Shakespeare wrote historical plays, particularly about the Plantagenet and Tudor dynasties. King John, Richard II, Henry IV, Parts I and II, Henry V, Henry VI, Parts I, II and III, Richard III and Henry VIII are some of his famous works. Shakespeare’s plays were not entirely historically accurate but gave English citizens access to an action-packed version of their own story.
William Shakespeare, the famous English playwright, wrote plays of many different genres. An area of particular use to Shakespeare was the period of English history leading up to his day, particularly the Plantagenet and Tudor dynasties. The history plays cover much of the period between 1199 and 1547 and include King John, Richard II, Henry IV, Parts I and II, Henry V, Henry VI, Parts I, II and III, Richard III and Henry VIII.
King John deals with the forced abdication and death of the title character. Richard the Lionheart’s brother, King John is an incredibly unpopular king and is systematically betrayed by most of the characters, ultimately losing his throne. Historically it is unknown whether John starved in prison or was murdered, but in this version he is poisoned by a monk. This first of the historical comedies is probably the least performed in modern times, although it was a favorite comedy of Victorian England.
One of the bloodiest succession battles of the Plantagenet dynasty is the subject of Richard II. The previous monarch, Edward III, left his younger sons to bring his nephew Richard II to the throne, leaving Richard in a lifelong battle with his uncles and cousins. Richard II was first performed in 1595 and was considered a politically dangerous opera at the time. The current monarch of Shakespeare’s day, Elizabeth I, had come to power through a succession struggle and was considered by some to be unfit to rule.
The Henry Era of historical comedies is probably the best known. Henry IV, Part I and II follows the battles of King Henry IV after his supplantation of Richard II on the throne. Young Hal, the king’s son and a lazy drunk at first, finally renounces his former life and becomes King Henry V. Henry V is a chronicle of the Battle of Agincourt, where a small English army overcame enormous odds against a French force , and Henry’s victory led to his marriage and alliance with France. The life of his son Henry VI and the beginning of the Wars of the Roses is dealt with in Henry VI, Parts I, II and III.
Because of the hero’s death, Richard III is regarded by some as a tragedy. Yet unlike his other tragedies, Shakespeare paints Richard III as an irredeemable character overrun with flaws and egos. Most experts believe this places Richard III firmly in the realm of theatrical performances. Richard describes the end of the Plantagenet reign and the rise of the Tudor dynasty. Because Shakespeare’s current monarch was a Tudor, Richard’s thoroughly corrupt and evil character is often considered a political pandering on behalf of the playwright.
The last of the historical plays premiered in 1613 and covers part of the reign of Elizabeth I’s father, Henry VIII. Some scholars speculate that Shakespeare did not attempt to cover this subject until after the death of Elizabeth I and the succession of a non-Tudor monarch. Henry VIII was never a popular play, but it is distinguished by a tragic coincidence. During a performance at the Globe Theater in 1613, a cannon failed, setting fire to the stage roof and destroying the entire theatre. For this reason, the play is often considered “cursed” by theater professionals.
Although some historical play material was in the public domain in Shakespeare’s day, he is believed to have taken most of its information from Raphael Holinshed’s Chronicle of England, Scotland and Ireland. History plays are not considered to be entirely historically accurate, as Shakespeare left out or added details, characters and motivations. However, in a time of widespread poor education, plays gave English citizens access to an action-packed version of their own story that remains popular to this day.
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