SYNOPSIS The Myth of England as Other Eden

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  • 楽園伝説と King Richard Ⅱ の〈イングランド〉
  • ラクエン デンセツ ト King Richard Ⅱ ノ 〈 イングランド 〉

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Abstract

In Shakespeare’s King Richard Ⅱ, John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, described England before the reign of Richard Ⅱ as “other Eden,” lamenting “This land of such dear souls …/ Is now leased out.” The Duke implied that the political failure of the king had corrupted the “garden” image of England and destroyed England’s greatness inherited from the Black Prince, Richard Ⅰ. 　King Richard Ⅱ was written and staged in 1595 as the initial play in a sequence about the Lancastrian phase of English history. The first edition （Q1） was published in 1597 and promptly followed by two further issues （Q2 and Q3） in 1598. It was the first play-text to prove its popularity, which indicates the “garden” image of England should have been shared among the Shakespearian audience and readers. 　This paper is an attempt to examine the myth of England as “the second Eden,” tracing back the origins of the legend to Classical mythology and history. The first chapter consists of three parts: a survey of “Britannia,” ancient Greek and Roman mythology, and Arthurian legends. The second chapter gives a closer reading of “Britannia” under the Roman Empire.

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