William Shakespeare

King John and Henry VIII (eBook, ePUB)

• Format: ePub

Produktbeschreibung

These two history plays—one written in the early days of Shakespeare's career and one at the very end—are alike in the complexity of their political vision. King John probes the nature of good and evil as self-interest and ruthless ambition proceed unchecked while an unpopular ruler wages a brutal fight to keep his throne. Henry VIII is a sumptuous spectacle of pomp and ceremony, as well as an exploration of the mysterious ways in which the rise and fall from power of individuals led ultimately to England's destiny as a Protestant nation.

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Produktdetails

• Verlag: Random House Publishing Group
• Seitenzahl: 592
• Erscheinungstermin: 17. Juli 2013
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9780307421647
• Artikelnr.: 39131540

Autorenporträt

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in April 1564, and his birth is traditionally celebrated on April 23. The facts of his life, known from surviving documents, are sparse. He was one of eight children born to John Shakespeare, a merchant of some standing in his community. William probably went to the King's New School in Stratford, but he had no university education. In November 1582, at the age of eighteen, he married Anne Hathaway, eight years his senior, who was pregnant with their first child, Susanna. She was born on May 26, 1583. Twins, a boy, Hamnet ( who would die at age eleven), and a girl, Judith, were born in 1585. By 1592 Shakespeare had gone to London working as an actor and already known as a playwright. A rival dramatist, Robert Greene, referred to him as an upstart crow, beautified with our feathers. Shakespeare became a principal shareholder and playwright of the successful acting troupe, the Lord Chamberlain's Men (later under James I, called the King's Men). In 1599 the Lord Chamberlain's Men built and occupied the Globe Theater in Southwark near the Thames River. Here many of Shakespeare's plays were performed by the most famous actors of his time, including Richard Burbage, Will Kempe, and Robert Armin. In addition to his 37 plays, Shakespeare had a hand in others, including Sir Thomas More and The Two Noble Kinsmen, and he wrote poems, including Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece. His 154 sonnets were published, probably without his authorization, in 1609. In 1611 or 1612 he gave up his lodgings in London and devoted more and more time to retirement in Stratford, though he continued writing such plays as The Tempest and Henry VII until about 1613. He died on April 23 1616, and was buried in Holy Trinity Church, Stratford. No collected edition of his plays was published during his life-time, but in 1623 two members of his acting company, John Heminges and Henry Condell, put together the great collection now called the First Folio.

Bild: Wikipedia

Inhaltsangabe

Introduction.- King John.- Henry VIII.- About the Text.- Key Facts: King John.- The Life and Death of King John.- Textual Notes.- Scene-by-Scene Analysis.- King John in Performance: The RSC and Beyond.- Four Centuries of King John: An Overview.- At the RSC.- The Director's Cut: Interviews with Gregory Doran and Josie Rourke.- Key Facts: Henry VIII.- The Life of King Henry the Eighth.- Textual Notes.- Scene-by-Scene Analysis.- King Henry VIII in Performance.- The RSC and Beyond.- Four Centuries of King Henry VIII: An Overview.- At the RSC.- The Director's Cut: Interviews with Gregory Doran and Gregory Thompson.- Shakespeare's Career in the Theatre.- Beginnings.- Playhouses.- The Ensemble at Work.- The King's Man.- Shakespeare's Works: A Chronology.- Kings and Queens of England: From the History Plays to Shakespeare's Lifetime.- King John Family Tree.- The History Behind the Histories: A Chronology.- Further Reading and Viewing.- References.- Acknowledgements and Picture Credits