“A Large Kingdom For A Little Grave”: Shakespeare as an Echo for Political Propaganda
Major
English – Literature
Submission Type
Oral Presentation
Area of Study or Work
English-Literature
Faculty Advisor
Michael Theune
Location
CNS E101
Start Date
4-13-2024 8:30 AM
End Date
4-13-2024 9:45 AM
Abstract
It is often said that history is not a study of the past, but rather a study of change. Learning about history further explains the present and the patterns we constantly see. Shakespeare’s plays have stood the test of time and are often regarded as one of the clearest windows to life and politics in long-past England. However, in the midst of this awe and respect for Shakespeare’s works, we rarely stop to consider what exactly Shakespeare’s motives truly were when writing these popular plays, or why we believe his work to be nothing but the truth in the first place. In this research essay, I attempt to peer into the past to get a better understanding of the political climate of Elizabethan England and explain just how much of Shakespeare’s plays were accurate historical retellings or else were molded into political propaganda. In order to paint a clearer picture, I look to Shakespeare’s historical plays, specifically those in the second tetralogy, Richard II, Henry IV (part one), and Henry V, and compare the portrayed events to work by other authors writing history plays, widely circulated historiographies such as A Mirror for Magistrates, and other information Shakespeare would have had access to at the time. I also seek to analyze the portrayals of each monarch and if these portrayals implied certain opinions of the then reigning monarchy. Through this historical analysis, I hope to not only show how Shakespeare was strategic and intentional in his retelling of England's history, but also give perspective on the world we live in now, a world that is also controlled by widespread propaganda. I hope to show how even centuries after Shakespeare's death, we still see the same kind of tactics that influence our opinions on the state of the world, for better and for worse.
“A Large Kingdom For A Little Grave”: Shakespeare as an Echo for Political Propaganda
CNS E101
It is often said that history is not a study of the past, but rather a study of change. Learning about history further explains the present and the patterns we constantly see. Shakespeare’s plays have stood the test of time and are often regarded as one of the clearest windows to life and politics in long-past England. However, in the midst of this awe and respect for Shakespeare’s works, we rarely stop to consider what exactly Shakespeare’s motives truly were when writing these popular plays, or why we believe his work to be nothing but the truth in the first place. In this research essay, I attempt to peer into the past to get a better understanding of the political climate of Elizabethan England and explain just how much of Shakespeare’s plays were accurate historical retellings or else were molded into political propaganda. In order to paint a clearer picture, I look to Shakespeare’s historical plays, specifically those in the second tetralogy, Richard II, Henry IV (part one), and Henry V, and compare the portrayed events to work by other authors writing history plays, widely circulated historiographies such as A Mirror for Magistrates, and other information Shakespeare would have had access to at the time. I also seek to analyze the portrayals of each monarch and if these portrayals implied certain opinions of the then reigning monarchy. Through this historical analysis, I hope to not only show how Shakespeare was strategic and intentional in his retelling of England's history, but also give perspective on the world we live in now, a world that is also controlled by widespread propaganda. I hope to show how even centuries after Shakespeare's death, we still see the same kind of tactics that influence our opinions on the state of the world, for better and for worse.