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Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
Table of Contents LITERARY INFORMATION Much of the tetralogy's historical information is based on the chronicles written by Halle and Holinshed that not only documented British history but offered an interpretation that Shakespeare often relied on. It is important to note that while Shakespeare relied on historical facts and events of this period, he also interpreted them with quite a bit of latitude and therefore, these plays are more fictitious than historical documents and often focus on the tragedy of one particular character rather than covering the historical events that make up history. Although the cast of these plays is numerous and often confusing, Shakespeare concentrates only on a handful who carry over from play to play. Time lapses have been compressed and characters and relationships developed in depth in order to not only create dramatic interest, but to also present a view of history that is particularly Shakespearian in nature. The events covered in these four plays span over sixty years and are marked by conventional scenes of battles, rivalry, and revenge killings, yet they are also marked by more unconventional scenes as those particularly unreal or supernatural such as the sighting of three suns at the beginning of Act II in Henry VI, Part 3. These scenes are trademarks of Shakespearian drama and that which gives his historical accounts a rare and mesmerizing beauty. Because of the nationalistic and patriotic nature of the time, historical plays were all the rage during Elizabethan England. Tudor England was enjoying peace and prosperity and glory in its achievements and plays were often staged to increase this feeling of pride and satisfaction. Although Shakespeare was not particularly taken with the genre, he did produce many of them in his lifetime. Many of them can be interpreted as being anti-war and reveal the suffering that occurs on and off the battlefield during times of social and political unrest. This tetralogy contain his earliest attempts at historical plays and while they may be wanting in some areas such as stage transitions and eloquent dialogue, this series of plays ends in the first of his masterpieces, Richard III. Table of Contents | |
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