Write a note on Shakespeare's handling of historical plays.

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.