Alphonsus, Emperor of Germany, a Jacobean revenge tragedy attributed to George Chapman, unveils a chilling tale of ambition and treachery. Set within the turbulent Holy Roman Empire, the play chronicles the ruthless ascent of Alphonsus, a cunning Spanish prince consumed by a thirst for power and revenge. Through murder, manipulation, and Machiavellian schemes, he eliminates his rivals and claims the imperial throne. The play is a dark exploration of the corrupting influence of absolute power and the moral compromises made in its pursuit.
George Chapman (1559-1634) was an English dramatist, translator, and poet, identified by some as the Rival Poet of Shakespeare's Sonnets. This is a facsimile edition of the 1654 printing of Alphonsus, Emperor of Germany, described as "the least unhistorical" of early plays purportedly founded on German history.