The Valiant Welshman, the Scottish James, and the Formation of Great Britain

Authors

Megan Lloyd

Files

Document Type

Monograph

Description

When James VI of Scotland and I of England proclaimed himself King of Great Britain, he proposed a merger of the English and Scottish parliaments, and he looked to Henry VIII’s Acts of Union of England and Wales (1536/43) as an example for English Scottish union under one king. On the London stage after 1603 many plays paid tribute to the new king and provided a predominantly English audience a means of accepting the not so palatable ideas of Scottish power, assimilation and unity. The Valiant Welshman is distinctive among these works, as no other extant early modern English drama features a Welsh leading character. The challenges of reconciling distinct national identity with larger political unity are timeless issues with a strong resonance today. This book considers national, regional and linguistic identity and explores how R.A.'s play promotes Wales, serves King James and reveals what it means to be Welsh and Scots in a newly forming "Great Britain."

Publication Date

12-31-2018

Publisher

Medieval Institute Publications

Imprint

Medieval Institute Publications

City

Kalamazoo

ISBN

9781580443548

Keywords

King James VI and I, Valiant Welshman, Union of Parliaments, Caradoc, nation forming

Disciplines

European History | Literature in English, British Isles | Theatre History

Citation for Published Book

Lloyd, Megan. The Valiant Welshman, the Scottish James, and the Formation of Great Britain. Kalamazoo, MI: Medieval Institute Publications, 2018.