Michael Hattaway (1941–2021)

A very good collection - one of a series of nine which together cover all of Shakespeare's plays and poems - of essays about Shakespeare's history plays. The first section includes several general essays on the origins of the 'history play', what theatre and history meant - separately and together - in Elizabethan England, and how the plays have been seen over time. The second section gives devoted essays to each of Shakespeare's English history plays, as well as some comments on his Roman plays. They're very interesting and enjoyable essays which look in depth at character, production and the notion of history, without ever (or at least rarely) coming across as obnoxiously academic. The best thing about these is that the authors understand that Shakespeare WASN'T writing like an academic. They remember that he wrote with many reasons and for a very different type of audience, while also approaching the essays from an intellectual point of view.… (meer)