Eclipse of the Sun: A Play in Two Acts

By Pamela Lynn Palmer

Eclipse of the Sun encapsulates the theory that Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, was the true author of the plays attributed to actor William Shakespeare of Stratford-on-Avon. The action focuses on events of the earl's life which parallel incidents in the plays. Oxford's first wife, like Juliet, was 14 when they married. Oxford was wounded in a street fight similar to the conflicts between the Montagues and Capulets. Like Othello, Oxford became estranged from his wife because of unfounded gossip. There were Elizabethan court incidents involving masquerade and mistaken identities as portrayed in As You Like It. Like the comic Falstaff, Oxford was known to overindulge with alcohol and entertain his comrades with his antics. Similar to King Lear, Oxford had three daughters, and at a low point in his life, verged upon insanity. Queen Elizabeth forced Oxford to keep his authorship of the plays secret because it was considered inappropriate in that era for noblemen to engage in any form of labor. Also, since many characters in the plays were based upon figures at court, revealing the author's identity would have led to excessive speculation over which characters could be identified with real people.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Apr 25, 2007
• ISBN: 9780595885541

Pamela Lynn Palmer

Pamela Lynn Palmer first became interested in the Shakespeare authorship controversy as an English literature student. Eclipse of the Sun won the Miller Award Drama Category from the Deep South Writers Competition at the University of Southwestern Louisiana and also was awarded ?Best Play? in the Spring 2004 WriteMovies.com Contest.

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Copyright © 2007 by Pamela Lynn Palmer

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Certain characters in this work are historical figures, and certain events portrayed did take place. However, this is a work of fiction. All of the other characters, names, and events as well as all places, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

ISBN: 978-0-595-44223-2 (pbk)

ISBN: 978-0-595-88554-1 (ebk)

Printed in the United States of America

Contents

CAST OF CHARACTERS

THE SETTING

LIST OF SCENES

ACT ONE

ACT II

For my daughter Jillinda, the original Bessie

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of OXFORD

ELIZABETH, Queen of England

William Cecil, Baron of BURGHLEY

LADY ANNE Cecil de Vere, first wife of OXFORD

ANNE VAVASOR, a Maid of Honor of ELIZABETH

Peregrine Bertie, Lord WILLOUGHBY, brother-in-law of OXFORD

PHILIP SIDNEY, a foppish poet

CHARLES ARUNDEL, cousin of ANNE VAVASOR

Hercule-Francois, Duke of ALENCON, French suitor of ELIZABETH

Two MAIDs of the Bedchamber

MESSENGER

LORD HENRY HOWARD, a political Catholic Three ACTORs, who double as Retinue of Lord BURGHLEY Elizabeth (BESSIE) de Vere, daughter of OXFORD (age 7, 11, 14, 28) Two MANSERVANTs

viii Eclipse of the Sun SURGEON

BRIDGET de Vere, daughter of OXFORD (age 6, 20)

SUSAN de Vere, daughter of OXFORD (age 17)

LADY ELIZABETH Trentham de Vere, second wife of OXFORD

HENRY de Vere (age 9)

Cornelius KETEL, Dutch portrait artist

SIR WALTER RALEGH

Henry Wriothesley, Earl of SOUTHAMPTON

THE SETTING

Elizabethan England. The action spans the last half of the life of Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, from age 26 to 54, (1576-1604), drawing on events in the Earl’s life which parallel incidents in the works of William Shakespeare. Supporting the theory that Oxford was the true author of the works signed William Shakespeare, the play exposes what may have been the greatest literary hoax and most tragic instance of identity theft the world has ever known.

LIST OF SCENES

Queen’s chamber and antechamber

Queen’s chamber

Palace garden

The garden at night

Garden by day

Nightfall in the garden

Queen’s chamber and antechamber

Queen’s chamber and antechamber at night

Queen’s chamber and antechamber at dawn

Tower cell, at night

Tower cell by daylight

Tower cell by day

Garden at Theobald’s, estate of Burghley Room at BlackFriars theatre Morning, Garden at Theobald’s

Queen’s chamber at Theobald’s

Queen’s chamber

Garden at Theobald’s

Bedchamber at Theobald’s

Room at BlackFriars theatre

Garden at Theobald’s

Garden, De Vere’s London suburban home

Queen’s chamber, antechamber

Queen’s chamber, antechamber

Tower cell of Southampton

Room at BlackFriars theatre

London street near Blackfriars

ACT ONE

QUEEN’S CHAMBER AND ANTECHAMBER, SEPARATED BY A WALL WITH A DOOR.ELIZABETH IS ALONE IN HER CHAMBER, READING. ENTER BURGHLEY AND LADY ANNE IN THE ANTECHAMBER.

BURGHLEY (DRAGGING LADY ANNE) Come along, daughter. We must reach the queen before Lord Oxford arrives!

LADY ANNE

I dare not face the queen lest my eyes betray my shame. Should she learn I copied her gown and slept in her chamber....

BURGHLEY

You fret over such small transgressions while your husband, by his silence, gives credence to the vilest of court rumors.

LADY ANNE (COLLAPSES IN GRIEF) Oh, my lord, my love!

BURGHLEY

Rise daughter! Do not further embarrass me. I am your father. You will do as I say. You will speak as I have instructed you.

LADY ANNE (SHAKING HER HEAD)

Add more lies to our deceptions? By following your counsel I have found only humiliation. My husband is wise and good. He loves the truth. My innocence of the graver sin will prove itself in time. It would be better to await the passage of my lord’s wrath than to force ourselves into his presence now.

BURGHLEY

Look! There he comes! Get up!

LADY ANNE BOWS HER HEAD AND WILL NOT RISE. ENTER OXFORD, STRIDING RESOLUTELY DOWN THE HALL.

BURGHLEY A word with you, my son. My lord! Lord Oxford!

OXFORD WALKS ON, IGNORING THEM. BURGHLEY TRIES ONCE MORE TO HAUL LADY ANNE TO HER FEET, THEN GIVING UP, HE HURRIES AFTER OXFORD, RUSHING INTO THE QUEEN’S CHAMBER.

BURGHLEY

Your majesty, I entreat you to intercede between my daughter and Lord Oxford. Some fiendish whisperer has filled his ears with the foulest of lies, dishonoring my Anne, who in all her innocence has never in her brief, dear existence (she is but nineteen and a still a child) entertained even the suggestion of such an unchristian deed. My Lord Oxford is apparently under the mistaken impression....

ELIZABETH RAISES HER HAND TO SILENCE BURGHLEY.

OXFORD (PRETENDING NOT TO SEE BURGHLEY)

Your majesty should chide the attendants to sweep the palace floors more thoroughly. In the hall I saw a rat and a mouse, and just now I heard the most audacious squeaking.

BURGHLEY

You see how he mocks us? Your grace, I appeal to you..

ELIZABETH

Leave us, Lord Burghley. We wish to be alone with Lord Oxford.

BURGHLEY EXITS. ELIZABETH AND OXFORD EMBRACE WARMLY.

ELIZABETH

Let me look at you. Such somber tones for so young an earl. Where is your Oxford blue? Is this some new Italian fashion to wear black in the spring? Or has some untoward shadow eclipsed my dear Phoebus?

OXFORD

I mourn the deaths of Innocence, Love, and Truth. Not to mention Chastity and Faith.

ELIZABETH If Love be dead has your love for me died?

OXFORD (KISSING HER)

Never, my queen, my Gloriana, my gracious Diana. You know