In the Kings courtyard
(King and Jester enter)
Jester: You seem troubled my lord.
King: Oh troubles! To rule a kingdom so large brings on many hardships, the peasants, my sickness, the feuding families, the wars, my wife dying. It all crushes my faith. Oh jester I am lucky to have you, you always brighten my day no matter how dismal it seems. Oh I thank you old friend for your services, even in my illness.
Jester: I only work for your happiness my lord.
Nurse: (off stage) my lord it is time for your daily treatment.
King: (to nurse) Ay, I will come. (To jester) Good day.
(King exits)
Jester: Good day my lord. Oh retched lies! Oh hatred! To live my life in choler! To serve the one man I hate so. He says I�m his old friend, but he gives me no respect or fare. I have served him for over 10 years and ever since the day I met him I have wanted his position, to have power. Oh to have power! To rule the land, take charge and fight the problems of the land. Although, I may still be able to gain power, yes, it would be simple. All I have to do is kill the king. Once he is gone his position will be available for the taking. It must be in secret, no one must know. When they find his body I�ll just say �Oh the fair king is gone, oh sorrow, oh grief.� And when there is no king I will volunteer for the position. The people will claim me a hero, and great fully allow me to become king. But how shall I do it? I could sneak into his room whilst he sleeps. One stab to the heart and he�s gone. The swain will be gone!
(Enter Gregory, one of the king�s guards)
Jester: I must find a place more secluded the royal guard comes.
(Jester tries to leave but Gregory sees him)
Gregory: Hello, Godfrey. Have you seen his majesty lately? I have news for him.
Jester: (nervously) Oh, what news?
Gregory: The army is ready to move out; they need his consent to do so.
Jester: (relived) Oh, well. He went with the nurse a little while ago for his treatment.
Gregory: Good, thank you noble Godfrey. I will seek him there.
(Gregory exits. Enter Prince Richard.)
Prince: Good day jester.
Jester: Good day, my lord.
Prince: How is my father doing?
Jester: He is doing well enough.
Prince: Good. I have seen little of him for days you know.
Jester: Yes, I do, my lord.
Nobleman: (off stage) Prince Richard. It is time for your lessons.
Prince: Well, it would seem I must be going, farewell.
(Prince Richard exits.)
Jester: Damn! I had forgotten about the Prince. No matter, I shall take care of him soon enough. For now I shall focus on the king. I must be off to prepare.
(Jester exits.)
In a hallway in the caste, that night
(Jester enters holding a knife.)
Jester: It is done. The foul deed is done. The retched king is dethroned. All I must do now is get the prince out of the way. I must not kill him, for he�ll be under extreme guard once they find the dead king. I must frame him. Make it seem like he murdered his father to gain the kingship. I must tell the royal guard this, after I have been informed about the murder.
(Screams are heard off stage. He puts the knife in his pocket)
Ah. It would seem someone has found the king. I shall rest until tomorrow.
(He starts to walk off stage when the nurse stops him)
Nurse: Oh, Godfrey. It�s horrible, an atrocity.
Jester: What is it fare Rosaline?
Nurse: The king has been murdered!
Jester: Murdered!?
Nurse: Aye. We must tell someone.
Jester: Rosaline, you tell the maidens, and I shall tell the prince.
Nurse: Oh, thank you.
(Exeunt)
In the prince�s quarters, later that night
(The prince is sitting on a chair. The jester enters)
Jester: My lord, I have terrible news.
Prince: Is it about my father?
Jester: Aye. He is dead.
Prince: By illness?
Jester: By murder.
Prince: The day I have much feared is here. My father is dead and now I am the king. Oh jester, I never wanted to be king. I only want to go to my studies and write, and live like a normal person. Oh, what am I to do?
Jester: My lord, you should rest for tomorrow you become king. I will tell the guard.
Prince: Oh thank you noble jester. Aye, I shall rest.
(Gregory is standing outside of the king�s quarters. Enter the jester.)
Jester: Gregory, I have some disturbing news.
Gregory: What is it Godfrey?
Jester: The prince is the murderer.
Gregory: What?!
Jester: He just admitted it to me in his quarters. And he gave me the knife he used to do it.
Gregory: Oh this is a grave injustice. The treacherous prince killed his own father, I must confront him.
Jester: No! It is too soon. He will deny it! You should wait until tomorrow to confront him, let him rest for now.
Gregory: Aye, I shall. You are very wise Godfrey. I will inform the rest of the guard. Thank you, Godfrey. You are brave to break the prince�s trust.
Jester: Think nothing of it. I�m only here to help.
(Gregory exits.)
(Opens to a meeting room were the nobles are discussing who would become king. The jester enters)
Gregory: Who shall be the new king?
Nobleman: I think we should make our decision based on who the wealthiest is.
Gregory: No! We should base it on who has had the most experience consulting the king.
(They agree)
Nobleman: But who has had the most experience with the king?
Jester: I have!
(All nobles stop and look at the jester)
Jester: I have been with the king for ten years. I helped him with almost every one of his decisions. I am well educated.
(The nobles talk amongst themselves for a while.)
Noble: We�ve come to a decision jester.
Gregory: You are the most qualified to be the king.
(Open on the jester and the nurse)
Nurse: They put Prince Richard in our castles jail today.
Jester: Good, he deserved to be locked up after what he did.
Nurse: He said something odd while they were throwing him in.
Jester: Really?
Nurse: Aye.
Jester: What did he say?
Nurse: He said that he was framed, that he did not kill his father, someone else did.
Jester: Did he say who he thought it was?
Nurse: Aye, it was odd. He said that it was
(Pause)
Jester: Who?
Nurse: You.
Jester: That�s ridiculous! I was in my room the entire time, you saw me.
Nurse: I saw you lurking around after it happened.
Jester: Do you accuse me?
Nurse: Well�
Jester: Ugh. You know I didn�t do it.
Nurse: It just seems odd that you would be up and about that late. What were you doing up anyhow?
Jester: (Unsure) I was...umm� (He thinks)
Nurse: Oh heavens, it was you.
Jester: (Shamefully.) Yes, it was.
Nurse: Why?
Jester: I wanted power.
Nurse: I will go tell the guard.
Jester: Now wait a minute Rosaline. I can�t just let you leave now can I?
Nurse: What are you going to do?
Jester: You will suffer the fate of the king.
(Darkness, a loud scream is heard.)
(Gregory is standing over the nurse�s body.)
Gregory: This is odd.
(Nobleman
Noble: I found this knife in the reservoir.
(He takes out the knife.)
Gregory: I recognize that knife. It is the one that was used to kill King John. But the prince is locked up; he couldn�t have escape and kill the nurse. The only possible answer, although I regret to say it, is that Godfrey killed the king.
(Pause)
Gregory: We must take action. We must release the prince and overthrow the king.
(Exeunt)
(The prince and Gregory are standing across the stage from the jester)
Prince: Treacherous one!
(The jester tries to run but Gregory blocks his path)
Prince: (taking out a knife) you! It was you that killed my father and the nurse. You will pay for your sins against mankind, with your life.
(The prince tries to stab the jester but Gregory stops him.)
Gregory: Wait! If he shall pay, we shall not kill him (the jester makes a sigh of relief) but lock him up for life. (The jester groans.)
Prince: Taking the route of lifelong suffering, I like that.
Jester: Wait!
Gregory: What do you want na�ve?
Jester: Let me say one thing in my defense.
Prince: What?
Jester: It was not my fault that I killed the king, it was his own. I lived in that castle for ten long years, being treated like a servant. Do you know what working for the king got me?
Gregory: What?
Jester: (Yelling) Nothing!
Prince: Take him away!
Gregory: We have done justice today.
Prince: Aye.
(Pause)
Gregory: Well it�s time to get back to work your majesty.
Prince: Aye, it is.
End