Other editions of book King Henry VI, Part 3

Being a mere infant on the throne of England, King Henry VI is in trouble. The power struggle between the houses of Lancaster and York resurfaces. A feud between the Duke of Gloucester the current ruler and cardinal, while the Duke of York and Richard Plantagenet are engaged in a fierce disagreement where they are more concerned with destroying one another than they are in protecting England. Talbot the leader in France is unable to suppress the French and is being driven back to the sea by Joan of Arc. William Shakespeare is widely regarded as the greatest writer of the English language. Works of Romeo and Juliet, Othello, A Mid Summer's Night Dream and The Taming of the Shrew have been taught and been on stage since they were written. His influence on culture is far more reaching as he has invented many of the words that we are using today.

In their lively and engaging edition of this sometimes neglected early play, Cox and Rasmussen make a strong claim for it as a remarkable work, revealing a confidence and sureness that very few earlier plays can rival. They show how the young Shakespeare, working closely from his chronicle sources, nevertheless freely shaped his complex material to make it both theatrically effective and poetically innovative. The resulting work creates, in Queen Margaret, one of Shakespeare's strongest female roles and is the source of the popular view of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick as `kingmaker'. Focusing on the history of the play both in terms of both performance and criticism, the editors open it to a wide and challenging variety of interpretative and editorial paradigms.

This edition celebrates King Henry VI Part 2 as one of the most exciting and dynamic plays of the English renaissance theatre, with its exploration of power politics and social revolution and its focus on the relationship between divine justice and sin. An extensive discussion of performance history traces the play's progress on stage from abridgement and adaptation to full historical epic. A survey of criticism discusses the wide range of responses provoked by the play's handling of its historical theme, and concludes by focusing on the element of burlesque in the attempted social revolution portrayed.

This edition of Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1 uses a variety of approaches to Shakespeare, including historical and cultural studies approaches. Shakespeare's text is accompanied by an intriguing collection of thematically arranged historical and cultural documents and illustrations designed to give a firsthand knowledge of the contexts out of which Henry IV, Part 1 emerged. Hodgdon's intelligent and engaging introductions to the play and to the documents (most of which are presented in modern spelling and with annotations) offer a richly textured understanding of Elizabethan culture and Shakespeare's work within that culture.

King Henry VI matures as a gentle, spiritual man. Peace has been established between England and France and Suffolk has arranged a strategic marriage for the King to Margaret of Anjou. Suffolk, with his close relationship to Margaret, and the Duke of Gloucester hold influential positions at the court, as Henry lacks interest in politics and the affairs of the state. This weakness in leadership opens the door for power struggles among the royal family, the nobles and aristocrats. The murder of the Duke is just the first in a series of catastrophes leading to the open uprising against the King in the War of the Roses. An exciting and dynamic play, King Henry VI Part 2, explores the relationship between leadership, power and liberty.

This edition of Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1 uses a variety of approaches to Shakespeare, including historical and cultural studies approaches. Shakespeare's text is accompanied by an intriguing collection of thematically arranged historical and cultural documents and illustrations designed to give a firsthand knowledge of the contexts out of which Henry IV, Part 1 emerged. Hodgdon's intelligent and engaging introductions to the play and to the documents (most of which are presented in modern spelling and with annotations) offer a richly textured understanding of Elizabethan culture and Shakespeare's work within that culture.