Count Alarcos

Count Alarcos plunges into 13th-century Castille, where royal ceremony masks a court of rivalry, rumor, and fatal desire. In Burgos, the return of the brilliant but politically exposed Alarcos stirs gossip about a broken royal marriage, while his private life grows equally perilous: his wife Florimonde longs for peace, yet he is drawn to ambition, conflict, and the thrill of power. When he is reunited with Solisa, the love he abandoned, their secret passion is rekindled in grief and longing, but duty, family, and the king's designs keep forcing them apart. Benjamin Disraeli's drama deepens as Alarcos is drawn back into the king's confidence, only to confront hints of marriage, succession, and the crown itself. The king's affectionate warnings and political hopes collide with Alarcos's despair over lost love and ruined happiness. As the play moves toward its darkest turn, Alarcos stands in a cathedral, tormented by a deed he both desires and fears, and seeks confession from the Prior of Burgos. Rich in court intrigue, forbidden love, and moral anguish, the play builds toward a devastating reckoning. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.