The Trials of Bill and Monica: A Historico-Tragi-Comedy

By John Gordon Gray

The Trials of Bill and Monica is centered on the affair that rocked the White House during Bill Clintons second term of office. It is dubbed a historico-tragi-comedy and contains elements of all three genres. It is written in Shakespearean verse and has many playful allusions to Shakespeare plays.

The play roughly follows the main events in the scandal, though certainly in no slavish manner. The sequence and timing of events are at times compressed or altered, and the characters are a mixture of history and invention. The clearest departure from history lies in the fate of Monica, which is allegorical. Several characters, including Bemona, the mother of Monica, are entirely fictional.

The events that form the basis of play are part of recent American history. They led to a debate in Congress on impeachment of the president and were subjected to the tasteless microscope of the Starr Report. They form a fitting subject for dramatic treatment; especially, The Trials of Bill and Monica will appeal to those who combine some acquaintance with Shakespeare, those with an interest in contemporary American politics, and those who love a bit of wordplay.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Nov 14, 2014
• ISBN: 9781496942371

John Gordon Gray

John Gordon Gray was born in 1950 and grew up in an academic family in Oxford, England. He obtained a first class degree in Classics (Latin, Greek, Ancient History and Philosophy) at Oxford University in 1973 and then an MPhil in Economics, also at Oxford. He has spent the past 40 years working in the developing world as a consultant economist and adviser on public financial management. His other publications include a dictionary of an African language, Dholuo, (President Obama’s paternal mother-tongue) and numerous technical works on economic development. When not travelling, he lives in a small town in Western Kenya, overlooking Lake Victoria.

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© 2014 John Gordon Gray. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 10/14/2014

ISBN: 978-1-4969-4238-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4969-4237-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014917358

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Contents

Author’s Introduction

About the author

Dramatis Personae

The Trials of Bill and Monica

Prologue

Act I

Act II

Act III

Act IV

ACT V

Epilogue

Author’s Introduction

The Trials of Bill and Monica is centred on the affair that rocked the White House during Bill Clinton’s second term of office. It is dubbed a historico-tragi-comedy and contains elements of all three genres. It is written in Shakespearean verse and has many playful allusions to Shakespeare plays.

The play roughly follows the main events in the scandal, though certainly in no slavish manner. The sequence and timing of events are at times compressed or altered, and the characters are a mixture of history and invention. The clearest departure from history lies in the fate of Monica, which is allegorical. Several characters, including Bemona, the mother of Monica, are entirely fictional.

The events which form the basis of the play are part of recent American history. They led to a debate in Congress on impeachment of the president, and were subjected to the tasteless microscope of the Starr Report. They form a fitting subject for dramatic treatment, especially now a few years have passed.

The Trials of Bill and Monica will appeal to those who combine some acquaintance with Shakespeare with an interest in contemporary American politics, and who love a bit of word-play

The play was written in 2004-5.

Keywords: White House, Oval Office, Drama, Play, Shakespeare, Tragi-comedy, Sexual misconduct. Clinton, Monica Lewinsky, Private/public life, Politics, Presidency, Impeachment, Forgiveness

About the author

John Gordon Gray was born in 1950 and grew up in an academic family in Oxford, England. He obtained a first class degree in Classics (Latin, Greek, Ancient History and Philosophy) at Oxford University in 1973 and then an MPhil in Economics, also at Oxford. He has spent the past 40 years working in the developing world as a consultant economist and adviser on public financial management. His other publications include a dictionary of an African language, Dholuo, (President Obama’s paternal mother-tongue) and numerous technical works on economic development. When not travelling, he lives in a small town in Western Kenya, overlooking Lake Victoria.

Dramatis Personae

(in order of appearance)