The Foretelling
Encyclopedia
"The Foretelling" was the first episode of the first series of the BBC
sitcom Blackadder
(The Black Adder
). It introduces Edmund Blackadder
(Edmund renames himself The Blackadder in this episode although his real surname is Plantagenet), and opens with a narrative dispelling the popular depiction of King Richard III of England
as a scheming murderer. The premise is that Henry Tudor
rewrote history to portray himself as the man who killed Richard III, and the show intends to rectify the situation by telling the real story of the king that succeeded Richard III, and the events that led to Henry Tudor's becoming King Henry VII.
with the Lancastrians
, led by Henry Tudor
. The king (Peter Cook
) gives a speech taken verbatim from Shakespeare's play
(for which the credits give due notice). Lord Edmund Plantagenant, Duke of Edinburgh
cheers for the King, to the entire court's baffled silence. Edmund's own father, Richard, Duke of York, does not recognize him.
Edmund turns to speak to his friend Lord Percy Percy, Duke of Northumberland. The two are soon joined by an ex-dung heap employee Baldrick, who with a bit of flattery manages to win enough favor with Edmund to be chosen as his squire
for the morning battle.
The next day, both Edmund and Baldrick oversleep. Once woken by Edmund's mother, Gertrude of Flanders
, they rush to the battlefield, Edmund by horse and Baldrick by mule. Edmund is initially eager to fight but, observing the combatants from afar, he comes to the realization that fighting could lead to death. He decides at that moment to remain a spectator.
Richard has won the battle and his kingdom is safe, but has lost his horse. After telling his nephew that he will meet him back at the castle, he wonders off and calls out, "A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!" Noticing an attempt to steal his horse, Edmund draws his sword and decapitates
what he seems to be one of the enemy — who turns out to be none other than his Great Uncle Richard. He tries to revive Richard, but fails.
With Baldrick's help, Edmund hides the body in a cottage but forgot the head, which Percy brings, claiming it to be his triumph until realizing whose head it was. Before they can escape, a disguised Henry Tudor (Peter Benson
), begs to be sheltered in exchange for his land and money, but while Edmund and Baldrick leave, Percy accepts. Returning to the castle, Edmund's older brother Lord Harry Plantagenet, Earl of March
stumbles across Richard III's body, bringing it back as proof of his death. Everyone assumes Henry Tudor to be the murderer, and Edmund gets away with his crime. That night the victorious army swears to the Title of their new King Richard IV of England; Harry and Edmund are promoted to Royal Princes.
Edmund resolves to become more assertive, giving himself the title "The Black Vegetable". Baldrick instead suggests "The Black Adder", which Edmund adopts, although few people are aware of his nom de guerre.
Later, Edmund finds himself haunted by the ghost of his great-uncle (in a manner clearly similar to Macbeth's
haunting by Banquo's ghost
). Realizing Percy brought the wounded Henry Tudor back to the castle Edmund, not knowing who he is, questions his wealth, which Henry immediately denies so as to avoid suspicion. During the celebratory banquet in honor of the new king, a portrait of Henry Tudor is presented for ridicule, and Edmund is horrified to learn that he was sheltering the enemy. Furthermore, when Edmund slips out the secret to his mother that he killed King Richard III, Henry Tudor escapes with this knowledge to use in future to exaggerate the history of his predecessor. Eventually, the ghost of Richard III chases Edmund into a foggy meadow while he pursues Henry, where he meets three witches (Goneril
, Regan
, and Cordelia
), who predict that this "Ruler of men, Ravisher of women, Slayer of kings" shall one day become King. Edmund thus proclaims "History, here I come!" But, when he leaves the meadow, the witches remark among themselves that they had expected Henry Tudor to look different, before realizing that they had prophesied to the wrong person.
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
sitcom Blackadder
Blackadder
Blackadder is the name that encompassed four series of a BBC1 historical sitcom, along with several one-off instalments. All television programme episodes starred Rowan Atkinson as anti-hero Edmund Blackadder and Tony Robinson as Blackadder's dogsbody, Baldrick...
(The Black Adder
The Black Adder
The Black Adder is the first series of the BBC situation comedy Blackadder, written by Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson, directed by Martin Shardlow and produced by John Lloyd...
). It introduces Edmund Blackadder
Edmund Blackadder
Edmund Blackadder is the single name given to a collection of fictional characters who appear in the BBC mock-historical comedy series Blackadder, each played by Rowan Atkinson. Although each series is set within a different period of British history, each character is part of the same familial...
(Edmund renames himself The Blackadder in this episode although his real surname is Plantagenet), and opens with a narrative dispelling the popular depiction of King Richard III of England
Richard III of England
Richard III was King of England for two years, from 1483 until his death in 1485 during the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty...
as a scheming murderer. The premise is that Henry Tudor
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
rewrote history to portray himself as the man who killed Richard III, and the show intends to rectify the situation by telling the real story of the king that succeeded Richard III, and the events that led to Henry Tudor's becoming King Henry VII.
Plot
A feast is held at the castle of King Richard III of England just before the decisive battleBattle of Bosworth Field
The Battle of Bosworth Field was the penultimate battle of the Wars of the Roses, the civil war between the House of Lancaster and the House of York that raged across England in the latter half of the 15th century. Fought on 22 August 1485, the battle was won by the Lancastrians...
with the Lancastrians
House of Lancaster
The House of Lancaster was a branch of the royal House of Plantagenet. It was one of the opposing factions involved in the Wars of the Roses, an intermittent civil war which affected England and Wales during the 15th century...
, led by Henry Tudor
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
. The king (Peter Cook
Peter Cook
Peter Edward Cook was an English satirist, writer and comedian. An extremely influential figure in modern British comedy, he is regarded as the leading light of the British satire boom of the 1960s. He has been described by Stephen Fry as "the funniest man who ever drew breath," although Cook's...
) gives a speech taken verbatim from Shakespeare's play
Richard III (play)
Richard III is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1591. It depicts the Machiavellian rise to power and subsequent short reign of Richard III of England. The play is grouped among the histories in the First Folio and is most often classified...
(for which the credits give due notice). Lord Edmund Plantagenant, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Edmund (Blackadder)
Prince Edmund Plantagenet, Duke of Edinburgh is a fictional character in the first series of the BBC sitcom Blackadder.-Character overview:...
cheers for the King, to the entire court's baffled silence. Edmund's own father, Richard, Duke of York, does not recognize him.
Edmund turns to speak to his friend Lord Percy Percy, Duke of Northumberland. The two are soon joined by an ex-dung heap employee Baldrick, who with a bit of flattery manages to win enough favor with Edmund to be chosen as his squire
Squire
The English word squire is a shortened version of the word Esquire, from the Old French , itself derived from the Late Latin , in medieval or Old English a scutifer. The Classical Latin equivalent was , "arms bearer"...
for the morning battle.
The next day, both Edmund and Baldrick oversleep. Once woken by Edmund's mother, Gertrude of Flanders
Gertrude of Flanders
Gertrude of Flanders is a fictional character in the popular BBC sitcom Blackadder . She was played by Elspet Gray.In the series, she is the Queen of Flanders in her own right and the wife of King Richard of England and Scotland and mother of Princes Harry and Edmund.In attitude, Gertrude mainly...
, they rush to the battlefield, Edmund by horse and Baldrick by mule. Edmund is initially eager to fight but, observing the combatants from afar, he comes to the realization that fighting could lead to death. He decides at that moment to remain a spectator.
Richard has won the battle and his kingdom is safe, but has lost his horse. After telling his nephew that he will meet him back at the castle, he wonders off and calls out, "A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!" Noticing an attempt to steal his horse, Edmund draws his sword and decapitates
Decapitation
Decapitation is the separation of the head from the body. Beheading typically refers to the act of intentional decapitation, e.g., as a means of murder or execution; it may be accomplished, for example, with an axe, sword, knife, wire, or by other more sophisticated means such as a guillotine...
what he seems to be one of the enemy — who turns out to be none other than his Great Uncle Richard. He tries to revive Richard, but fails.
With Baldrick's help, Edmund hides the body in a cottage but forgot the head, which Percy brings, claiming it to be his triumph until realizing whose head it was. Before they can escape, a disguised Henry Tudor (Peter Benson
Peter Benson (actor)
Peter Benson is a British actor probably best known as Bernie Scripps in the popular ITV1 TV-series Heartbeat, a drama about the police in Aidensfield in the 1960s. Benson has played Bernie Scripps in the series since 1995. In the TV-series 'Bernie' Scripps is running Aidensfield Garage, and the...
), begs to be sheltered in exchange for his land and money, but while Edmund and Baldrick leave, Percy accepts. Returning to the castle, Edmund's older brother Lord Harry Plantagenet, Earl of March
Harry, Prince of Wales (Blackadder)
Prince Henry "Harry" Plantagenet, Earl of March was a fictional character played by Robert East in the popular BBC sitcom Blackadder ....
stumbles across Richard III's body, bringing it back as proof of his death. Everyone assumes Henry Tudor to be the murderer, and Edmund gets away with his crime. That night the victorious army swears to the Title of their new King Richard IV of England; Harry and Edmund are promoted to Royal Princes.
Edmund resolves to become more assertive, giving himself the title "The Black Vegetable". Baldrick instead suggests "The Black Adder", which Edmund adopts, although few people are aware of his nom de guerre.
Later, Edmund finds himself haunted by the ghost of his great-uncle (in a manner clearly similar to Macbeth's
Macbeth (character)
Macbeth is the title character in William Shakespeare's Macbeth . The character is based on the historical king Macbeth of Scotland, and is derived largely from the account in Holinshed's Chronicles , a history of Britain. Macbeth is a Scottish noble and a valiant military man. He is portrayed...
haunting by Banquo's ghost
Banquo
Banquo is a character in William Shakespeare's 1606 play Macbeth. In the play, he is at first an ally to Macbeth and they are together when they meet the Three Witches. After prophesying that Macbeth will become king, the witches tell Banquo that he will not be king himself, but that his...
). Realizing Percy brought the wounded Henry Tudor back to the castle Edmund, not knowing who he is, questions his wealth, which Henry immediately denies so as to avoid suspicion. During the celebratory banquet in honor of the new king, a portrait of Henry Tudor is presented for ridicule, and Edmund is horrified to learn that he was sheltering the enemy. Furthermore, when Edmund slips out the secret to his mother that he killed King Richard III, Henry Tudor escapes with this knowledge to use in future to exaggerate the history of his predecessor. Eventually, the ghost of Richard III chases Edmund into a foggy meadow while he pursues Henry, where he meets three witches (Goneril
Goneril
Goneril, or Gonerill, is a fictional character in William Shakespeare’s King Lear. She is the eldest of King Lear's daughters. Along with her sister Regan, Goneril is considered a wicked character. She is obsessed with power and overthrowing her elderly father as ruler of the kingdom...
, Regan
Regan
Regan is an Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Riagáin derived from the Irish personal name Riagáin, which meant "little king".-People:*Bill Regan , a MLB player*Brian Regan, a comedian...
, and Cordelia
Cordelia
Cordelia is a common first name in English. It is an elaboration of the word 'cor', which means 'heart' in Latin. In Celtic usages, the name is generally understood to mean 'daughter of the sea' or 'jewel of the sea' , due to its association with the mythological Welsh figure of...
), who predict that this "Ruler of men, Ravisher of women, Slayer of kings" shall one day become King. Edmund thus proclaims "History, here I come!" But, when he leaves the meadow, the witches remark among themselves that they had expected Henry Tudor to look different, before realizing that they had prophesied to the wrong person.
Cast
- Important characters are in bold.
- Rowan AtkinsonRowan AtkinsonRowan Sebastian Atkinson is a British actor, comedian, and screenwriter. He is most famous for his work on the satirical sketch comedy show Not The Nine O'Clock News, and the sitcoms Blackadder, Mr. Bean and The Thin Blue Line...
as Edmund, Duke of EdinburghPrince Edmund (Blackadder)Prince Edmund Plantagenet, Duke of Edinburgh is a fictional character in the first series of the BBC sitcom Blackadder.-Character overview:...
(soon to become a prince known as "The Black Adder") - Tony RobinsonTony RobinsonTony Robinson is an English actor, comedian, author, broadcaster and political campaigner. He is best known for playing Baldrick in the BBC television series Blackadder, and for hosting Channel 4 programmes such as Time Team and The Worst Jobs in History. Robinson is a member of the Labour Party...
as Baldrick, Bachelor of the Parish of Chigwell - Tim McInnernyTim McInnernyTim McInnerny is an English actor. He is known for his role as Percy in Blackadder and Blackadder II, and as Captain Darling in Blackadder Goes Forth...
as Percy, Duke of Northumberland - Peter CookPeter CookPeter Edward Cook was an English satirist, writer and comedian. An extremely influential figure in modern British comedy, he is regarded as the leading light of the British satire boom of the 1960s. He has been described by Stephen Fry as "the funniest man who ever drew breath," although Cook's...
as King Richard III - Brian BlessedBrian BlessedBrian Blessed is an English actor, known for his sonorous voice and "hearty, king-sized portrayals".-Early life:The son of William Blessed, a socialist miner, and Hilda Wall, Blessed was born in the town of Goldthorpe, West Riding of Yorkshire, England...
as Richard, Duke of York (later King Richard IV) - Elspet GrayElspet GrayElspeth Jean Gray, Baroness Rix is a Scottish actress, known for her work on British television in the 1970s and '80s...
as Gertrude of FlandersGertrude of FlandersGertrude of Flanders is a fictional character in the popular BBC sitcom Blackadder . She was played by Elspet Gray.In the series, she is the Queen of Flanders in her own right and the wife of King Richard of England and Scotland and mother of Princes Harry and Edmund.In attitude, Gertrude mainly...
(later Queen Gertrude) - Robert EastRobert East (actor)Robert Gwyn East East is an accomplished theatre and tv actor. He also wrote Incident at Tulse Hill, first produced at the Hampstead Theatre in December 1981 under the direction of Harold Pinter....
as Henry "Harry", Earl of MarchHarry, Prince of Wales (Blackadder)Prince Henry "Harry" Plantagenet, Earl of March was a fictional character played by Robert East in the popular BBC sitcom Blackadder ....
(later Prince Harry) - Peter BensonPeter Benson (actor)Peter Benson is a British actor probably best known as Bernie Scripps in the popular ITV1 TV-series Heartbeat, a drama about the police in Aidensfield in the 1960s. Benson has played Bernie Scripps in the series since 1995. In the TV-series 'Bernie' Scripps is running Aidensfield Garage, and the...
as Henry Tudor, Earl of RichmondHenry VII of EnglandHenry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor.... - Kathleen St John as Goneril
- Barbara Miller as Regan
- Gretchen FranklinGretchen FranklinGretchen Franklin was an English actress with a career in showbusiness that spanned over eighty years.She was born in Covent Garden, west London, a cousin of the actor Clive Dunn. She was best known for playing the character of Ethel Skinner in the long running BBC One, soap opera, EastEnders...
as Cordelia - Philip Kendall as the Painter
- Rowan Atkinson