Poetical Works of Robert Bridges, Volume 5

The volume gathers two verse dramas: a five-act tragedy that stages political and religious tensions around a North African court, where a king’s plan to recover a lost stronghold by a diplomatic marriage collides with the presence of bound Christian prisoners and with themes of pity, faith, and martial honour; and a three-act comedy that lampoons courtly manners and eccentric personalities through witty scenes and comic situations. Both pieces use poetic dialogue and dramatic set-pieces to explore how private feeling and public duty intersect, and the collection is accompanied by explanatory notes.