The Plot
Fletcher portrays Valentinian as a lustful and rapacious tyrant, comparable to the King in The Maid's Tragedy. His Empire is decadent and collapsing, his soldiers mutinous. Valentinian rapes the virtuous Lucina; she then commits suicide. Lucina's husband, the upright soldier Maximus, devotes himself to obtaining revenge against the Emperor, though his friend Aecius tries to dissuade him. Maximus finally succeeds as Valentinian dies a painful and drawn-out death by poison. Maximus is crowned by the Senate for overthrowing the tyrant, only to die himself soon after.
(Curiously, the play was published with an Epilogue suited to a comedy – an apparent print-shop blunder.)
Read more about this topic: Valentinian (play)
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