For Love of the King

Imagine being torn away from the person you love most in the world! The pain would be just too terrible to bear! This is exactly what happens to Shah Mah Phru after she falls passionately in love with King Meng Geng The king promises to return but time passes, and he never does. One day, Shah Mah Phru spots a group of horsemen riding her way, and she is overcome with joy thinking her lover has finally returned, however the horsemen bring news she could never have predicted. Oscar Wilde wrote 'For Love of the King' for his friend Mabel Cosgrove, and it was not published until after his death, in the 1920's.
Its publication sparked a great deal of controversy that resulted in a trial because Mabel Cosgrove was accused of having written the play herself. A great read for any short story and Oscar Wilde fan. Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) was an Irish playwright, novelist, essayist, and poet, famous for 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' and 'The Importance of Being Earnest' to name a couple. He died in Paris at the age of 46. The Importance of Being Earnest is Oscar Wilde's most popular and enduring play.
Poking fun at the ridiculousness of human nature, especially that of the Victorian elite, it is both incredibly clever and undeniably silly. It has been performed and made into films and for television many times, most recently in the 2002 film starring Colin Firth, Reese Witherspoon and Judi Dench.