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88 results

Page 1 of 5

  • 4 - Foreign War

  • Edited by David Loewenstein, Paul Stevens, University of Toronto
  • Book:
    The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare and War
    Published online:
    17 August 2021
    Print publication:
    14 October 2021, pp 54-74

  • Summary

    This chapter explores the scene of conflict with a foreign power in Shakespeare’s plays, particularly the history plays 1 Henry VI, King John, and Henry V, in which war with France provides the testing ground for an exploration of the contrast between foreign and native, or national, values. In these plays, Englishness is largely defined in terms of masculine stoicism and canny tactical knowledge, as opposed to French foppishness. The characterization of the English as providentially favored underdogs up against an overconfident enemy present in Henry V and King John recalls Elizabethan conflicts with Spain and the papacy. Gender identity also factors prominently in Shakespeare’s creation of a sense of the foreign, as he describes England’s island geography as a virginal national space to be defended against invasion. At the same time, Macbeth demonstrates that Shakespeare does not shy away from this conflict between foreign and native on the home front.

King Richard ll
  • 3rd edition
  • William Shakespeare
  • Edited by Andrew Gurr
  • Introduction by Claire McEachern
  • Published online:
    16 August 2019
    Print publication:
    06 December 2018
  • In this updated edition of King Richard II, Claire McEachern provides a fresh introductory section in which she discusses the most important productions and scholarly criticism of recent years. Paying particular attention to the focus on religion in contemporary interpretations of the play, McEachern also analyses the increasing number of performances on stage and screen. Andrew Gurr's acclaimed introduction guides the reader through the play's action and politics, providing a thorough and engaging grounding in its structure, language and staging. An updated reading list completes the edition.

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