Execution of Simon Sudbury
Simon Sudbury, the Archbishop of Canterbury and Chancellor of England, is being executed by a furious peasant mob on Tower Hill during the Peasants' Revolt. The mob, incensed by oppressive taxes and f
Setting
Tower Hill, London, England - a large open space outside the Tower of London, used for public executions. The ground is trampled dirt mixed with patches of dry summer grass. A crude wooden scaffold stands at the center, surrounded by an agitated crowd.
Characters
Simon Sudbury
primary
A heavyset man in his late 50s with thinning gray hair cropped in the clerical tonsure. His florid face shows the marks of gout and high living, with deep-set eyes now wide with terror. His hands, used to holding quills and communion wafers, tremble violently.
Peasant Leader
primary
A rugged man in his late 30s with a wiry, muscular build, sun-leathered skin, and piercing gray eyes that command attention. His dark brown hair is unkempt and streaked with premature gray, partially hidden under a worn leather cap. A jagged scar runs from his left temple to his cheekbone.
Executioner
secondary
A burly peasant in his late 30s with a weathered face and rough hands, his muscular frame tensed with reluctance. His sunken eyes and deep frown lines show the weight of his grim task. A jagged scar runs from his right temple to cheekbone, evidence of past violence.
Rebel Mob
background
A chaotic mass of peasants, primarily men ranging from late teens to middle-aged, with weathered faces and calloused hands from years of labor. Their builds vary from wiry to stocky, with ruddy complexions from sun exposure. Some bear fresh wounds or bruises from recent skirmishes.
Dialog
Simon Sudbury
Par Dieu, good people! We beseech you—this is not meet! The anointed of the Lord must not be handled so!
Peasant Leader
Anointed? Ain't no oil can wash clean the taxman's sins! To the block with 'im!
Simon Sudbury
Miserere nobis... Domine salva nos...
Peasant Leader
Hear that, lads? Latin prayers won't save ye now! The threshing floor awaits the wicked!
Simon Sudbury
We acted only as the king's servant! By the Virgin's mercy—
Peasant Leader
A servant? Aye—servant to the silver in yer coffers! Strike his head from his shoulders!
Simon Sudbury
In manus tuas, Domine—