Write
a note on Shakespeare's handling of historical plays.
Ans. Some of
Shakespearean plays are categorized as historical plays. The historical plays
show a rapid maturing of Shakespeare's technique. The mingling of low life with
chronicle history is an important innovation of Shakespeare. He shows clearly
the importance given in his day to throne and the contemporary desire for
stable government.
Shakespeare's English
historical plays include Henry VI, Part 1-3, Richardll, King
John,
IHenry IV, 2 Henry-IV, Henry V and Henry "11. These historical
plays covered a period of 350 years. Shakespeare explored the events of the
past in order to draw the materials for the plot of his historical dramas. But
his art of dramatization and the plot constructions of his tragedy show no
trace of history. Historical events appear as new creations of Shakespeare.
Shakespeare sometimes improvises over historical sometimes he even changes the
chronological events of history in order to suit the demand of his dramatic
plot. Shakespeare seems to be romantic and is carried away by his imaginative bent of
mind. He fantasies with history. A renowned German critic Schelegel has
described Shakespeare’s historical plays as the mirror for kings. Most of the
historical plays deal with intrigues. They reveal the tyrannical nature of
kings, the dangers of usurpation and the dignity of hereditary vocation. The
historical plays are a study of the weaknesses and the strength, of kings and
monarchs
Shakespeare glorifies
monarchy in his historical plays. According to him obedience to the king
ensures peace and order. The historical plays recorded the facts of history,
more of less, closely but Shakespeare has selected or rejected and invented
events and characters to give his own view of life on the stage. Like other
tragedies of Shakespeare his historical plays also show his skill in drawing
characters. His characters are round. They deal with the issues of success and
failure, happiness and unhappiness. The impression of Shakespeare's historical
plays is on the whole about worldly life, about hope and fear.
In Shakespeare's
historical plays, the protagonist seems to have superhuman qualities. He
appears to be grand and mythical and disposition. Sometimes he turns to be
villainous for his over winning power and vaulting ambition. The demise of the
hero results from a mistake in his
character which justifies his down fall. There are elements of horror,
bloodshed and revenge motif in his historical plays. Despite melodramatic coloring,
the drama has ray of optimism at the end. In other words, his historical plays
do not have ending in total gloom. The dramatist shows that in the struggle
between the forces of good and the forces of evil, the good triumphs but at the
cost of precious lives.
Shakespeare's
historical drama is history dominated. Shakespeare uses his artistic
inventiveness to play upon the facts of history. The historical plays of
Shakespeare are a link between the process of his development Of comedy and
tragedy. However, the one great object of the historical plays was to make
English people more patriot, to make English people feel proud to be English
people. In other words, the spirit of patriotism burns brightly in the
historical plays. Unlike his tragedies the historical plays did not deal with
the problems of life and death, joy and grief, that is, the causes of humanity.
Historical plays of Shakespeare convey some moral lessons• His historical plays
are revenges of time in history. Evil in the historical plays is followed by
punishment. These plays leave a powerful impressi0nkingly glory and kingly
responsibility, honor and worldly glory etc. were the ideas expressed in his
historical plays. In short, Shakespeare's history are always true to the spirit
of the age. Although sometimes they are not true in details, Shakespeare
through historical plays tried to reveal the
essential features of English political institution. The people or
incidents of a particular period become universal because of the way Shakespeare
has presented them in his dramatic presentation.
In conclusion we can
say that Shakespeare's historical plays are no more chronicles but dramas
showing characters in action. His history plays bear the impression of
Renaissance and medieval world picture. The thoughts of the age—of Machiavelli,
Montaigne and others are reflected in his history plays. Social historians find
much materials for their ideas in his plays.
0 Comments