Cromwell

Oliver Cromwell is portrayed as a devout Puritan, a country squire and magistrate whose beliefs guide his politics. He chafes at Charles I’s policies—enclosures of common land and high Anglican rituals—that inflame Puritans and reformers alike. On the eve of a planned move with his family to the New World, he is persuaded to stay and re-enter political life.

Charles I reluctantly summons Parliament after twelve years to secure funds for wars against Scotland and Ireland. To appease the Commons, he agrees to execute his close adviser, Thomas Wentworth, Earl of Strafford, but Parliament presses for reforms that would curb royal prerogative. The tension foreshadows a constitutional showdown.

Charles enters the parliamentary chamber with an armed guard to arrest five MPs, attempting to subdue opposition by force. The arrest backfires, and Parliament rallies in open defiance, sparking the English Civil War. Both sides claim God fights for their cause.

At Edgehill, Cromwell’s cavalry initially falters, signaling Parliament’s early military shortcomings. He and Fairfax then design the disciplined New Model Army, whose training and unity prove decisive against Royalist forces. The reform marks a turning point in the war.

The New Model Army secures a decisive victory at Naseby, turning the war in Parliament’s favor. Cromwell’s leadership and cavalry strength prove pivotal in the rout of Royalist forces. Tragically, one of Cromwell's sons is killed during the fighting.

Oxford becomes the last Royalist stronghold as Charles’s position weakens under pressure. Prince Rupert of the Rhine, once a top commander, fails to hold Bristol and is banished after the setback. The royal cause drains of momentum as the tides turn.

Charles plans to raise a wholly Catholic army with help from Catholic nations. The queen and his eldest son travel abroad to secure support, exposing the monarchy’s vulnerability to religious maneuvering. The international angle widens the conflict’s stakes.

Cromwell uses Parliament to push for Charles’s treason trial, asserting accountability for royal prerogative. Charles refuses to recognize any authority higher than his own, and the trial ends with a guilty verdict and execution. The king’s death marks a profound political rupture.

In the wake of the king’s execution, Cromwell retreats moodily to his estate and resists becoming king when radicals urge him to seize the crown. Parliament appears self-serving and faction-ridden, complicating attempts to create stable governance. The era slides toward a military-driven rule rather than a balanced constitution.

Cromwell’s troops purge the House of Commons, removing dissenting MPs and leaving him in a position of control. He then outlines to the viewer his vision for a Protectorate, a new constitutional order meant to stabilize the realm under his leadership. The transition marks the definitive shift from republic to a strongman rule.

Cromwell serves as Lord Protector for about five years, steering a government that mixes military discipline with centralized authority. He navigates a fractured Parliament and seeks to balance power while pursuing religious and social reforms. The era defines a new, if controversial, phase of English governance.

Eventually the Protectorate falters and Charles II returns to the throne, signaling the Restoration. The film underscores that England will never be the same again, as new political and religious tensions linger. The era ends with a transformed monarchy and a reconfigured balance of power.