The Second Part of King Henry VI [Paperback]

This 1991 book takes account of discoveries concerning Shakespeare's early career, paying particular attention to theatrical history.The Wars of the Roses haunted the Elizabethans. Among many accounts, Shakespeare's was the most ambitious, dramatically innovative and radical. The Second Part of King Henry VI is concerned with the nature of history, the role of conscience and the relation between law and equity. It contains a complex reading of a popular uprising, led by Jack Cade.The Wars of the Roses haunted the Elizabethans. Among many accounts, Shakespeare's was the most ambitious, dramatically innovative and radical. The Second Part of King Henry VI is concerned with the nature of history, the role of conscience and the relation between law and equity. It contains a complex reading of a popular uprising, led by Jack Cade.It takes account of recent discoveries concerning Shakespeare's early career, and pays particular attention to recent theatrical history, relating readings generated by modern performances to new ideologically positioned accounts of the history and politics of Shakespeare's age. Part II offers a searing account of aristocratic sedition and a portrait of a relationship between the King and his Protector, Good Duke Humphrey, which is as complex as that between Prince Hal and his father Bolingbrook. It concerns itself with the nature of history, the role of conscience, and the relation between law and equity. It also contains a complex reading of the kind of event that the Tudor regime had cause to fear, a popular uprising, led in this instance by Jack Cade.List of illustrations; Preface; List of abbreviations and conventions; Introduction; 1. Henry VI: the reign and the plays; 2. A political documentary; 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; Reading list.