Riot, Sodomy, and Minions

Abstract

This chapter establishes the value of Edward II’s reputation as a case study for the history of sexuality. I discuss the importance of ambiguous sexualpolitical vocabulary to the articulation of Edward II’s transgressions: terms that allowed medieval and early modern writers to suggest that Edward did engage in sex with men, but provided an element of plausible deniability for this politically sensitive claim. The texts that constitute Edward II’s historiographical reputation therefore also constitute a corpus that allows us to assess how writers strategically deployed this ambiguous sexual vocabulary, as well as how they negotiated that ambiguity and encouraged specific interpretations at different moments.