ABSTRACT
Perhaps more than any other period in British history, the seventeenth century can be regarded as a drama, continually unfolding its complex plot. Unity results from the ongoing theme of conflict between king and Parliament. Diversity is provided by shifting subplots. Dramatic scenes and fascinating characters abound. The first act ends with a horrifying spectacle, the only public execution of a monarch in the history of the British Isles. A revolution terminates Act II.
