Wars of the Roses (Shakespeare)

Henry IV, Part 2 is a Shakespeare play that is a "sequel," in the modern sense, to an earlier play of his. Like most sequels, it repeats many elements from the previous work, Henry IV, Part 1. This play again puts on stage Henry IV's son, Prince Hal, who continues to conceal his potential greatness by consorting with tavern dwellers, including the witty Sir John Falstaff. As in Part 1, Prince Hal and Falstaff seek to best each other in conversation,...

The third part of Shakespeare's impressive "Henriad", this play follows "Richard II" and "Henry IV, Part I", and precedes the final play of the tetralogy, "Henry V". Following the events of "Henry IV, Part I", Prince Hal is once again out of favor with his father, the king, who is in his last months of life. In contrast to their relationship in "Part I", Falstaff, the comical criminal, is rejected by Prince Hal. Falstaff and Prince Hal only share...

Shakespeare readers will further be able to understand and appreciate the text of this play with the help of explanatory footnotes on the language and expressions used and a history of Shakespearean theater and writing.

"Henry VI, Part 1 is an uncompromising celebration of early English nationalism that contrasts the English with the French, portrayed here as effeminate and scheming. A boy king, Henry VI, is on the English throne, and the indomitable Talbot leads the English cause in France. Joan La Pucelle (Joan of Arc), who becomes captain of the French, claims to be chosen by the Virgin Mary to liberate France. The English, however, consider her a sensual witch....

The second play in Shakespeare's 'First Tetralogy,' this work continues the fictionalized account of King Henry VI's reign. It commences with the marriage of Henry VI with the French noblewoman Margaret of Anjou, whose influence in court is challenged by Duke Humphrey, the King's Protector. There is a large amount of aristocratic subversion in this play, in which the good Duke Humphrey is fatally ensnared. Richard, the Duke of York, emerges with a...

King Henry VIII schemes to divorce his wife Katherine of Aragon in order to marry the beautiful Anne Boleyn, even as political intrigues disrupt the court. Includes explanatory notes, scene-by-scene plot summaries, a key to famous lines and phrases, scholarly essay, and illustrations.

An improved, larger-format edition of the Cambridge School Shakespeare plays, extensively rewritten, expanded and produced in an attractive new design. The Rex Gibson active approach to classroom Shakespeare enables students to inhabit Shakespeare's imaginative world in accessible and creative ways, sharing Shakespeare's love of language, interest in character and sense of theatre. Substantially revised and extended, classroom activities are thematically...

Richard of Gloucester crosses and double-crosses friends and foes alike in a no-holds-barred effort to solidify control of the throne once occupied by his brother, Edward IV. His antics prove fruitful until one final battle with Henry, Earl of Richmond.