Shakespeare’s History Plays

Shakespeare’s Histories1. Why did Shakespeare write history plays?

1. National Identity and Mythology2. Historiography has changed

2. Why did he write them in the 1590s?1. Publication of popular chronicle histories2. Defeat of the Spanish Armada3. Succession Question4. Analogous contemporary issues

3. What period of history interested him in the 1590s?1. Hundred Years Wars (1337-1453)2. Wars of the Roses (1455-1485)

4. What history plays did he write?

5. How did he interpret that history?

Why History Plays?

National Identity and Mythology1. The Tudor Myth from Henry VII

1. End of civil war between Lancastrians and Yorkists

2. Centralized authority dependent on personal and parliamentary power but theologically sanctioned

National Identity• Under Henry VIII, England becomes a world power for the first

time• Henry VIII is both King and Head of the Church of England

National Identity• Under Elizabeth, England became an adroit player of

European power politics

Changes in Historiography

• From Histories of the world to Histories of cities or kingdoms (Machiavelli)

• From Anglo-Saxon Chronicle histories kept by different people to popular Histories of Kings and of England

• Robert Fabyan. The New Chronicles of England and France, In Two Parts (1516)

• Edward Hall. The Vnion of the Two Noble and Illustre Famelies of Lancastre and Yorke (1548)

• Raphael Holinshed, Chronicles of England, Scotland, Ireland (1577)

Why the 1590s?1. Holinshed’s Chronicles republished in 1587

2. Defeat of the Spanish Armada, 1588

3. The Succession Question

Analogous Contemporary Issues

• Civil unrest caused by

• Enclosures• Demographic shifts• Bad Harvests• Plague• War• Fiscal woes• Social Instability• Perceived bad government

Sir Walter Ralegh, The History of the World, 1614

How-soeuer, I know that it will be said by many, That I might haue beene more pleasing to the Reader, if I had written the Story of mine owne times, hauing beene permitted to draw water as neare the Well-head as another. To this I answere, that who-so-euer in writing a moderne History, shall follow truth too neare the heeles, it may happily strike out his teeth.

It is enough for me (being in that state I am) to write of the eldest times: wherein also why may it not be said, that in speaking of the past, I point at the present, and taxe the vices of those that are yet liuing, in their persons that are long since dead; and haue it laid to my charge? But this I cannot helpe, though innocent. And certainly if there be any, that finding themselues spotted like the Tigers of old time, shall find fault with me for painting them ouer a new; they shall therein accuse themselues iustly, and me fully (falsly).

Oh by what plots, by what forswearing, betraying, oppressions, imprisonments, tortures, poysonings, and vnder what reasons of State, and politique subteltie, haue these forenamed Kings, both strangers, and of our owne Nation, pulled the vengeance of GOD vpon them-selues, vpon theirs, and vpon their prudent ministers! and in the end haue brought those things to passe for their enemies, and seene an effect so directly contrary to all their owne counsailes and cruelties; as the one could neuer haue hoped for themselues; and the other neuer haue succeeded; if no such opposition had euer been made. GOD hath said it and performed it euer: Perdam sapientiam sapientum, I will destroy the wisdome of the wise.

What periods of English history seemed especially analogous to the 1590s?

1. The Hundred Years War (1337-1453)

2. The Wars of the Roses (1453-1485)(Lancastrian – Yorkist struggle)

The Hundred Years War (1337-1453)

Phase 1: The English Invasion

Edward III of England claimed the French throne through his mother, Isabella of France

Edward III, 1312-1377

Edward III claims the throne of France

In 1337 Edward III, King of England and Duke of Aquitaine, wrote to “Phelippe VI de Valois,” “qui se dit roi de France.”

Philippe VI receives homage from Edward III

Philippe VI de Valois

Edward III invades France

• Edward’s forces invaded France in 1345, when Henry of Grosment, Earl of Derby attacked garrisons held by the French in Guyenne (Aquitaine), which was Edward III’s duchy.

• In 1346, Edward III made a surprise landing in the Cotentin (Normandy), seizing, pillaging or burning the towns, including Caen

Edward III attacks Caen (1346)

The First Battle

• On 26 August, 1346, the French and English armies met in pitched battle at Crécy-en-Ponthieu

• Edward III adapted a defensive position and relied on the agility of his archers, longbow-men

• Philippe VI could not control his badly disciplined chevaliers and crossbow-men

• The French king was forced to leave the field

The Battle of Crécy, 1346

Siege of Calais

• Edward marched north to Calais, where he ruthlessly beseiged the city for 11 months.

• The terms of its surrender where to depopulate the town and colonize it with English

The siege of Calais, 1347

Auguste Rodin, Les Bourgois de Calais (1889)

The English Invade France: Phase 2

• Philippe VI died in 1350• He was succeeded by his son,

Jean II “le Bon”• In 1355, Edward III’s son, called Edward the Black

Prince, entered Aquitaine and captured Bordeaux.• In 1356, the French and English armies again met

in pitched battle at Poitiers• The Black Prince captured the French king, Jean

le Bon, sent him to England, and held him for ransom

Edward the Black Prince, 1330-1376

Jean II, le Bon

Battle of Poitiers, 1356

Battle of Poitiers, 1356

Phase 3:• 1360 – the Treaty of Bretigny. The English keep

Aquitaine, but give up their claims to the French crown.

• 1364 – Death of Jean II, accession of Charles V, le Sage

• 1369 – Charles V retakes Aquitaine• 1373 – John of Gaunt leads chevauchee from Calais

to Bordeaux• 1376 – Death of the Black Prince• 1377 – Death of Edward III• 1380 – Death of Charles V

Charles V, le Sage

Period of Inactivity

• 1377 – Accession of Richard II, uninterested in France

• 1380 – Accession of Philippe VI, le Fou• 1381 – Peasants’ revolt in England• 1389 – Truce between England and France• 1399 – Deposition of Richard II and accession of

Henry IV, uninterested in France

Richard II, son of Edward, the Black Princereigned 1377-1399

Charles VI, le Fou

Peasants’ Revolt, 1381

Bolingbroke and Mowbray before

Richard II

Abdication of Richard II, 1399

Henry IV, reigned 1399-1413

Troubled reign of Henry IV

• Unrest in England

• Troubles with his son Henry

Phase 4:• 1412 – Duke of Clarence leads a chevauchee from

Normandy to Bordeaux• 1413 – Death of Henry IV and accession of Henry V• 1415 – Henry V invades France, captures Harfleur

and defeats the French army at the Battle of Azincourt

• 1417 – Henry V begins the conquest of Normandy• 1419 – Rouen falls to the English• 1420 – Treaty of Troyes: Charles VI recognizes

Henry V as heir to the French throne and Regent of France

• The English occupy Paris• 1422 – Deaths of Henry V and Charles VI

Phase 5:

• Henry VI recognized as King of France north of the Loire while France south of the Loire recognizes Charles VII

• 1430 – Capture of Jeanne d’Arc• 1431 – Jeanne d’Arc burned in Rouen; Henry VI

crowned at Paris• 1436 – Charles VII recaptures Paris• 1441-1451 – Charles VII reconquers France for the

French• 1453 – English defeated at Castillon and finally lose

Bordeaux

Henry V, king of England and Regent of France (reigned 1413-1422)

Battle of Azincourt, 1513

Henry VI, King of England and France, reigned 1422-1461

Charles VII, King of France

Wars of the Roses, 1455-1485

• Struggles between the two lines of Edward III’s descendants:– The Lancastrians (from John of Gaunt,

Duke of Lancaster)– The Yorkists (from Edmund Langley, Duke

of York)

Lancastrians vs. Yorkists• Henry IV (Lancastrian), reigned 1399-1413• Henry V (Lancastrian), reigned 1413-1422• Henry VI, (Lancastrian) reigned 1422-1461

(murdered)• Edward IV, (Yorkist) reigned 1461-1483• Edward V, (Yorkist) 1470-1483 (disappeared)• Richard III, (Yorkist) reigned 1483-1485• Henry Tudor, (Lancastrian) Earl of Richmond, defeated

Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field. He married Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward IV, united the two factions. He was crowned Henry VII, founding the Tudor dynasty

Shakespeare’s History Plays

• King John (1594-1596)• Edward III (1592-1595)• Richard II (1595)• Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2 (1596-1598)• Henry V (1599)• Henry VI, Parts 1, 2, 3 (1589-1591)• Richard III (1592-1593)• Henry VIII (1612-1613)

Shakespeare’s Concerns with English History

• Deferred retributive justice• Divine plan leading to the Tudor dynasty• Questions of power, responsibility, revolt• Recourse against a bad, weak, or easily

swayed ruler• Questions of succession, of child rulers, of

female rule• War and national identity, military hardship• Class conflict, popular unrest