Philaster
John Fletcher, Francis Beaumont
Publisher: Project Gutenberg
Summary
The play is set in a fictionalized version of the Kingdom of Sicily, ruled by an otherwise-unnamed King. This King's father and predecessor, the ruler of southern Italy (the Kingdom of Naples), had conquered the island of Sicily and displaced the native royal house; but the heir of that house, and rightful King of Sicily, is Philaster, who lives as a nobleman in the royal court. The King fears him, but cannot kill him, because of the passionate loyalty of the people. The King has a plan, however: with no son of his own, he will marry his daughter Arethusa to a Spanish prince named Pharamond, and make the Spaniard his heir.