| Gorboduc | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Gorboduc from the Genealogical Chronicle of the Kings of England to Edward IV (c. 1461) | |
| King of Britain | |
| Predecessor | Kimarcus |
| Successor | Porrex I |
| Spouse | Judon |
| Issue | |
| Father | Kimarcus |
Gorboduc (Welsh:Gorwy orGoronwy) was a legendary king of theBritons as recounted byGeoffrey of Monmouth. He was married to Judon. When he became old, his sons,Ferrex andPorrex, feuded over who would take over the kingdom. Porrex tried to kill his brother in an ambush, but Ferrex escaped to France. With the French king Suhardus, he invaded Britain, but was defeated and killed by Porrex. Porrex was killed in revenge by his own mother Judon, then the high strata of society killed his mother and then there was a war between high strata and low strata leading to an anarchy in the society. This anarchy led to civil war denouncing Gorboduc.[1]Geoffrey does not state when Gorbuduc died, but he is not mentioned after the account of the strife between his sons.
Gorboduc's life is the subject of the 1561 playGorboduc, which is historically important for being the model for laterElizabethan drama, for example, Shakespeare'sThe Tragedie of King Lear[2] andThe Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus.[3] It is the first play written throughout inblank verse. The story, like that of his ancestorKing Lear, was used by Elizabethans as a warning of the dangers of civil discord.
"A niece of King Gorboduc" is mentioned briefly by the Fool in Shakespeare'sTwelfth Night.
"Gorboduc" is the name of a poem byJohn Ashbery that appears in the collectionApril Galleons (1987).
| Legendary titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | King of Britain | Succeeded by |