Locrine

A dark prologue from Ate, goddess of revenge, hangs over this tragic chronicle of kingship, conquest, and ruin. As aged King Brutus gathers his sons and loyal companions to recount the battles, exiles, and sacrifices that founded Britain, he prepares to divide his realm, crown Locrine, and bind the future of the kingdom to family duty and honor. His death marks the end of an age, and the fragile peace that follows is quickly shadowed by prophecy and war. The play moves between high tragedy and sharp comedy, from Brutus's solemn farewell to the absurd courtship of Strumbo the cobbler, whose grand love letter to Dorothy collapses into plain speech and domestic farce. But festivity gives way to invasion as Humber and Hubba arrive boasting of conquest, while Albanact rallies the Britons to resist. Battles rage, homes burn, and comic interruptions only deepen the sense of chaos. Albanact falls heroically, choosing death over capture, and the survivors vow revenge. In the aftermath, grief turns to martial resolve, while Humber's triumph at the banks of the river is undercut by ghostly warning, ensuring that every victory in this blood-soaked world carries the seed of its own undoing. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.