Year 7 History role play exploring Wat Tyler's demands at Mile End and King Richard II's deceptive response during a pivotal historical encounter.
An interactive classroom script placing students inside a historical, scientific, or social scenario to build empathy, oracy, and deeper subject understanding.
Subject: History | Year: 7
Class/Set: ____________ Date: ____________
Context/Background: Following the devastation of the Black Death, the surviving peasants in England found their labour was in high demand. However, the government attempted to freeze wages and introduced a series of hated 'Poll Taxes' to pay for wars in France. By June 1381, thousands of rebels from Kent and Essex marched on London, led by Wat Tyler, to demand an end to serfdom and a meeting with the fourteen-year-old King Richard II.
Setting: Mile End, London. A large field outside the city walls where the King has agreed to meet the rebels. Characters:
Lord Chancellor: (Whispering urgently, looking at the approaching mob) Your Majesty, this is madness. We should have stayed in the Tower. Look at them—they are armed with pitchforks and hatred.
King Richard: (Straightening his tunic, voice trembling slightly) I am their King, My Lord. If I do not speak with them, they will burn London to the ground. Stand back.
Wat Tyler: (Stepping forward, holding a dirty hat in his hand but keeping his head high) Are you the one they call King? The boy who wears the crown while we starve in the fields?
King Richard: (Loudly, so the crowd can hear) I am Richard, your King. Why do you rise against the law? What is it you seek from your sovereign?
Wat Tyler: (Spitting on the ground, gesturing to the men behind him) We seek liberty, Sire! We are tired of the Poll Tax taking the bread from our children's mouths. We are tired of being tied to the land like animals. We demand an end to serfdom.
Lord Chancellor: (Outraged, stepping forward) You speak of treason! The Feudal System is the will of God. Every man has his place!
Wat Tyler: (Ignoring the Chancellor, looking directly at Richard) Our place is as free men. We want to work for a fair wage, and we want no man to be a slave to a Lord. If you grant us this, we shall go home in peace.
King Richard: (Pausing, looking at the thousands of rebels) If I grant you these charters of freedom... if I say you are no longer serfs, will you lay down your pikes and depart?
Wat Tyler: (Nodding slowly) You have our word. We want justice, not your head. But the charters must be signed. We have been lied to by your tax collectors too many times.
King Richard: (Projecting his voice) Then it is done! I shall grant you freedom. Go now, and my clerks will prepare the documents. You shall be free men of England.
Lord Chancellor: (In a low, horrified hiss) You cannot mean this, Majesty. You are giving away the kingdom!
King Richard: (Quietly, with a cold look) I am giving them words, My Lord. Words can be written... and words can be erased.
Discuss: In your pairs, decide who "won" this exchange at Mile End: Wat Tyler or King Richard II? Give one reason for your choice.
Epilogue / What Happened Next: While Richard II granted the charters at Mile End to disperse the crowd, the peace did not last. A few days later, during a second meeting at Smithfield, Wat Tyler was killed by the Mayor of London. Once the rebel army had gone home, the King revoked all his promises, stating, "Serfs you are, and serfs you shall remain." The revolt failed in the short term, but the Poll Tax was never collected again, and the system of serfdom slowly began to disappear over the next century.
Task 1 Answer:
Developing historical empathy requires pupils to navigate the conflicting motivations of 1381, moving beyond rote memorisation of dates to understand the precarious nature of medieval power. By explicitly referencing the Lord Chancellor's whispered warnings and the King's chilling admission that words can be erased, this resource exposes the subtext of political negotiation. This structural focus on dialogue reduces the cognitive load associated with dense primary sources while forcing Year 7 learners to evaluate character intent. Consequently, pupils bridge the gap between substantive knowledge of the Poll Tax and disciplinary analysis of historical significance.
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