The Third Part of King Henry VI

by William Shakespeare, Michael Hattaway (Editor)

Overview

A series of outstanding productions by the Royal Shakespeare Company and others have recently demonstrated the theatrical vitality of Shakespeare's plays about the reign of Henry VI. In the Third Part Shakespeare extends his essay on monarchical politics by contrasting two kings, the good but ineffective Henry VI with his rival, the sensual and victorious Edward IV. He also offers more evidence of the perils of aristocratic factionalism in a series of scenes that display the grievous wounds caused by the Wars of the Roses. Here we watch the savage death of the Duke of York at the hands of Queen Margaret, the moving lament of King Henry as he witnesses the slaughter of the battle of Towton where the Lancastrians were defeated, and finally, Henry's death at the hands of Richard of Gloucester, later King Richard III.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521373319
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	03/04/1993
Series:	The New Cambridge Shakespeare
Pages:	248
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.71(d)

About the Author

Widely esteemed as the greatest writer in the English language, William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was an actor and theatrical producer in addition to writing plays and sonnets. Dubbed "The Bard of Avon," Shakespeare oversaw the building of the Globe Theatre in London, where a number of his plays were staged, the best-known of which include Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and Macbeth. The First Folio, a printed book of 36 of his comedies, tragedies, and history plays, was published in 1623.

Date of Death:

2018

Place of Birth:

Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom

Place of Death:

Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom

Table of Contents

Preface; List of abbreviations and conventions; Introduction; 1. Henry VI: the reign and the plays; 2. The Play: 'what should be the meaning of all those foughten fields?'; 3. Stage history; 4. Date and occasion; 5. Sources; 6. Note on the text; 7. List of characters; 8. The Play; 9. Textual analysis; Appendices; Genealogical tables; Reading list.