Abstract

The mighty in a fallen state represent one of the oldest themes in drama, reminding people in each successive epoch that underneath the trappings of power and authority is but a mortal man – or sometimes woman. Alan Bennett's depiction of The Madness of George III follows a trajectory from ‘Before’ – royal business, marital contentment, and family conflict – through the agonies of psychosis and its medical responses, to ‘After’ – (more or less) back to normal.

Highlights

  • George III was not the first English King to go mad and was certainly not the only one of contem porary monarchs to do so, but his is the first case for which we have detailed evidence

  • Bennett shows that as Prime Minister, Pitt depended on the Royal pre rogative to continue the flow of honours, salaries, and perks that kept a Parliamentary majority intact: he and the King were locked in a state of mutual dalelpeegniadnecnecet.o tMheeaPnriwnhceileo,f WthealeOs p- p'tohseitiroenvergsiaovne'; iitns an unreformed House of Commons, there was nothing else they could do

  • The Prince of Wales contributes the services of his personal physician, Dr Warren, who has strong motivations for making sure that no rpelcaoyvs ebroythoscicduerss.ofMtheeanfiwelhdi,lea,giltehley rLetourrdninCghatnocPeliltot'rs camp when he sees some evidence of Royal improve ment, while the Prince and his brother, impatient to get their hands on the levers of patronage, see these ablymtohset Kwiintgh'isn rtehceoivr egrrya.sp, but snatched away porPtsrayycahliatorfistthse wKiilnlgb'se ipllanretiscsualanrdlyhoiwnteitrewsatesdtreiantetdh.e

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Summary

Introduction

George III was not the first English King to go mad and was certainly not the only one of contem porary monarchs to do so, but his is the first case for which we have detailed evidence. Because the King was sovereign - still in a very real sense-any incapacity on his part had enormous political significance. Bennett shows that as Prime Minister, Pitt depended on the Royal pre rogative to continue the flow of honours, salaries, and perks that kept a Parliamentary majority intact: he and the King were locked in a state of mutual dalelpeegniadnecnecet.o tMheeaPnriwnhceileo,f WthealeOs p- p'tohseitiroenvergsiaovne'; iitns an unreformed House of Commons, there was nothing else they could do.

Results
Conclusion

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