Ruled Britannia
"To Be Free or Not to Be Free"
by Harry Turtledove
Ruled Britannia is a story in the Shakespearian style. From the opening scene we are transported out of
place and time to an England that did not repel the Armada and is ruled by Queen Isabella, daughter of Phillip II
of Spain, and King Albert of Austria. Spanish and Irish soldiers patrol the streets and watch for evidence of
Protestant heresy. Her Catholic Majesty Mary, by the Grace of God Queen of England, Spain, France, Jerusalem,
both the Sicilies and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, Archduchess of Austria, Duchess of Burgundy, Milan and
Brabant, Countess of Habsburg, Flanders and Tyrol is dead and the pretender, Bloody Bess, is living in the
Tower by the mercy and grace of his Majesty Phillip.
William Shakespeare has one goal, to be a playwright -a living playwright- and he is plunged into intrigues from
all sides. He is first brought into a seditionist plot by Sir William Cecil, and asked to write a play that will
whip the English populace to frenzy for revolution against the Spanish. Then to his horror he is hired by the
Spanish to write a play that will honor the exploits of the aging Phillip II, emphasizing the conquest of Britain.
Between these tasks he must dodge the eye of a playwright wanna-be, Lieutenant Lope de Vega, of their Spanish
Majesties’ service.
There are the characteristic witch and magic elements, the lower-class bumpkins who solve the big riddle, the
upper-class storyline that flits on above the dirt of the street, the soliloquies debating the idea of action vs.
non-action, the personification of vice in Christopher Marlow, disguises, deceit, action and poetry.
It is a personal opinion of mine that people didn’t speak in the style that Shakespeare wrote unless it was to
make a point. The only difficulty I had was reading all of the convoluted conversations, and I have to admit that
I skipped many of the lines of "Boudicca" the first time around to get on with the action. One highlight of the
work is the character of Constable Strawberry and his verbal exchanges with anybody. This character is so close
to my expectations that I could not keep the image of Michael Keaton as Master Constable Dogberry from Kenneth
Branagh’s 1993 version of "Much Ado About Nothing" out of my head.
I’m glad I read this book. At first I thought it was presumptuous for Mr. Turtledove to write for The Bard, but
as I was pulled in I decided that I love a good Shakespearian play, no matter who writes it! |
The Book |
Roc Trade |
May 2, 2006; Reprint edition |
Paperback |
0451460847 |
Science Fiction - Alternate History |
More
at Amazon.com |
Excerpt |
NOTE: Violence, Sex
Holiday: The observance of Easter and Lent are important in the story. |
The Reviewer |
Beth McKenzie |
Reviewed 2006 |
NOTE: |
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