Shakespeare is the best-known and most successful playwright of all time, a storyteller and businessman whose goal was to create popular plays that made money. But many today criticize him for his “unfair” or “nonhistorical” portrayals of some of history’s most famous figures. He understood the power of theater to please and delight audience members, relying on imagination rather than strict adherence to historical fact to create his unforgettable characters and their world.
Tudor historian Carol Ann Lloyd-Stanger dives into the world of Shakespeare’s history plays to examine their intent; how their author used English history and his imagination to tell stories that met his political and economic goals; and the ways these works continue to affect our understanding of history.
Lloyd-Stanger is author of two books, The Tudors by Numbers and Courting the Virgin Queen: The Suitors of Elizabeth I, both published by Pen and Sword Books.
10–11 a.m. The History of History Plays
The genre of “history” plays was developed shortly before Shakespeare started writing to promote the monarchy of Queen Elizabeth I. His take on history was different from that of his contemporaries, with works that raised questions about those in power. Lloyd-Stanger considers how the genre of history plays emerged during Elizabeth’s reign, how they served as political tools of the court’s spymaster, and how Shakespeare dealt with the politics of playmaking.
11:15 a.m.–12:15 p.m. The Henriad Part 1: Richard II, Henry IV Parts 1 and 2, Henry V
Shakespeare’s history plays cover hundreds of years leading up to his own time. They begin with a period in which nobles changed history by deciding a king didn’t deserve to keep his throne. His stories about the years covered by Richard II, both parts of Henry IV, and Henry V invite us to think about Shakespeare’s take on power and authority and how they relate to the monarchy overall.
12:15–12:45 p.m. Break
12:45–1:45 p.m. The Henriad Part 2: Henry VI Parts 1, 2, and 3 , and Richard III
One of Shakespeare’s first plays was Henry VI, his version of the Wars of the Roses. Eventually, he expanded his plays about this conflict to include three parts covering the reigns of Henry VI and Edward IV, and then jumping into a portrayal of what would become his most controversial character: Richard III. Explore how Shakespeare’s narrative of the Wars of the Roses promoted the Tudor regime and skewed our understanding of the 15th and 16th centuries.
2–3 p.m. King John, Henry VIII, and the Impact of History Plays
Shakespeare’s two “other” history plays don’t fit into the arc he created. King John reaches back to the 12th and 13th centuries and allows him to bump up against the legend of Richard the Lionheart. Later in his life, Shakespeare collaborated with other playwrights on the play centering on the father of Elizabeth I, Henry VIII. The subtitle “All Is True” prompts us to ponder the impact of Shakespeare’s stories on our understanding of English history.
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