| "The Foretelling" | |||
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| Episode no. | Series 1 Episode 1 |
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| Written by | Rowan Atkinson Richard Curtis (with additional dialogue from William Shakespeare) |
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| Original air date | 15 June 1983 | ||
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| List of Blackadder episodes | |||
"The Foretelling" was the first episode of the first series of the BBC sitcom Blackadder (The Black Adder). It introduces Edmund Blackadder (Edmund renames himself The Blackadder in this episode although his real surname is Plantagenet), and opens with a narrative dispelling the popular depiction of King Richard III of England as a scheming murderer. The premise is that Henry Tudor rewrote history to portray himself as the man who killed Richard III, and the show intends to rectify the situation by telling the real story of the king that succeeded Richard III, and the events that led to Henry Tudor's becoming King Henry VII.
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A feast is held at the castle of King Richard III of England just before the decisive battle with the Lancastrians, led by Henry Tudor. The king (Peter Cook) gives a speech taken verbatim from Shakespeare's play (for which the credits give due notice). Lord Edmund Plantagenant, Duke of Edinburgh cheers for the King, to the entire court's baffled silence. Edmund's own father, Richard, Duke of York, does not recognize him.
Edmund turns to speak to his friend Lord Percy Percy, Duke of Northumberland. The two are soon joined by an ex-dung heap employee Baldrick, who with a bit of flattery manages to win enough favor with Edmund to be chosen as his squire for the morning battle.
The next day, both Edmund and Baldrick oversleep. Once woken by Edmund's mother, Gertrude of Flanders, they rush to the battlefield, Edmund by horse and Baldrick by mule. Edmund is initially eager to fight but, observing the combatants from afar, he comes to the realization that fighting could lead to death. He decides at that moment to remain a spectator.
Richard has won the battle and his kingdom is safe, but has lost his horse. After telling his nephew that he will meet him back at the castle, he wonders off and calls out, "A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!" Noticing an attempt to steal his horse, Edmund draws his sword and decapitates what he seems to be one of the enemy — who turns out to be none other than his Great Uncle Richard. He tries to revive Richard, but fails.
With Baldrick's help, Edmund hides the body in a cottage but forgot the head, which Percy brings, claiming it to be his triumph until realizing whose head it was. Before they can escape, a disguised Henry Tudor (Peter Benson), begs to be sheltered in exchange for his land and money, but while Edmund and Baldrick leave, Percy accepts. Returning to the castle, Edmund's older brother Lord Harry Plantagenet, Earl of March stumbles across Richard III's body, bringing it back as proof of his death. Everyone assumes Henry Tudor to be the murderer, and Edmund gets away with his crime. That night the victorious army swears to the Title of their new King Richard IV of England; Harry and Edmund are promoted to Royal Princes.
Edmund resolves to become more assertive, giving himself the title "The Black Vegetable". Baldrick instead suggests "The Black Adder", which Edmund adopts, although few people are aware of his nom de guerre.
Later, Edmund finds himself haunted by the ghost of his great-uncle (in a manner clearly similar to Macbeth's haunting by Banquo's ghost). Realizing Percy brought the wounded Henry Tudor back to the castle Edmund, not knowing who he is, questions his wealth, which Henry immediately denies so as to avoid suspicion. During the celebratory banquet in honor of the new king, a portrait of Henry Tudor is presented for ridicule, and Edmund is horrified to learn that he was sheltering the enemy. Furthermore, when Edmund slips out the secret to his mother that he killed King Richard III, Henry Tudor escapes with this knowledge to use in future to exaggerate the history of his predecessor. Eventually, the ghost of Richard III chases Edmund into a foggy meadow while he pursues Henry, where he meets three witches (Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia), who predict that this "Ruler of men, Ravisher of women, Slayer of kings" shall one day become King. Edmund thus proclaims "History, here I come!" But, when he leaves the meadow, the witches remark among themselves that they had expected Henry Tudor to look different, before realizing that they had prophesied to the wrong person.
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