Historien

The Norton Shakespeare

by William Shakespeare

Außen:



In seinen Historien stellt Shakespeare dem Publikum verschiedene Königstypen und verschiedene Arten ihres Regierens und ihres Endes vor. Ein geschichtliches und moralisches Panorama von blutigen Familienfehden, Kriegen, Betrug, Unzucht, Völlerei, Mord und gewaltsamem Thronwechsel – letztendlich vom Wirken und Untergang Mächtiger.



„Der Mann hat uns das reichhaltigste Ensemble der vitalsten und abgründigsten Theaterfiguren hinterlassen.“ DIE ZEIT





Innen:



Das dreiteilige Königsdrama „Heinrich VI.“ gehört zu den frühesten Stücken Shakespeares. Solche „Historien“ aus der englischen Geschichte sowie historische Epen und Chroniken waren damals schon seit einigen Jahrzehnten im Schwange. Sie behandelten Themen des guten Regierens, des gerechten Herrschers und der nationalen Einheit, die seit den Rosenkriegen, dem Beginn der Reformation, besonders seit der Zeit Marias der Blutigen, der katholischen Tudor – Königin vor Elisabeth I., und den Auseinandersetzungen mit Frankreich, Schottland und Spanien von andauerndem öffentlichen Interesse waren.

Genres: Classics, Shakespeare, Plays, Fiction, Drama, Theatre, Literature

982 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1621

About the author

William Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet, and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "the Bard"). His extant works, including collaborations, consist of some 39 plays, 154 sonnets, three long narrative poems, and a few other verses, some of uncertain authorship. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. Shakespeare remains arguably the most influential writer in the English language, and his works continue to be studied and reinterpreted.
Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. Sometime between 1585 and 1592, he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part-owner ("sharer") of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men after the ascension of King James VI and I of Scotland to the English throne. At age 49 (around 1613), he appears to have retired to Stratford, where he died three years later. Few records of Shakespeare's private life survive; this has stimulated considerable speculation about such matters as his physical appearance, his sexuality, his religious beliefs, and even certain fringe theories as to whether the works attributed to him were written by others.
Shakespeare produced most of his known works between 1589 and 1613. His early plays were primarily comedies and histories and are regarded as some of the best works produced in these genres. He then wrote mainly tragedies until 1608, among them Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth, all considered to be among the finest works in the English language. In the last phase of his life, he wrote tragicomedies (also known as romances) and collaborated with other playwrights.
Many of Shakespeare's plays were published in editions of varying quality and accuracy during his lifetime. However, in 1623, John Heminge and Henry Condell, two fellow actors and friends of Shakespeare's, published a more definitive text known as the First Folio, a posthumous collected edition of Shakespeare's dramatic works that includes 36 of his plays. Its Preface was a prescient poem by Ben Jonson, a former rival of Shakespeare, that hailed Shakespeare with the now famous epithet: "not of an age, but for all time".

Reviews

[Rhuddem Gwelin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent introductions to all the plays. I have worn my copy out, must get a new one.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll be reading various plays from this book for the next month or so in no particular order.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

It clear Shakespeare is a genius with his very artistic style of writing, but it was also incredibly long and windy at times.

[Megan]

Had this back at home from one of my many university Shakespeare classes. In fact, I can't really remember which one it was. But I've been meaning to (re)read the Histories, so it was well-timed that I found it.

[Kristina Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richard III, parts of Richard II, currently reading Henry IV Part 1

[William Herbst · Rating 5 out of 5]

See my thoughts under comedies for my thoughts on the series.