He was also accused of ‘lechery’ (in a text known as The Prophecy of the Six Kings) and of adultery (in a continuation to the chronicle Flores Historiarum, written by the monk Robert of Reading) – so we know that at least some of his subjects thought he was sexually transgressive. KH: Most accounts of Edward’s reign written during his lifetime describe his love for his favourites, particularly Piers Gaveston, as excessive. NOTCHES: What do we actually know about the sexuality of Edward II? What (if anything) was he accused of in his lifetime? It also provides some new perspectives on key literary accounts of his reign, particularly Christopher Marlowe’s play Edward II (c. In telling this story, the book also discusses the development of sexual discourse in England over this period the distinction that medieval and early modern writers made between same-sex love and same-sex desire and the use of Edward II as a political exemplum, both in terms of his favourites and in terms of his deposition. Kit Heyam: The book is the first full account of how King Edward II (1307-1327) got his queer reputation: the story of the development, over the period 1305-1697, of a consensus that Edward’s relationships with his male favourites were sexual and romantic, and that he was murdered by anal penetration with a red-hot spit. NOTCHES: In a few sentences, what is your book about? Through close readings of poetry and drama, alongside chronicle accounts and political pamphlets, it demonstrates that Edward’s medieval and early modern afterlife was significantly shaped by the influence of literary texts and techniques. The Reputation of Edward II, 1305-1697: A Literary Transformation of History provides the first full account of how this reputation developed, providing new insights into the processes and priorities that shaped narratives of sexual transgression in medieval and early modern England.
During his lifetime and the four centuries following his death, King Edward II (1307-1327) acquired a reputation for having engaged in sexual and romantic relationships with his male favourites, and having been murdered by penetration with a red-hot spit.
0 kommentar(er)
