Conclusion

History and fiction are, by definition, two warring elements. As a result, historical fiction may sound like a quixotic idea. There has been, nonetheless, a rather substantial amount of historical reconstructions ranging from novels and comics, to films and television series. The genre is not a novel one and there is an abundance of historical novels that prove the legitimacy of this assertion. Sir Walter Scott, for instance, was doubtless the most influential historical novelist of the 19th century. Blackadder belongs to an especial variety of satirical television series sitcom and, to my knowledge, has not been emulated since.
After having watched the entire series for the eleventh time, I find that there are still references and details that I had not previously discovered or paid attention to. The articles in this blog are a reflection of my understanding and appreciation of the second half of the series series.
The pervading theme in Blackadder is comedy, which is the grounds on which all commentaries and satire are based.
 This short essay will show to what extent Blackadder qualifies as a commendable representation of historical events.

Thanks to the sitcom format, the writers were able to create a variety of situation wherein the protagonists each fall into a certain social category. So far I have not mentioned the second season.
Blackadder II (succeeded by the telling under-title "Being a true and japesome historie of Elizabethan Englande") is set in England during the reign of Elizabeth I. We have the occasion to see an insightful depiction of the interaction between all the protagonists I have mentioned above. Queen Elizabeth I, whose portrayal by actress Miranda Richardson has been described by co-star Steven Fry
as superior to all previous performances including that of Helen Mirren and Cate Blanchett, is depicted in the series as a capricious and ruthless ruler. She is almost always followed by her nurse whom she calls 'nursy'. The other main characters are: Lord Blackadder, Lord Percy, Lord Melchett and, naturally, Baldrick. The portrait of the Queen is quite uncanny, the way she effortlessly threatens to behead anyone who offend her - regardless of their station and no matter how august they are - on a whim is evidently exaggerated but that is precisely the point.

 The real Elizabeth I might not have been that excitable but the breathtakingly unrelenting performance of Miranda Richardson breathes life into one's vision of the monarch, and few can boast to have made such an effect of the public. In a documentary on the series, the actress has remarked that she sometimes meet fans who make complete fools of themselves trying to duplicate her lines.
In the first episode of Blackadder II, Blackadder nurses a secret love for his new servant 'Bob', a women disguised as a boy who feels the same way (an obvious reference to Shakespeare's Twelfth Night). As everybody knows, homosexuality was very much frowned upon during that epoch. In order to 'cure' his 'condition' and save his reputation, Blackadder visits a healer who advises him frequent leeching. There are also numerous references to the persecution of Catholics. A specific theme is to be found in all four season, indeed portions of dialogue regarding the lower-classes are recurrent throughout the entire series. In Blackadder the Third for example: Blackadder addresses Prince George after an attempt on his life by anarchists "These are volatile times, your Highness, the American revolution lost your royal father the colonies, the French Revolution murdered brave king Louis[...]The whole world cries out 'peace, freedom and a few less fat bastards eating all the pie' "
The degree of exaggeration can be ridiculous and hilarious: "they are so poor they're forced to have children simply to provide a cheap alternative to turkey at Christmas. disease and deprivation stalk our land like two giant stalking things and the working man is poised to overthrow us."

There has been isolated criticisms regarding the lack of respect with regard to historical accuracy; especially with the final season, Blackadder Goes Forth.
The debate even took political proportion when Education Secretary Michael Gove, during the occasion of a commemoration, said
 "The conflict has, for many, been seen through the fictional prism of dramas such as Oh! What a Lovely War, The Monocled Mutineer and Blackadder as misbegotten shambles -a series of catastrophic mistakes perpretated by an out of touch elite." "Left wing academics all too happy to feed those myths by attacking Britain's role in the conflict"


While M Gove is perfectly entitled to his beliefs, individuals such as Blackadder star Sir Tony Robinson (see articles below) or the writers beg to differ. Blackadder, as Sir Tony so rightly said, is simply just another teaching tool. The series can teach someone history up to a point. It is up to the individual to form an opinion for himself by relying on more academic pieces. Blackadder, or any other historical fiction materials for that matter, do not presume to present themselves as authorities on History, the whole point is to create, not to retell. I am reminded of the debate (which can be found on YouTube) that followed Monty Python's Life of Brian, during the course of which Micheal Palin and John Cleese try to (or rather succeed to) defend their film against the wrath of the ecclesiastical world. Brian is not the Galilean Carpenter in the same way that Blackadder's Melchett is the quintessential WWI general.

Sources:
"Micheal Gove blasts "Blackadder myths"...":
Link: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2532923/Michael-Gove-blasts-Blackadder-myths-First-World-War-spread-television-sit-coms-left-wing-academics.html#ixzz2poRFJAcE

"Blackadder star Sir Tony Robinson in Michael Gove WWI row"
 Link: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-25612369

Dish and Dishonesty

The first episode deals with one of Britain's most notorious electoral singularity.
Rotten boroughs were, in most cases, small constituencies with very few inhabitants which nevertheless could boast of having representation in the Parliament. Those tiny boroughs often harbored a candidate or two for the House of Commons whose titles were either hereditary or, acquired through bribery. Their election posed no difficulties as they stood unopposed and told the voters what to do anyhow; hence the term 'rotten'.
Furthermore, as Blackadder said himself about people eligible to vote: "virtually no one is: women, peasants, (making a gesture towards Baldrick) chimpanzees, Lords...".
Prior to the Great Reform Act of 1832, the best known rotten borough was Old Sarum; a constituency with the stupendous record for the possession of a mere 11 voters.
For the purpose of didactic over-exaggeration of facts and, of course, comedy, the population Dunny-on-the-wold (the fictional borough mentioned in this first episode) is "three rather mangy cows, a dachshund named Colin, and a small hen in its late forties." Only one person lives there and he is the voter.
Blackadder's scheme to aggrandize himself is to buy the candidate to counter the policies of Pitt the Younger that threaten Prince George and therefore himself, his butler. The candidate eventually dies, but Blackadder replaces him with a man utterly bereft of ideas yet whom he will be able to manipulate: Baldrick. Naturally, Blackadder arrange the death of the only voter of Dunny-on-the-wold and takes his place, ensuring a safe victory in the by-elections.
Once again, the situation is very abnormal but it is not, however, altogether impossible to picture. In fact, it might very well have happened, given how flawed the British system appear to have been during the 18th century. In this very episode, the sly butler himself remarks "Look at Manchester  ̶  Population 60,00, electoral roll, three"

On a completely different note (and to end with this article with a joke), this episode saw the creation of a fictional character kin to an actual historical one. Pitt the Even Younger makes an appearance. His real purpose is to give birth to yet another of Blackadder's witticisms. When Young Pitt says to Blackadder "I intend to put up my own brother as candidate against you", the latter replies "And which Pitt would this be? Pitt the Toddler? Pitt the Embryo? Pitt the Glint in the Milkman's Eye?"

Blackadder The Third

Blackadder The Third

(and the art of chaotic chronology)

In her article Defining the Genre: What are the rules for historical fiction? Sarah Johnson writes:

"When you become involved with the field, you begin to learn that above all, historical fiction is a genre of controversy and contradiction.

She then offers her views on the rules of the historical novel.
"The setting should be convincing, yes, and anachronisms are still things to be avoided."

Notwithstanding the visual nature of Blackadder The Third, this particular season undermines the author's perspective on the paramount importance of sound chronology.

The main protagonists are the recurring fictional characters of the Blackadder saga:
Blackadder is a butler, Baldrick is his servant and they embody specific entities on the backdrop of late 18th - early 19th century Britain.
Hugh Laurie's character, however, is a genuine historical figure: Prince George IV who acts (in the series) as Prince Regent following his father King George III's descent into madness, and the Regency Act of 1811. Consequently, the events depicted in the episodes must take place between 1811 and 1820 (the end of the Regency).
Be that as it may, there are eminent historical characters in the season who could not have possibly been present at that time such as they are presented.
In the first episode, we learn that Pitt the Younger has assumed the role of his father as Prime Minister. In reality, William Pitt was succeeded by several other PMs after the end of his office in 1768. His son, Pitt the Younger was Prime Minister from 1783 to 1801 and then from 1804 to his death in 1806. The writers purposely shunned the inconvenience and years (even decades) of history evaporated into thin air.
They even went as far as including Dr Johnson and the publication of his Dictionary, an impressive feat, for it was published some 56 years before George became Prince Regent and 7 years before he was even born.

Such is the whimsical nature of Historical Fiction. The creators of the show toyed with the boundaries of the genre and orchestrated a ludicrous yet unbelievably witty and compelling piece. The costumes, the attitudes and the set feel so real that one almost forgets the abundance of anachronisms. Is that not the primary purpose of the historical fiction genre?, not so much as to be constrained by a comprehensive chronology as to create an authentic and vivid atmosphere.

Good Luck Everyone - Blackadder and Dad's Army

During the writing of the episodes, the writers and the producer decided that the series should end on a lugubrious note. It was agreed that the protagonists would eventually fail to escape the inevitability of marching against the enemy. It is certainly a bold move considering the primary purpose of Blackadder is to produce comedy which ranges from simple visual gags to intelligent and sarcastic commentaries on a period of history. History, however, must sometimes be treated with respect and it is certainly the case with the First World War. Such was the compromise, the duty, that befell the team.
An obvious challenge presented itself for to often in the history of art have Comedy and Tragedy failed to blend harmoniously. When the final hours of shooting neared, Rowan Atkinson said "I just remember feeling the impending doom of my character. I remember feeling this strange knot in the pit of my stomach. And it as the first time, as an actor that I had felt the predicament of my character: I was going to die at the end of the week."
At the beginning of the passage above, Captain Darling, in a rare moment of confession, candidly expresses his fear of what is to come. He had so far been work comfortably behind a desk and now he must face the harsh realities of the war. He reveals what was to be his future after the war had he not been taken up in this madness: going back to work, being with his friends, marrying the woman he loves. How deeply moving these lines are when one thinks of the multitude of letters from soldiers to their beloved in which similar longing were put into words.
Before blowing his whistle, Blackadder's last words are "I mean, who would have noticed another madman round here?". They fade away not long after going over the trenches and a beautiful field of poppies slowly appears. In these last moments, the dreadfully bleak set on which the scene was shot, the deaths of the characters, together combined with the sad music and that still with the poppies, create a bitter yet brilliant ending to a great series.
The critics were unanimous in their praises, yet some historians bestirred themselves saying that the series was generating misconceptions and reinforced myths about the war in the public consciousness.
Despite these perhaps unfair judgement the episode was received several distinctions and is still regarded as one of the best in British TV history.
There is another instance where Historical Fiction, as far as British television is concerned, breaches the boundaries of time and pays tribute to men and women of a specific epoch. I am referring to Dad's Army's last episode.

This ending resembles Blackadder's in many respects. Its intentions are, to be sure, directed to the very people the series made fun of, but they are genuine there is no doubt about it. Like Blackadder and his men, the motivations of the British Home Guard and the absurdity of the context are rather nonplussing to the audience. And the cruel words spoken by Hodges (the man with the black ARP uniform) strike the audience with the blunt truth they bear as did the last words of Blackadder.
The homage was performed once again by iconic celebrities of the time:
-The charming and irreplaceable John Le Mesurier
-The beloved 'grandad', Clive Dunn
-The unstoppable Scotsman, John Laurie.
What is, I think, also remarkable about Dad's Army, is that the characters are portrayed by men who had themselves played their parts during the Second World War. Including Arnold Ridley, a veteran of the First World War who was wounded no less than three times during the Battle of the Somme and was once more wounded during World War II. To know this and watch such heroes raise their glasses to their fellow Englishmen (and the Scots) is quite moving.
This type of Historical Fiction is perhaps a rarity that is only to be found in Great Britain, it can be silly sometimes, it is tremendously self-deprecating, but, in the end, no one can say it does not respect history or the people. Quite the contrary, it is the voice of the people.

Goodbyee

The impact of Historical Fiction on popular culture. (Introduction)

Comedy and satire have always ranked high in my estimation as a medium for learning. The Blackadder series was my first contact with the sharp and funny side of historical fiction. Since then I have encountered a few such works which corresponded to a particular vision of History.

Very few of them, however, dealt with the sordidness and ignominy of the First and Second World Wars (uppermost within human memory of war).
My curiosity was sparked as a result of watching the Blackadder series, and encouraged me to substantiate my visions of satirical Historical accounts further.
One of my English teacher in terminale L, in the course a similar exercise (which consisted in presenting a TV series), introduced me to another tremendously popular British Sitcom: Dad's Army.
In Dad's Army, we follow the adventures (or rather misadventures) of a platoon of the British Home Guards during WWII. Cost what it might, I will attempt to write a commentary on both Dad's Army's and Blackadder's finales for there is a striking and uncanny resemblance between them I would like to write about. 
Before I write a proper article on the subject aforementioned, allow me to quote a passage from a short story written by Hector Hugh Munro (best known as 'Saki').
Saki is by far one of my favorite authors (I will restrain from digressing and explaining why that is), his wit and mastery of satire are uniquely brilliant and he was sadly one of the countless a casualties of the First World War. I am convinced that, had he not been shot dead by a German soldier, he would have written fantastic novel on the war.
This is a passage from the short story "The Square Egg, (A Badger's-eye view of the war mud in the trenches)"
"Assuredly a badger is the animal that one most resembles in this trench warfare, that drab-coated creature of the twilight and darkness, digging, burrowing, listening; keeping itself as clean as possible under unfavorable circumstances, fighting tooth and nail on occasion for possession of a few yards of honeycombed earth"




Dad's Army
If you're interested in watching the series, the episodes can be found HERE on YouTube.

Social Classes

Clash of Social Classes

The diversity of the characters in the show is no coincidence; it is the means by which the writers created, through the dynamics between the protagonists, a believable atmosphere of antagonism and cruelty as far social interactions are concerned.

Three distinct social categories can be identified:

> At the top of the 'ladder', General Melchett holds all the power in his hands and his insanity allows him to use that power of life and death with no qualms.
>Captain Darling and Captain Blackadder are middle-class characters whose personalities are quite modern but also they do seem to represent the middle-class portion of the British people.
>Pvt Baldrick is by far and without a shadow doubt the epitome of the working class population. He never ceases to challenge the rules of the war and of the pyramid of classes with such candidness that the viewers are compelled to feel a deep empathy.

Baldrick
"I've been supping the milk of freedom. Already our Russian comrades are poised on the brink of revolution and here too, sir, the huddled wossnames, such as myself are ready to throw of the hated oppressors like you and the lieutenant... present company excepted, sir."
Blackadder
"Go and clean out the latrines."
Baldrick
"Yes, sir, right away, sir."




                                                         To better illustrate my point, here is a passage from the third series which I think is quite representative of the whole idea.

Useful Links

Useful Links

The Episodes

The complete series





Various Documentaries

Blackadder: the whole rotten saga
Part 1/7 
Part 2/7
Part 3/7
Part 4/7
Part 5/7
Part 6/7
Part 7/7 

Blackadder rides again

Part 1

(the other parts can be found if you dig well)