The Political Import of the Norton Half of Gorboduc

Abstract

The political purpose of Gorboduc, which was first noticed by Leonard H. Courtney, has been elaborated by Professor H. A. Watt in his dissertation, Gorboduc: or, Ferrex and Porrex. The two authors wrote the play rather from the point of view of legal advisers than from that of students. It served as a tactful approach to Queen Elizabeth on the question of the limitation of the succession which would necessitate her marrying. Professor Watt, in his discussion, cites numerous pages from Sackville's portion of the play, but he does not discuss the political significance of Norton's portion, although Norton is believed to have been chairman of the committee appointed to wait upon Elizabeth to present the petition of parliament for limitation of the succession. Norton's “personal interest in the question,” as Watt remarks, “has been well established.” One might reasonably expect, therefore, to find references to the political lesson which the tragedy was to convey to the Queen in the portion of Gorboduc written by Norton. It is the purpose of this paper to examine particularly, with this in view, Norton's part of the text of Gorboduc.