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Shakespeare’s history plays have never been more relevant. In reading Richard II; Henry IV, Part One; Henry IV, Part Two; and Henry V, this seminar will encounter some of the enduring political questions: the transference of power from one reign—or administration—to the next; the connection between public and private morality; and the problematics of removing a legitimate but perhaps unfit king—or head of state. But the plays also include great theatre: the tragedy of Richard II, the ruthlessly ambitious but finally remorseful Henry IV, the comedy of the remarkable Falstaff, and the deeply nuanced character of the heroic Henry V. Focusing on the plays’ theatricality as well as politics, we shall continuously grapple with a theme of universal importance: the drama of politics and the politics of drama. It is a theme as compelling today as it was in 1600.
