:
My lord, I swear by God's most holy name...
MALCOLM:
Enough! I will not hear another lie!
[To Guards]
Take him and hang him from the highest tower,
That all the town may see the price of treason.
Let his body hang until the crows have picked
The flesh from off his bones. Begone!
MARCUS:
You do me wrong, my King! Heaven is my witness!
You are a tyrant, and your end is near!
[Guards drag Marcus out.]
SIR TOBY:
My liege, his death may stir the people more.
He was a man of some respect among them.
MALCOLM:
Respect is naught. When Richard comes to siege,
Their fear of me will keep them at the walls.
Go now, Toby, see my orders done.
We ride to battle with the break of day.
[Exeunt Malcolm and Toby separately.]
SCENE II. A field near the eastern border. The rebel camp.
[Enter DUKE RICHARD and an OLD SOLDIER.]
RICHARD:
The people flock to us, Old Thomas. Look,
More men arrive with pitchforks and with swords.
Malcolm's harsh rule hath made him many foes.
OLD SOLDIER:
They are good hands for harvest, not for war,
My Lord. They lack the discipline of arms.
We need more seasoned men to face the King's guard.
RICHARD:
We have the numbers, and we have the cause!
The King of Burgundy hath pledged his aid;
Five hundred pikemen land upon the coast
By sundown. We are strong enough, Old Thomas.
Malcolm doth quake with fear within his keep;
His guilt doth make a coward of the King.
OLD SOLDIER:
I pray you're right, my Lord. The throne is yours
By bloodright, that we know. But blood must flow
In rivers ere we take it back from him.
RICHARD:
Then let it flow! This night we rest our men,
Tomorrow we shall march upon the castle.
By this time two days hence, the crown is mine,
Or I am dead upon the field of shame.
To arms, prepare the final march to glory!
[Exeunt.]
[END OF ACT II]
SCENE I. The battlefield outside the castle. Mid-day. A loud trumpet fanfare is heard.
[Enter KING MALCOLM, SIR TOBY, and his forces, positioned for battle.]
MALCOLM:
They come! The rebel scum appear at last,
Led by the rogue who claims my rightful crown!
He speaks of bloodright; I shall speak with steel.
Toby, are our lines set firm? The archers ready?
SIR TOBY:
All is prepared, my liege. The men are nervous,
But faithful to your cause and to your gold.
MALCOLM:
(To his troops)
Soldiers! Today we fight not for a king,
But for our lives, our honour, and our land!
That traitor Richard thinks us weak, infirm,
A flock of sheep to slaughter at his will.
We are the lion, boys! We are the wolf!
We guard the den with teeth and with our claws!
Charge hard, strike fast, and send these rebels back
To hell from whence they crawled! For Malcolm! Charge!
[Loud battle cries are heard. Battle ensues with swords clashing. Soldiers fight on stage.]
[Enter DUKE RICHARD and his forces on the opposite side.]
RICHARD:
Upon them, friends! Upon the tyrant's men!
Let justice be our shield, and vengeance, sword!
Drive them like chaff before the winnowing wind!
[The battle rages. Malcolm and Richard meet in the center of the stage for a dramatic single combat. They fight fiercely.]
MALCOLM:
You seek my life, usurper of my peace!
RICHARD:
You stole the crown and stained it with a brother's blood!
Prepare to meet thy maker, tyrant King!
[They fight again. Malcolm is a fierce fighter, but Richard is skilled. Toby fights off two soldiers to protect Malcolm.]
SIR TOBY:
(Shouting to Malcolm)
My liege, we lose the flank! We are surrounded!
MALCOLM:
We must retreat to the castle walls! Fall back!
Fall back, you cowards, lest you all be slain!
[Malcolm's forces begin to retreat in disorder. Richard's forces pursue them.]
RICHARD:
(Shouting in triumph)
The day is ours! The tyrant runs in fear!
Surround the gates! Let none escape our wrath!
[Richard and his men chase Malcolm and Toby off stage.]
SCENE II. Inside the castle gates. The noise of battle continues outside.
[Enter MALCOLM, SIR TOBY, wounded, and a few remaining soldiers. Malcolm is visibly shaken and wounded in the arm.]
MALCOLM:
A rout! A damned, humiliating rout!
My men scattered like frightened autumn leaves.
My pride is wounded more than is my arm.
We are besieged, good Toby, trapped like rats.
What hope remains for us within these walls?
SIR TOBY:
We have strong walls, my liege, and stores enough
To last a month or more. They cannot breach
The stone with ease. We simply must endure.
Send a rider with a plea to Burgundy—
MALCOLM:
Burgundy? Burgundy is in league with Richard!
The messenger informed me yesterday.
We stand alone, an island in a sea
Of hate and just rebellion. This is the end.
The ghosts of those I wronged now dance in glee.
I see my brother's face in every shadow!
SIR TOBY:
My King, collect yourself! A king must show
No weakness to his men. We must plan, not weep.
We can defend the keep.
MALCOLM:
(His eyes wide with madness)
Defend? Defend against the rightful cause?
There is no plan, there is no hope, just death.
The die is cast, the fatal blow is struck.
My soul is forfeit, and my reign is done.
Go, Toby, see the gates are barred most tight.
We meet our fate upon the morrow's morn.
[Exit Malcolm, stumbling. Toby looks after him with pity and fear.]
SIR TOBY:
He loses grip on reason and on life.
A crown of guilt doth make a heavy burden.
Perhaps I should consider my own fate.
The King is lost, and so perhaps am I.
[Exit Sir Toby.]
[END OF ACT III - The Climax]
Act III of The Unquiet Crown
continue
SCENE I. A tent in Richard’s camp outside the castle. Evening. Torches are lit.
[Enter DUKE RICHARD and LORD GREY, reading a dispatch.]
RICHARD:
Good news, my Lord of Grey! The people rise
Within the town, refusing Malcolm's rule.
They seek to parley, offering surrender
If we guarantee their lives and safety.
LORD GREY:
A wise decision by the townsfolk, sir.
Malcolm is a fox trapped in a burning hole.
His forces are diminished, his support
Now all but vanished. The end is very nigh.
RICHARD:
We grant them mercy. They were forced to serve
The tyrant's will. Let them open the gates,
And we shall show them Richard is a just king.
But Malcolm, and that snake Sir Toby,
Shall find no quarter on this field of wrath.
Go, see our terms are met, and keep the watch.
The castle falls by dawn, or I am not
The son of my true father!
LORD GREY:
It shall be done, my liege.
[Exit Lord Grey.]
RICHARD:
(Alone, to himself)
The crown is almost mine. The heavy weight
Of kingship waits my brow. I pray that I
May rule with greater wisdom and less fear
Than did this mad usurper, Malcolm. Power's sweet,
But sweeter still when justly earned and held.
Tomorrow, I reclaim my birthright.
[Exit Richard, with determination.]
SCENE II. A high tower of the castle. Night. A small fire burns in a brazier.
[Enter KING MALCOLM, distraught and dishevelled. He holds a letter.]
MALCOLM:
All is betrayed! The town has turned its back!
They treat with Richard, their delivery
To that same hand that seeks my very life.
(He looks at the letter)
And Toby... my most trusted counselor...
This is his hand that writes to Richard here,
Offering my capture for his own free pass!
Oh, villainy! The deepest cut of all
Doth come from one I called my truest friend.
There is no honour left in this wide world,
Only ambition, cloaked in false pretense.
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
I murdered sleep, and now I welcome death.
[Enter SIR TOBY stealthily, with a drawn dagger.]
SIR TOBY:
(Aside)
The King doth rave. His wits are gone to pasture.
A mad king is no king, and a dead king
Gives me a better chance to save my neck.
Richard will honour my compact if Malcolm dies.
[Toby approaches Malcolm from behind. Malcolm turns suddenly, his eyes wild.]
MALCOLM:
I know your purpose, Judas! Stand revealed!
Your dagger drawn to finish what the world
Hath started! Traitorous dog!
SIR TOBY:
(Startled, but recovering his composure)
My liege, I meant no harm! I came to guard you!
MALCOLM:
Liar! Thy letter speaks thy foul intent!
Thou art a wretch, a parasite, a worm,
Who feeds upon the carcass of my reign!
[Malcolm draws his sword and lunges at Toby. Toby defends himself.]
SIR TOBY:
You're mad, my King! You see a foe in all!
Stand down, I say!
MALCOLM:
Never! I shall have vengeance ere I die!
[They fight. Malcolm, though wounded and mad with grief, fights with desperation. Toby fights for his life. Malcolm manages to wound Toby gravely.]
SIR TOBY:
(Falling to the ground, bleeding)
A curse upon your name, you raging beast!
I sought but safety!
MALCOLM:
And found your grave! Let all who turn from me
Meet the same fate!
[Toby dies. Malcolm stands over the body, breathing heavily. He drops his sword and stares at his bloody hands.]
MALCOLM:
So many dead. My brother, Marcus, Toby...
The blood will never wash from these two hands.
The bell doth toll for Malcolm. I am ready.
[Sounds of the outer gate being breached are heard offstage, along with shouts of "Richard! Richard is King!"]
MALCOLM:
They come! The final act is here at last.
The stage is set, the audience awaits.
I shall not be a captive in my fall,
But meet it as a king, though damned I be!
[Malcolm picks up his sword and rushes off the stage to meet the attackers.]
[END OF ACT IV]
Act IV of The Unquiet Crown
continue
SCENE I. The courtyard of the castle. Dawn.
[The gates have been forced open. Enter DUKE RICHARD, LORD GREY, and the victorious rebel forces, their banners raised. They are met with cheers from the freed townsfolk.]
RICHARD:
The day is won! The tyrant’s hold is broke!
The castle falls, and justice finds its dawn!
Where is this Malcolm? Doth he hide in fear?
LORD GREY:
His men are broken, scattered to the winds.
We have secured the main keep; only the tower
Remains in question. He must be there, my Lord.
RICHARD:
Then we shall smoke the serpent from his hole!
Go forth and find him! I would face the man
Who spilled his brother's blood for shining gold.
I want him brought before me, here and now!
SOLDIER:
My Lord, we found this man of Malcolm’s court
Within the halls. He is quite dead, sir.
RICHARD:
Sir Toby, was it? A fickle friend of kings.
He switched his loyalties as one would switch
A doublet on a summer's day. A pity.
He died a traitor's death by his own master's hand,
It seems. A fitting end for men who serve
A tyrant's will. Now, find the King!
[Shouts are heard offstage: "Here he is! He comes!" "The King! The King!"]
RICHARD:
Ah, the final player makes his grand entrance.
Let silence reign.
[Enter KING MALCOLM, alone, wounded, his sword drawn. He is bloodied and looks completely defeated, yet defiant in his madness.]
MALCOLM:
(Looking around at the assembled crowd)
The gallery is full. The crowd awaits
The final scene, the curtain and the fall.
Richard, the victor, bathed in righteous light.
And Malcolm, the damned fool who grasped the crown
And found it naught but thorns upon his head.
RICHARD:
Put down your sword, you murderer and thief.
Your reign is over, Malcolm. Yield to right.
Your people hate you, and your men have fled.
MALCOLM:
Yield? Never! I have lived a King, I'll die a King!
I stole the throne with blood, I kept it with despair,
And I shall lose it with a final fight!
My soul is forfeit, but my honour lives!
Come, Richard, end this play and strike the blow
That Heaven meant to strike upon my soul!
RICHARD:
I will not duel a mad and broken man.
Guards, seize him!
MALCOLM:
(Fighting off the guards as they rush him)
No chains for me! No prison walls for one
Who touched the very height of power's peak!
[He fights fiercely, killing one guard, but the others overwhelm him and he is forced to his knees.]
MALCOLM:
(To Richard, gasping for breath)
Strike now, you coward! Finish what you started!
RICHARD:
The law shall judge you, not my vengeful hand.
MALCOLM:
The law? The law is dead when kings make war!
There is no law but power in this world!
[As Malcolm says this, a stray arrow flies from the battlements, striking Malcolm in the chest. He looks down at the arrow, surprised.]
MALCOLM:
A final irony... not by the hand
Of man, but by a chance... a random fate.
The crown... the blood... it fades... to darkness... peace.
[Malcolm falls dead.]
LORD GREY:
He's dead, my Lord. A strange and sudden end.
RICHARD:
So ends the reign of Malcolm the Usurper.
A life of ambition, ending in despair.
Let his body be treated with some respect;
He was once a king, though a flawed and broken one.
(To the crowd and his men)
The war is over. Peace returns to us.
Justice prevails, and order holds the day.
Long live the King! Long live King Richard!
ALL (Shouting):
Long live the King! Long live King Richard!
RICHARD:
(To the sky, a final soliloquy)
The throne is mine. I pray I serve it well.
The ghosts are silent now, but one may wonder
If my own ambition shall one day bring
A similar fate. The stage is set anew.
[Richard places the crown upon his head. The trumpets sound a note of triumph.]
[CURTAIN]
Act V of The Unquiet Crown
[Enter a SOLDIER, dragging the body of SIR TOBY.]
continue
The complete text for the five-act original play The Unquiet Crown, from exposition through to the final resolution (catastrophe), has been provided. The narrative arc is complete.
Generating additional original, full-length
