Edward II by Christopher Marlowe

Edward II by Christopher Marlowe
Shakespeare Theatre Company

As Tamburlaine was Marlowe's first play, Edward II was his final play -- the bookends of his professional career and his life. Written in response to a challenge by Shakespeare, Edward II is a play about a man who threw away his position as king and his life because of a self-destructive character flaw. Edward was so bent on uncontrolled debauchery that he squandered his country's riches and placed it in danger of collapse. As a result, he was overthrown and then killed.

I have three thoughts about the play: First, Edward's debauchery was of a homosexual nature (and very well portrayed in the play). If it had been of a "straight sexual" nature, it might have been tolerated somewhat longer, although the end result would probably have been the same. Edward's debauchery was not the result of his homosexuality, but the result of a deep character flaw of being completely unable to recognize and accept any responsiblity in life, of being desperately bent on his own self destruction.

Second, audiences at the time of this play (1592) seem to have been attracted to wildly overwrought melodrama, and this play was filled with such theatrics. I found the unceasing and greatly excessive whining and writhing by Edward II and others in the play to be nauseating. I realize that a new art form was created by Marlowe, and for that reason, I wanted to see the play; however, I found the play itself revolting.

Third, I thought the play was well cast. Although I did not enjoy the role of Edward II, Wallace Acton played the role extremely well. However, the performer in the play who most attracted my attention, and the one I will remember most, was Deanne Lorette, who played Isabella, the wife of Edward II. She was incredibly sexy and conniving, and I found that I simply could not take my eyes off of her whenever she was on stage. I will certainly look for her in the future.