Shakespeare: histories and nations

Dennis Kennedy

European Review, 2005, vol. 13, issue 3, 319-326

Abstract: Shakespeare's history plays have been taken as a grand epic of the English nation, especially in the period after World War II when they were performed in marathon cycles in the English theatre. As a group, these works investigate and question the meaning of authority, kingship, and nation in an unparalleled way. Shakespeare is the world's most popular playwright, his work staged and filmed in a huge variety of locations around the globe, yet the history plays have traditionally not spoken as directly to other nations as do the comedies and tragedies. Using the analogy oftrans-national sport, this essay looks at the changing position of the history plays in contemporary Europe and in the larger world.

Date: 2005
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