Henry VI, Part 2

Henry VI, Part 2

▪ work by Shakespeare
      chronicle play in five acts by William Shakespeare (Shakespeare, William), written sometime in 1590–92. It was first published in a corrupt quarto in 1594. The version published in the First Folio of 1623 is considerably longer and seems to have been based on an authorial manuscript. Henry VI, Part 2 is the second in a sequence of four history plays (the others being Henry VI, Part 1, Henry VI, Part 3, and Richard III) known collectively as the “first tetralogy,” treating the Wars of the Roses between the houses of Lancaster and York. Shakespeare's primary sources for the play were the chronicles of Edward Hall (Hall, Edward) and Raphael Holinshed (Holinshed, Raphael).

      In Part 2 the factional fighting at court is increased rather than lessened by the arrival of Margaret of Anjou, the new queen, who—together with her lover, the duke of Suffolk—plots against Humphrey, duke of Gloucester, and his ambitious duchess, Eleanor. The power struggle swirls around the saintly, ineffectual King Henry until gradually the dynamic Richard Plantagenet, duke of York, who has pretended to support Margaret while secretly hatching his own plot, emerges as the chief contender for the throne. The commons grow increasingly restive, especially when Duke Humphrey appears to have been murdered by his political enemies. Anarchy reaches its zenith when a Kentishman named Jack Cade, encouraged by Richard Plantagenet, mounts an insurrection that plays havoc in the streets of London until it is finally put down. Open civil war between the Yorkists and the Lancastrians is now imminent.

      For a discussion of this play within the context of Shakespeare's entire corpus, see William Shakespeare: Shakespeare's plays and poems (Shakespeare, William).

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Henry VI, Part 3 — Henry the Sixth, Part 3 , is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed written in approximately 1590, and set during the lifetime of King Henry VI of England. It prepares the ground for one of his best known and most controversial plays:… …   Wikipedia

  • Henry IV, Part 1 — This article is about Shakespeare s play. For other uses, see Henry IV. Title page of the first quarto (1598) Henry IV, Part 1 is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written no later than 1597. It is the second play in… …   Wikipedia

  • Henry IV, Part 2 — This article is about the Shakespeare s play. For other uses, see Henry IV. Facsimile of the first page of The Second Part of King Henry the Fourth from the First Folio, published in 1623 Henry IV, Part 2 is a history play by William Shakespeare …   Wikipedia

  • Henry VI, Part 1 — believed written in approximately 1588–1590. It is the first in the cycle of four plays often referred to as The First Tetralogy .ourcesShakespeare s primary source for Henry VI, Part 1 , as for most of his chronicle histories, was Raphael… …   Wikipedia

  • Henry VI, Part 2 — The Second Part of King Henry the Sixth , or Henry VI, Part 2 , is a history play by William Shakespeare believed written in approximately 1590 91. It is the second part of the trilogy on Henry VI, and often grouped together with Richard III as a …   Wikipedia

  • Henry VI, Part 1 — ▪ work by Shakespeare       chronicle play in five acts by William Shakespeare (Shakespeare, William), written sometime in 1589–92 and published in the First Folio of 1623. Henry VI, Part 1 is the first in a sequence of four history plays (the… …   Universalium

  • Henry VI, Part 2 — (Shakespeare)    Henry VI, Part 2, is the second play in William Shakespeare’s tetralogy (i.e., four play series) depicting the characters and events of the WARS OF THE ROSES.    If the traditional belief that the four plays were written in… …   Encyclopedia of the Wars of the Roses

  • Henry IV, Part 1 — ▪ work by Shakespeare  chronicle play in five acts by William Shakespeare (Shakespeare, William), written about 1596–97 and published from a reliable authorial draft in a 1598 quarto edition. Henry IV, Part 1 is the second in a sequence of four… …   Universalium

  • Henry IV, Part 2 — ▪ work by Shakespeare       chronicle play in five acts by William Shakespeare (Shakespeare, William), written in 1597–98 and published in a corrupt text based in part on memorial reconstruction in a quarto edition in 1600; a better text, printed …   Universalium

  • Henry VI, Part 1 — (Shakespeare)    Written probably in early 1590, Henry VI, Part 1, is the first work in William Shakespeare’s tetralogy (i.e., series of four plays) depicting the people and events of the WARS OF THE ROSES. The play is probably Shakespeare’s… …   Encyclopedia of the Wars of the Roses

  • Henry VI, Part 3 — (Shakespeare)    Probably written early in 1591, Henry VI, Part 3 is the third work in William Shakespeare’s tetralogy (or four play cycle) depicting the WARS OF THE ROSES. Like the other plays in the series (HENRY VI, PART 1; HENRY VI, PART 2;… …   Encyclopedia of the Wars of the Roses

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”