The Lion in Winter

The Lion in Winter Summary | Act 1, Scene 1 Summary

This play places several historical characters, principally King Henry II of England and his queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine, into the fictionalized context of a family gathering at Christmas and dramatizes the personal and political conflicts that result. In a series of wittily written confrontations, the characters manipulate each other like pieces on a chessboard, constantly seeking weaknesses in each other and jockeying for advantage. By the end of the play the situation is the same as when it started--nothing has been resolved, but everybody, including the audience, has enjoyed the game.

The first scene takes place in the bedchamber of Henry's mistress, Alais (Alice). As Alais tries on a small crown, Henry tells her she's making a futile gesture and tells her to hurry. She says she's going to stay in her room and he can send up reports of what's happening, but he insists, saying he doesn't want to argue with her because he's got enough enemies as it is. When Alice wonders just how much of an enemy she could be, Henry tells her not much, saying she doesn't matter to the others but only to him, adding that of the many women with whom he's had affairs, he's loved none but her. Alais refers to one of those women, Rosamund, and to Eleanor. After commenting about he kept Eleanor imprisoned for 10 years and about how curious he is to see how she's aged, Henry talks about his and Eleanor's differing plans for their kingdom, how Henry wants their son, John, to be king but Eleanor wants their son, Richard. He refers to how Alais would be married to John if he became king, and Alais says she doesn't care for John and only wants to be with Henry. Henry tells her that isn't possible, reminding her that as part of his agreement with Alais' brother, King Philip of France, she is to marry the heir to the throne or else Henry has to return a key piece of land, the Vexin. This leads him to comment that he's always fallen in love with women who have the rights to land, not just Alais and the Vexin but also Eleanor and the Aquitaine, the largest and wealthiest province in France.

Alais suggests that he adored Eleanor, but Henry says he can't recall and then says that he wants Alais to come downstairs with him and be by his side when he confronts his wife and children. He says that before he dies he's got to know who's going to inherit his kingdom and says again it has to be John, talking about how much they love each other. Alais tells him none of his children love him, but Henry says that just because they fight it doesn't mean they don't care. This leads Alais to comment that she's going to fight to stay with Henry, but he assures her that his plans will enable them to stay together as well as make John king and Richard powerless. She asks when it's safe to believe him, and he says it's always safe, even when he lies. He goes on to talk about how his enemies may be smarter or more ruthless or more dishonest, but he will still beat them all and have his way. He says history will call him "a master bastard" and then invites her to go down to meet the family with him.