Lion_in_the_Winter

This book, The Lion in Winter is a play about a messed up family at Christmas. Goldman effectively uses references to the jungle and its creatures in portraying all the characters of this play. The characters divined by Goldman are indeed “jungle creatures”, making intrigue, fueled by ambition, desire and good old-fashioned family dysfunction. As Eleanor observes in matter-of-fact way, “It’s 1183, and we are barbarians.” All the characters in this story are simply hungry for power: Henry, Eleanor, Richard, John, Geoffrey, and Phillip. Throughout the story, there are many ultimatums, underlying motives, and broken promises which equal out to total manipulation. This play explores themes of dysfunctional family, dogmatic movement, war and peace, as well as aging, death and inheritance. As the principle characters plot, scheme, conspire, and counter-plot between each other, the entrenched emotional ties between them start to show in the radical arena, such that sibling rivalry and marital jealousy translate into civil war, treason, and perhaps even murder among the members of a royal nuclear family. Goldman gets the attention of his audience immediately and effectively by making it obvious that power is a central theme that defines the whole plot of his play. Every single character is struggling for power, some quite skillfully. Perhaps the least skillful character is Alais. With an economy of words, Henry's first line to Alais — "You must know that's a futile gesture. Come along" (108; 2, 4). — sets the audience up for power struggles ahead. Alais would like to be Queen and also to be Henry's wife. But compared to the incredibly scheming Eleanor, she totally out of her game. Bigger than Alais's wish for the crown, however, is the intense power struggle between Henry and Eleanor. Two willful, conniving, and intelligent people, locked in a struggle for power, who also still love each other although their love seems perilously close to hate — what could possibly be more compelling' They have stalemated each other into a corner. But there are even times in the story when it seems that Goldman tempts the reader with the suggestion that Henry may actually love Eleanor more than Alais. Henry is every bit as complex as Eleanor; they are well matched and made for each other. Another interesting internal dichotomy of Eleanor's is her genuine love for her husband's mistress. Eleanor: I don't much like our children. Only you — the child I raised but didn't bear. Alais: You never cared for me. Eleanor: I did and I do. (109; 2.4) Eleanor calls Henry a "marvel of a man" (193; 2.1). Henry recalls Eleanor's spellbinding beauty when he first met her. These two walk a tightrope of love, rage, and desire for power — the tension that holds this story together. Over here, we can see Goldman’s another effective way to hold keep the reader busy. Goldman has done a fantastic job in setting up the reader’s continual interest in the plot. Some of the most interesting things about this play are the internal conflicts that Henry and Eleanor struggle with. Although they are locked in a power struggle, they still, underneath all their plotting and scheming, love each other. It seems incredible that these two can so love and hate each other at the same time. They all feel rejected and unloved by one another, and yet they all perpetuate this dynamic by using each other in elaborate political power games expressive of their deep-seated resentment toward each other for depriving them of real love. That is Goldman’s message in the play. In conclusion, it can be said that this play is rich with aspects that make it an exceptional story: complex characters with interesting internal and external conflicts, captivating dialog that often does double duty, and a agonizing and dangerous look at the human condition and some irresolvable stalemates. These cover Goldman’s message that the hunger for power can Goldman shows all these aspects with his effective use of satire and humor throughout the play.