William Shakespeare
The Histories
10 of the 36 plays published in the First Folio of 1623 were classed as history plays. In these plays,
Shakespeare has dramatised the lives of several English monarchs, beginning with King John (reigned 1199-1216) and
ending with King Henry VIII (reigned 1509-1547). While Henry VIII is probably the most
famous of the kings Shakespeare wrote about, it is probably the brilliant play Richard III that is the most
popular. It is also very controversial as not everyone agrees with
Shakespeare's villainous portrayal of the last Plantagenet king. In fact, many blame Shakespeare, at least in part,
for Richard's notorious reputation.
The history plays are not performed as often as the comedies or tragedies,
but this may be due to the fact that not all the history plays are standalone plays. Henry IV contains two parts,
and Henry VI contains three.
The history plays, as listed in the First Folio, are:
King John
Richard II
Henry IV: Part One
Henry IV: Part Two
Henry V
Henry VI: Part One
Henry VI: Part Two
Henry VI: Part Three
Richard III
Henry VIII
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