The Prince of Parthia

At the royal court, affection and political ambition feed the same quarrel. Thomas Godfrey's verse tragedy places Evanthe at the centre of rival hopes: Vardanes learns that his father, the king, also loves her, while Queen Thermusa's jealousy threatens to turn the court against itself. Vardanes sees a chance to exploit that anger by casting suspicion on his brother Arsaces. Elevated speeches, appeals to the gods and sudden changes of mood give these confrontations their theatrical form.

The edition also supplies an account of Godfrey's short life and the play's early stage history, including its Philadelphia performance in 1767. Within the drama, Evanthe's reunion with her father offers a tender scene beside the plotting that surrounds her. Readers interested in early American theatre will find both a play shaped by older dramatic conventions and an introduction that explains how friends, publishers and performers brought its author's work before the public.