Locrine

In Short

Locrine is an Elizabethan tragedy of legendary British history, dramatizing the bloody aftermath of King Brutus’s death. As his realm splits among his three sons, the island faces an invasion by Scythian Huns led by King Humber. Though the brothers rally to defeat the invaders, the victory unravels into domestic disaster when King Locrine falls secretly in love with the captive Scythian queen, Estrild. Torn between his duty to his wife Gwendoline and his hidden mistress, Locrine precipitates a catastrophic civil war that sweeps away his entire lineage in violent self-destruction.

The Story

The tragedy opens with the death of Brutus, the Trojan conqueror who established the kingdom of Britain. On his deathbed, Brutus divides his realm among his three sons: Locrine receives England (Loegria), Camber takes Wales, and Albanact rules Scotland (Albania). To solidify unity, Locrine marries Gwendoline, the daughter of his father's fierce general, Corineus.

Peace is short-lived. Humber, the King of Scythia, lands on Scottish shores with his wife Estrild and son Hubba, launching a brutal invasion. Albanact marches to meet them, but after initial success, he is ambushed by Hubba's forces. Despairing over his defeat and the loss of his men, Albanact kills himself on the battlefield, leaving his ghost to haunt the conflict and demand revenge.

Hearing of their brother's death, Locrine and Camber unite their forces with Corineus to avenge Albanact. In a decisive battle, the Britons crush the Scythian army; Corineus slays Hubba, and Humber flees into the wilderness, eventually drowning himself in the river that takes his name. However, the British victory contains the seeds of their downfall. Among the captured Scythians is Estrild, whose striking beauty instantly captivates Locrine.

Bound by his marriage to Gwendoline and terrified of the wrath of Corineus, Locrine builds a secret, luxurious subterranean chamber beneath the river Lee. For seven years, he hides Estrild underground, visiting her in secret and fathering a daughter, Sabren. The elderly Corineus remains oblivious to the affair, keeping Locrine trapped in his double life.

When Corineus finally dies, Locrine casts off all restraint. He officially banishes Gwendoline from the court and elevates Estrild as his queen, bringing her and Sabren out of hiding. Outraged by this insult to her family, Gwendoline allies with her brother Thrasimachus and her young son Madan. Raising an army in Cornwall, she marches against her husband to avenge her broken marriage and her father's legacy.

The conflict reaches a tragic climax on the battlefield of Mercia. Gwendoline's forces overwhelm Locrine's troops. Facing total defeat and unwilling to live as a prisoner to his estranged wife, Locrine runs himself through with his own sword. Grief-stricken, Estrild follows her lover by killing herself with the same weapon.

Gwendoline claims total victory, but her fury is not yet extinguished. Finding the young, innocent Sabren, Gwendoline condemns the child to death despite her pleas. Before Gwendoline's soldiers can execute her, Sabren leaps into the nearby river, drowning herself to escape her captors. Touched by the girl's resolve, Gwendoline orders that the river henceforth bear the name Severn in her memory, before returning to Troynouant to bury Locrine beside his father.

How It Unfolds

The realm divided King Brutus dies after dividing Britain among his three sons, while cementing a political marriage between his heir Locrine and Gwendoline.

The Scythian invasion King Humber lands his barbarian army in Scotland, prompting Prince Albanact to engage the invaders in a desperate, fatal defense.

Vengeance at the Humber Locrine and his remaining brothers join forces with the formidable warrior Corineus, annihilating the Scythians and driving King Humber to drown himself.

A secret obsession Captivated by the captive Scythian queen Estrild, Locrine constructs an underground marble vault to hide her from his father-in-law's fury.

The court cast aside Following the death of Corineus, Locrine publicly repudiates Gwendoline, elevating Estrild and their illegitimate daughter Sabren to the throne.

The march from Cornwall Gwendoline, her brother Thrasimachus, and her son Madan gather a vengeful army to punish Locrine’s marital betrayal and royal arrogance.

Ruain at the river Defeated in battle, Locrine and Estrild commit suicide, while young Sabren drowns herself in the river that will forever bear her name.

The People

• Locrine wants to enjoy the absolute authority of the crown and the affection of his true love, Estrild. Hindered by his duty to his wife Gwendoline and fear of her powerful father Corineus, he relies on deceit until his open defiance triggers his own tragic overthrow and suicide.
• Gwendoline wants political respect and marital fidelity. Blocked by Locrine's secret infidelity and public rejection, she transforms from a compliant royal bride into a relentless commander driven by fury and dynastic pride.
• Corineus wants to uphold the honor of his house and enforce the final wishes of King Brutus. Standing as an imposing obstacle to Locrine’s desires through his sheer martial authority, his death inadvertently releases the catastrophe that destroys the royal family.
• Estrild wants safety and peace alongside Locrine after losing her husband and kingdom. Stymied by her status as a foreign captive and the hatred of the British court, she remains a tragic figure who chooses death over captivity.
• Thrasimachus wants to avenge his sister’s disgrace and his father’s legacy. Blocked initially by Locrine’s royal rank, he acts as the fiery catalyst who pushes Gwendoline to take up arms.

In Its Own Voice

When the ancient King Brutus looks back upon his lifetime of conquests before his death, he recalls the brutal campaign that won his people their kingdom:

From thence upon the strons of Albion / To Corus haven happily we came, / And quelled the giants, come of Albion’s race, / With Gogmagog son to Samotheus, / The cursed Captain of that damned crew.

Faced with the ruin of his forces and mortally wounded on the field, Prince Albanact rages against the fickle nature of worldly success:

Cursed be her charms, damned be her cursed charms / That doth delude the wayward hearts of men, / Of men that trust unto her fickle wheel, / Which never leaveth turning upside down.

As Locrine abandons his throne for the underground hiding place of his mistress, he boasts of his ability to deceive his court:

A curious arch, of costly marble fraught, / Hath Locrine framed underneath the ground... / Thither eftsoons, accompanied with my page, / I covertly visit my heart’s desire, / Without suspicion of the meanest eye.

What It's Really About

Locrine explores the destructive collision between private desire and public duty. At its heart, the play argues that a ruler’s personal choices are never purely private; Locrine’s decision to follow his romantic passions directly undermines the political stability of his realm.

The play also wrestles with the relentless cycle of revenge and the impermanence of earthly power. Victory in battle offers no lasting safety, as every act of violence creates a new debt of blood. From the fallen Scythian invaders to the suicides of the British monarchs, the narrative demonstrates how unchecked ambition and personal betrayal inevitably drag entire nations into chaos, leaving even innocent children like Sabren to pay the ultimate price for the sins of their parents.

Why Read It Today

Locrine offers a fascinating look into the early Elizabethan historical drama that paved the way for Shakespeare’s major histories and tragedies. Readers who enjoy classical myth, Arthurian-style pseudo-history, and revenge tragedy will appreciate its dramatic pacing, senecan ghosts, and high-stakes dynastic warfare.

The play presents a distinct reading experience characterized by ornate rhetorical speeches, classical allusions, and dramatic stage violence. Its tragic weight is offset by comic subplots featuring figures like the cobbler Strumbo, providing comic relief through broad humor and dialect speech.

Modern readers should be prepared for the formal conventions of 16th-century verse, including dense references to Greek mythology, repeated dumb shows overseen by the goddess Ate, and starkly melodramatic characterizations. Rather than subtle psychological portraits, Locrine delivers bold tragic archetypes caught in a grand historical spectacle—a compelling, poetic artifact of early English theater.

<ElicitationsGroup message="To explore this play further:">

<Elicitation label="Compare Locrine's themes with Shakespeare's King Lear" query="Compare the themes of kingdom division and family conflict in Locrine with Shakespeare's King Lear."/>

<Elicitation label="Analyze the role of classical myth and Ate in the play" query="Analyze how classical mythology and the chorus figure Ate function in the structure of Locrine."/> </ElicitationsGroup>