“Eric XIV” Strindberg in summary
King Eric is a strange and eccentric figure, he is extremely suspicious and inclined to unexpected decisions. Outraged by the courtyard, he settled in his Stockholm palace a mistress – a soldier’s daughter Karin, who sincerely loves and who already has two children. But at the same time, as befits a monarch, he is building plans for a dynastic marriage with Elizabeth of England and awaits his envoy from England in the palace park of arrival. At the bottom of the pavilion, Karin sits, embroidering, under the windows of the pavilion, and near her the guard ensign Max appears, her former boyfriend, whom she preferred to the king-but not out of vanity or self-interest: Karin feels sorry for Eric, she seems to be lost without her. The king notices the soldier on top and, to scare him off, nails down from the balcony. Max leaves, but his place is occupied by another man – Göran Persson, a former adviser to the king, now in disgrace. Overhearing Karin’s conversation
At this moment, Nils Sture, who returned from England, appears on the lawn. He came to see the King with his relatives – Svante and Eric Stur, which causes the King’s displeasure. In what capacity did this crowd appear as witnesses? Does Elizabeth refuse him? Where is the letter? The Queen told me to answer him in words – and so rude that the language does not turn…
The king is angry. He chases those who came back, hurling them after the objects that had been dropped from the balcony. Near the King appears Marshall Yulensherna. He wants to sweeten the bitter pill: Elizabeth refused because she had a lover, Count Lester. Then you must kill Lester! the king decides without hesitation. And kill Lester
Returns Göran Persson. Calmed Eric tells him: he just refused to Elizabeth – because she had a lover. Although the evil Sture, of course, will dissolve the rumors that it is she who rejected Eric. Goran Persson calls on the king to be calm: let Eric not judge others too severely and often repeat the word “love”, then they will love him too. Good is rewarded. He, for example, sheltered himself an abandoned woman with a three-year-old child. And what? His house was filled with joy.
So, whom will Goran Persson advise to take him as his wife? Catherine of Poland. But the king has just given permission to marry her to his half-brother Duke Juhan! He already sailed on the ship. So you have to catch up with him and judge! Yllensherna had just reported: Duke Johan was already secretly married to a Polish princess. Thus, he violated the ban on intercourse with a foreign power without the permission of the king. Eric agrees. Why would not Goran Persson again become his counselor? Göran agrees. But only if he has real power in his hands. The position of the Secretary of State, who is responsible for everything, but does not even dare to speak under the king, does not need him. He will not give up the post of the royal procurator. Eric accepts his terms.
The house of Göran Persson. His mother asks if the king actually returned him to the court. And of course, forgot to assign a salary? Yes, he did not speak about him. But Göran Persson is ready to serve the king and without pay. He will not leave the king. They were born under one star. In addition to Goran, Eric has only his Karin.
In Persson’s house is Svante Sture, Secretary of State. He insults Goran and his family, calling him the slut he has warmed by him, and the master himself by the priest’s offspring. Goran is not afraid of a high guest, for him he is a symbol of the hated noblemen, predators who share the king and the people, Persson reminds Sture that he owes him the title of the first earl of Sweden. But let him know: now the second official after the king in the country – he, Göran, so let Svante be careful! He leaves.
Enters the summoned by Gora Max. He receives a warning: let him leave Karin alone! It can be transferred to another city. Or eliminate it! Max takes Goran and leaves the house. But almost immediately on his doorstep a king appears. Did Goran Persson know that the duke, married to Katarina, now sat down with the rebelling Finns in the castle of Abo? Then Duke Juhan, according to Persson, you need to grab and execute. But only by the decision of the Riksdag. Everything should be done, if possible, within the law. Does the king know that his worst enemy Svante Stura has just visited, insulting Goran and his family! Goran himself is to blame, the king believes, he has repeatedly been offered any title to choose from, but he refuses. Why? Because Goran wants to be judged only on his actions! Yes, Eric understands it, he himself feels himself a stranger among the Swedish nobility. Maybe because of its roots in Germany?
Mons, father Karin, unexpectedly appears in the doorway, he is stunned to find himself in the house of the king’s Goran, but sets out his work rudely and boldly. He will not tolerate that his daughter lived in debauchery! There is a man ready to cover up her sin and marry her. And then, in family affairs, let him, at Mons, do not stand in the way of no one! Even the king himself! Eric explodes, but curbs his anger: in front of him is the grandfather of his children. Goran Persson refuses to take a petition from Mons. Okay, then Mons will go to the Secretary of State Svante Stura!
After Mons left, Goran promised the king that he would settle the matter. And he settles it in his own way, calling his nephew – one-eyed giant Peder Wellamson. He should take six hefty fellows to help, thrust the ensign into a sack and drown him. So that not a drop of blood is spilled!
Outraged against Finland and Poland, Duke Johan was taken prisoner. The Riksdag sentenced him to death, but Eric granted him a pardon. Intriguing against the king, the Dowager Queen prepares a pardoned triumphant meeting. However, Goran Persson sets up a trap for the conspirators: at the time of the meeting and uttering the welcoming speeches, everyone is arrested. Now they should be judged by the riksdag gathered in Uppsala. Before the speech in it with the accusatory speech, Eric, at the request of Karin, admits the children: they want to look at the pope in the royal ermine robe and in the golden crown. Little Sigrid imperceptibly for his father wraps his doll in a scroll with a written performance. Of course, the king can not talk without a piece of paper, and he does not want to listen to witnesses from his side – they are of too low ancestry. The conspirators are justified. But this does not prevent them from judging Persson – now not according to the law, but, he believes, in fairness. The talents of one-eyed nephew Peder Wellamson are again on the move. It requires a small refund – an increase to a corporal. The conspirators are killed in the basement.
Neither Geran Persson nor King Eric know that by that time Karin, along with the children, had been taken away by the dowager queen. She came to ask Karin for relatives, but when she learned that Karin had no influence on her husband’s decisions and was at the very last woman’s court at all, she pitied and frightened her, saying that the only person to whom Karin could ask for help, namely Ensign Max, did not disappear at all, but was killed on the base orders of Göran Persson. After this, the queen easily takes Kareen with her children.
The Royal Castle in Stockholm. The Duke of Juhan negotiates the seizure of power with his brother, the Duke of Karl, The execution of the petty nobility, arranged by Eric in Uppsala, does not particularly offend them, for the country it is only for good. But you can not leave a madman on the throne. Although if conscience, repentance, repentance – madness? The king simply looked for the children taken away in the forest, lost his way, slept on bare ground, in the rain. But certainly madness is to go to the soldier Mons and ask for the hands of his returning daughter Karin! Both dukes are invited to the wedding, but they will not go to her – they guess about the trap he has placed.
The same festively cleaned the castle. Eric admits that the enemy was magnanimous than he thought: they were spared from the children of Karin, and he took his life from the nobles… Yes, he, Eric, does not deserve his lucky fate! Even Erika is frustrated that he could not invite the faithful Göran Persson to the wedding, it was opposed to know.
The ceremony master announces: Erica and the queen want to see the people! Eric orders people to enter. Among them is the father of Kareen the soldier Mons: he, as always, is rude and arrogant and almost out of patience with the king. Eric would gladly have kicked this audience out. But who is this? Goran Persson? Yes, he had just come from Uppsala: he managed to persuade the Riksdag – Göran got the condemnation of the executed nobles. But the king has already sent letters throughout the country with the news that the executed are not guilty! Well, more than Göran will not settle matters of the king! Eric destroys everything he builds. And now the two dukes did not come to the wedding. Someone warned them. Most likely, Karin. Yullensherna approaches the king: noblemen will not come to the celebration-that’s a bunch of printed letters. Well, Eric decides, let the simple people walk around the tables! The hall includes one-eyed companion of the misfortune of Wellamson, he reports: the castle is surrounded, in the next room – the Dukes of Karl and Johan. Marshal Yulensherna falls to her knees before Eric: Lord, save and have mercy on the good King, the friend of the people of Eric the Protector!
The common people in the hall feast, but people are not at ease: they praise the idiot? Or, maybe, he’s not so weak-minded if they’re sitting here at the tables! Eric is a good king, he married a simple girl.
Yulensherna enters the room. He declares: His Majesty the King of Sweden Johan III! Walking next to Juhan, the Duke Karl moves away from him and makes a signal to his associates. Johan betrayed him: they agreed that they would share the throne. Yullensherna exclaims: “It seems that the world has gone mad, so thought Eric!”
A little girl at the table asks Mom: “Will it all be over soon?” Duke Karl turns to her with a smile: “No, dear child, the fight does not end – never!”
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