Finally a new, exciting historical TV series: Mary & George is set is set in England in the 1600s, just after the time of Sir Walter Raleigh and William Shakespeare. The series was shot in England, in the estate of Knole in Kent and in Ham House in Richmond in Southwest London. And let’s get this out of the way: No, I haven’t done any research for this historical series. If I had, the initial research would probably have gone something like this.
Engraving by Jacobus Houbraken. CC BY 4.0, Wellcome Collection.
Before an actor can do a historical role, he has to have an understanding of the time period.
He has to understand that as modern people, we can move freely. And we can choose.
We can choose to move cities.
We can choose go on holiday.
We can choose move to another country.
We can choose not to have contact with our parents.
We can choose who we marry (even as women).
We can choose to use birth control.
We can choose to believe in God or not.
We can pay for things with our own money (even as women).
We can make our own choices.
As an actor, you have to forget all these modern possibilities. If you’re going to play a man from the 17th century, you have to forget all that.
You have to understand how tightly knit society was back then.
How you were just a cog in the machine, with no individual will.
You have to understand how the women and the elderly in your family saw you as their life insurance, their pension, and a tool to live their lives in economic prosperity.
How little opportunity you had to make decisions for yourself.
How the church was involved in every decision, and if not the church, then the royal court or your extended family.
You need to understand how few opportunities there were to make something of yourself, to achieve any kind of success.
You need to understand how strongly society would obstruct any attempt to climb to the top…
So if you’re an actor and you want to play a person born in 1592, there’s more to forget first. There’s more to tear down before you can build a new image of that person in your head.
My role as a historian is to help you understand the past.
I help the actors by asking lots of questions.
I have not worked with the Mary & George cast (but 👋 hey Nicholas Galitzine, if you’re interested, email me). I haven’t watched the show yet either, because I wanted to write this essay first. This is just a research drill for myself, to see what I could do for an actor who wants to play a social climber from 1600.
Some of the questions below would also apply if I were working with a scriptwriter who wanted to start creating the plot.
So let’s start asking questions. Let’s start by circling the protagonist, George Villiers, with our queries, so that we can begin to understand this man from the past.
In bed with the King of England
Actor Nicholas Galitzine said about the plot: »George Villiers very much used sex as a weapon.« More than 14 (!) sexual partners, both men and women, would be seduced by Villiers during the show. When a protagonist instrumentalises sexual encounters so much, the subject should be backed up by strong historical research. Let’s dive in.
→ Research: After 1600, how did society value sex? Especially at the royal court. Was sex an open part of the aristocracy’s pleasures, or something that happened behind closed doors? What about homosexual encounters? Find examples — especially scandals — from this period.
How did the church view sex? Are the different religions still relevant, or is the king more powerful than the church? Look for examples that illustrate the fragile balance at court in the relationship between the king and the church.
Sex as a weapon
Thinking this through to the end… if George is using sex as an instrument or a tool, what if it goes horribly wrong? What if he gets older and isn’t pretty any more (ok, that doesn’t apply because he died aged 35)? And if we take this to the extreme, what if he contracts a sexually transmitted disease?
- So we’d — well, I’d — have to research the following. Would someone like George Villiers have been aware of venereal diseases at the time? Did he perhaps know or meet someone who was disfigured by syphilis?
- Research the most common diseases that George could have contracted through sex with men and women. Research awareness at the time. Research the visible signs of chlamydia, crabs, scabies, gonorrhoea, herpes or syphilis, and deliver sample images (see a few below).
- Research how common venereal diseases were among the aristocracy in England in the 1600s. (Because the later stages of syphilis, for example, can deform bones, we may even see this in skeletons from this period. Check excavation reports from around 1600).
- Look for quotations about venereal disease in medical books and picture sources from the period 1600–1630. Find images that illustrate this.
To take this to the extreme, let’s say George did get an venereal disease. Would he have continued to use sex as a weapon, knowing he had it?
From what I know of George Villiers, I would suspect that he would continue to use sex as a tool to achieve his goals. He would have ignored obvious, visible signs on his own body that indicated illness. Why would he do that? Because he saw himself as the Golden Boy. Someone who was untouchable. Someone who would not be affected by ordinary things like sickness and disease. He would have denied being infected. At the same time, he would not hesitate to put his sexual partners at risk.
If it was a research session with an actor, we would have explored George’s backstory and potential inner thoughts. If a screenwriter of Mary & George had consulted me, I would definitely have encouraged them to explore that. If I can’t find sources specific to George, then I would try to back this up with similar cases or other biographies from the same time and place.
As said, the consulting sessions with me are part research, part character building. If you want to be notified when the next available slots for sessions arise, then leave your email here and we will notify you.
What’s the worst that could happen?
Since I’m not showing a complete research, but just the beginning of one, let’s see what my brain can come up with.
- Original sources: I can already think of an etching from this period showing a syphilic patient. George could have been exposed to such images in printed pamphlets and perhaps books.
- A quick search in a specialist medical database shows written sources about the disease as early as 1450, and several more from the 1500s and early 1600s. This means I can definitely find quotes about what was known in print at the time. As a member of the aristocracy, George Villiers would have been able to read them himself, or would have had access to a medical professional who had read those publications.
- Additionally, a quick literature search reveals a book on Syphilis in Shakespeare’s England (opens PDF). It can provide countless examples exactly from the social circles Mary & George Villiers frequented.
- This means, in a short time, I would have been able to answer these questions. By doing so, I could have provided the factual basis for creating additional conflict that would have been entirely plausible in the 1600s.
- By providing the facts, the scriptwriter would have been able to add additional, crucial scenes that would not only reveal more about common health problems in the 1600s, but also more about George’s personality, how he would treat his sexual partners, and how he saw himself.
- To sum things up, here are a few images from the 19th century that might be of help to the scriptwriter or the actor, when trying to understand the severity of the disease, and what it meant for the protagonist.
Jep, I have spared you the ugly images of people’s private parts. You get the idea… Anyhow, these would be first thoughts on a topic like Mary & George. If you want to play a historical person, or write a script about one, I’d be happy to help. Character development based on historical facts is my speciality. If we haven’t met, hi 👋 I am Barbara, a historian, writer and historical consultant. My research has been woven into over 130 books, scripts and film projects. Together with actors, writers or filmmakers, I work in 1:1 sessions or send them hand-picked digital materials, so that they can understand the people from the past a bit better. If this sounds intriguing, tell me more information about the period and setting you’re interested in. Contact me here.
The sky is the limit… but really: What’s possible for George?
Parvenus — social climbers. This best describes Mary & George. They were ordinary people who managed to get the attention of a powerful man, which led to a meteoric rise. They managed to get close to the sun and got burned.
The question is: Did George have any inkling of what was possible? Were there examples of members of the lesser nobility who managed to become successful and rich simply by impressing the King of England? Were there other favourites to whom the king visibly gave money and, well, favours? If so, I would look for patterns and summarise everything for the actor (or screenwriter). I’d research the rise of these men. And their downfall.
Dancing on the edge of the world
There’s no playbook for parvenus. Mary & George actually carved the path as they walked it. For them, the road went up, up, up… but it was lonely at the top. George could trust no one; he was desperate to consolidate his own position. How does he react in his desperation? His hunger for power? His desire for more?
Before and during(!) George was the favourite: was he the only one? What other people were his rivals? Men? Women?
Was there a time when George was almost unstoppable? A time when he was the king’s only favourite? Was there ever a period during his meteroric rise when George could rest? Or was he always on the lookout for his rivals‘ moves? Their attacks?
→ Research: Find examples of the size of the network of people who usually surround a king.
Inside, was the network relatively stable or fragile?
Was the network open? How would a new person enter the circle?
Do we have examples of someone losing their position as a favourite and being forcibly pushed out of this small circle?
From when to when were Mary & George practically unstoppable? (This could be a pivotal scene — it would be great if I could provide historical examples for these scenes, so that a screenwriter could write several, intense scenes about this. An actor could play this and create a deep, powerful, moving moment in the film).
Experiencing power
Once in power, how does George behave? What does he think of himself? How do other English noblemen see him?
Several sources show that George made several decisions later in his career that were detrimental to England (a series of mistakes in 1625–28, for example the death of 4,000 soldiers). Are there early signs (foreshadowing?!) that he is beautiful, yes, but not necessarily qualified to solve political, diplomatic or military problems?
Is there a moment when George begins to understand that he has taken on a task beyond his abilities?
After that: How does George himself deal with failure? Does he take responsibility? Does he face the consequences afterwards? Or does he cover it up? How does Mary react?
Do other people (gentry? normal people?) call him incompetent — to his face or behind his back? How does he react?
Does the king rescue him from critical situations after George’s failure? If so, how? What do the other noblemen say?
→ Research crucial situations that serve as turning points, so that the scriptwriter can write them, or the actor can study them to understand George better.
Staying in power
What is George doing to stay in power? Extend his power? Create a safety net for himself?
Is he doing this together with his mother, or doesn’t he trust anyone? Are there any cracks in the bond between Mary and George? As soon as outside pressure occurs: Is there a moment of betrayal between the powerful mother-son duo?
Does George witness a moment when the king pushes away, punishes or kills someone he trusted before? (Raleigh? Sir Francis? Who else?) If not witnessed personally, are there moments he could have heard of? When is the turning point that makes George realise how fragile his position is?
Again, what’s the worst that could happen?
This is an insight into how I would have approached a period film like Mary & George. Of course, there are many more ways to approach the subject. And many more questions to research. — Anyway, these were the first things that came to mind. If you’re an actor, scriptwriter or filmmaker who wants to plan their next period drama, and you think your work could benefit from a conversation with me, then please reach out. You can see that a historical consultant can, too, work without having read the screenplay; this preliminary research was just based on the information: England between 1600 and 1630; a person who rises to power like George Villiers at the court of the English king. And now that I have finished this essay, I can finally watch the series 💪.
Cheers,
Barbara