Edward III: An Instant Shakespeare Company Reading

The plot of the play consists of two distinct parts. The first is centered on the Countess of Salisbury (the wife of the Earl of Salisbury), who, beset by rampaging Scots, is "rescued" by King Edward III, who then proceeds to woo her himself. In an attempted bluff, the Countess vows to take the life of her husband if Edward will take the life of his wife. However, when she sees that Edward finds the plan morally acceptable, she ultimately threatens to take her own life if he does not stop his pursuit. Finally, Edward expresses great shame, admits his fault and acquiesces. In the second part of the play, in several scenes reminiscent of Henry V, Edward joins his army in France, fighting a war to claim the French throne. The play switches between the French and English camps, where the apparent hopelessness of the English campaign is contrasted with the arrogance of the French. Much of the action is focused on young Edward, the Black Prince, who broods on the morality of war before achieving victory against seemingly insurmountable odds.

The Instant Shakespeare Company is dedicated to the proposition that Shakespeare is for Everyone! The company organizes annual readings of ALL of Shakespeare's plays using original Folio & Quarto texts.