I. Introduction and Reason
“we know what we are, but know not what we may be”
Ophelia
Hamlet 4.5.42-43
Marry! Dearest reader! Prithee, tarry and set thyself down to read my play most fair. Prithee, secure stage and thespians perchance to perform it. Please allow me to introduce my Honors project, a pseudo-Shakespearean play called The Passion of the Redemption of the Duke of Gloucester and the Ascension of the Knight-Queen Sinéad. Or, The Passion of Gloucester and Sinéad, if you prefer the modern, succinct title.
Before you begin to read however, it is important that I explain a few things first. While I could write a very lengthy paper on all the decisions I made while writing my play, instead, in this introduction, I will focus on three important factors of my play: the setting, the characters of the court including my male lead, the Duke of Gloucester, and my female lead, who is somewhat uncharacteristic for the time period, Captain Sinéad. Throughout the play though in the footnotes, smaller happenings will be commented on making clearer connections to my research done for the play as well as to other themes, characters, and plays written by Shakespeare. For indeed, it would be hard to write a true Shakespearean-influenced play without using some of his more famous devices.
