Homophobia in Marlowe’s Edward II

Drawing on queer theory, this essay demonstrates how homophobia motivates the plot of usurpation in Edward II, by Chistopher Marlowe (1564-1593), a play in which complex power relations can be verified. The main characters, King Edward II, Pierce of Gaveston, Mortimer Junior, Mortimer Senior and Q...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Gelson Peres de Silva
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina 1998-01-01
Series:Ilha do Desterro
Online Access:https://periodicos.ufsc.br/index.php/desterro/article/view/8416
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Summary:Drawing on queer theory, this essay demonstrates how homophobia motivates the plot of usurpation in Edward II, by Chistopher Marlowe (1564-1593), a play in which complex power relations can be verified. The main characters, King Edward II, Pierce of Gaveston, Mortimer Junior, Mortimer Senior and Queen Isabella, together with the nobles and the clerics, interact in a world of fierce political dispute. Power relations are at the core of the play and involve, on the one hand, the characters who envy and dispute Edward II’s royal power. On the other hand, the king suffers the effects of the power of his own homosexual drive and affective ties with Gaveston.
ISSN:0101-4846
2175-8026