Cultural depictions of Richard III of England of Tudor England, Ben Jonson wrote a play about Richard entitled "Richard Crookback". His portrayal of the king is unknown, as it was never published. However, it is unlikely to have departed from the negative portrayal of Richard, and probably followed the same pattern as Jonson's only other tragedies, written at the same period, "Catiline His Conspiracy" and "Sejanus His Fall", both of which are about ruthless usurpers who finally receive just retribution. Several ballads about the battle of Bosworth also survive from this period, some of which may date back to the immediate aftermath of the battle. Perhaps the
The Troublesome Reign of King John The Troublesome Reign of King John The Troublesome Reign of John, King of England, commonly called The Troublesome Reign of King John (c. 1589) is an Elizabethan history play, probably by George Peele, that is generally accepted by scholars as the source and model that William Shakespeare employed for his own "King John" (c. 1596). The play was printed three times in quarto in Shakespeare's era: Q1, 1591, was published by the stationer Sampson Clarke, with no attribution of authorship. The title page of Q1 states that the play was performed by Queen Elizabeth's Men. Although "The Troublesome Reign" is