The story in one page
Brutus, the legendary founder of Britain, dies and splits his realm into three parts for his sons. The peace is immediately shattered when Humber and his Scythian forces invade, killing the youngest prince, Albanact. Locrine takes command and drives Humber into a river, but the victory is complicated by Locrine's obsession with Humber’s wife, Estrild. To keep her, Locrine hides her in an underground labyrinth for seven years while pretending to remain loyal to his wife, Gwendoline. When the secret breaks, Gwendoline raises an army, leading to a bloody domestic and national collapse where rivers are renamed for the dead.
Who's who
- Locrine
The eldest son of Brutus who chooses passion over his crown.
- Humber
The Scythian king whose invasion ends in starvation and drowning.
- Gwendoline
Locrine's wife who leads a military revolt against her husband.
- Estrild
Humber's wife and Locrine’s mistress, hidden in a cave for years.
- Ate
The Goddess of Revenge who frames each act with omens.
- Strumbo
A clownish cobbler who provides comic relief amidst the royal carnage.
What it's really about
- Vengeance
- Reckoning for civil discord and broken marital vows.
- National Unity
- The danger of dividing a kingdom into separate sovereign parts.
Why it's memorable
- The ghost of Albanact appearing to gloat over a starving Humber.
- Locrine and Estrild hiding their daughter Sabren in a subterranean labyrinth.
The ending, explained
Spoilers — show the ending
After Locrine and Estrild kill themselves, their daughter Sabren drowns herself in the river now named after her; Gwendoline orders Locrine buried with honor while casting Estrild's body aside.
For your book club
- The use of Ate to signal that every tragic action has a supernatural witness.
- How the play rebrands British geography through the deaths of its invaders and royals.