Power and Suffering as the twin theme of Marlowe’s Edward II
Power and Suffering as the twin theme of Marlowe’s Edward II
Power and suffering constitutes the leading theme of Marlowe’s play Edward II. The assertion and the exercise of power and authority are a recurrent theme in this play. Suffering – sometimes delayed - results directly from the exercise of power and authority.
The subject of this play is the reign of King Edward II with particular reference to his conflicts with the barons and with his own Queen because of certain weakness in his character, leading to his downfall and death. Marlowe wrote this play to expose the inefficiency and inadequacy of this king to rule the country and to deal effectively with the barons. Edward II is devoid of any qualities of statesmanship. He shows himself to be utterly selfish, self-centered, despotic, and arrogant. And he, therefore, incurs the wrath of the barons. The king alienates the church too by his foolish behaviour and his haughtiness. At the same time, this king is an utter failure as a husband. Finally, the king is deposed, and then murdered.
In the play, the final impression is of Edward’s suffering. It is bound up with power – the power that Edward loses, the power that Mortimer wins. Gaveston in his intoxication of power, degrades the barons, insults the priests and puts in king’s mind the ill feeling against his wife. But at last he is captured by them and the wheel of his suffering starts rotating at a great pace showing explicitly his inevitable end. Marlowe goes a little further in pursuing his theme and depicts the two evil-doers namely the Younger Mortimer and Queen Isabella being overtaken by Nemesis.
Thus in this play Marlowe focuses attention on the exercise of power and the consequent suffering.