Is Shakespeare History? The Plantagenets
In Our Time: History
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The History of Richard II
Shakespeare wrote about the Wars of the Roses first, and he wrote a great deal about a weak king. The weak king served his dramatic purpose as well, because these great wars were going on. But you can never say with certainty that Shakespeare set out to write one vast sweeping history leading to the tutors. What's your opinion about why he stuck at this for eight plays? Do I think he had a grand plan? No. I think he was an improviser. And he had a major hit on his hand, not so much with the history, perhaps, as with false stuff. So it was worth perhaps rewriting. But we don't know. We only have the text that
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