Vortigern; an historical play

by W. H. (William Henry) Ireland

"Vortigern; an historical play" by W. H. Ireland is a play first performed in 1796. Presented as a newly discovered work by William Shakespeare, it tells the story of Vortigern, a treacherous adviser who murders the King of the Britons to seize the crown. When the king's sons raise an army for revenge, Vortigern enlists Saxon warriors and falls for their leader's daughter. The play was revealed as an elaborate forgery and ridiculed by audiences at its disastrous premiere.