The Tragedy of King Richard III

Front Cover
General Books LLC, 2009 - Drama - 168 pages
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1898 edition. Excerpt: ... in 1377, he was succeeded by his grandson, Richard II., son of the Black Prince. Richard proved weak and incompetent, and in 1399 was easily overthrown by his cousin, Henry of Lancaster, eldest son of John of Gaunt, who again had been the fourth son of Edward III. The victor, who took the title of Henry IV., reigned until his death in 1413. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Henry V., whose brilliant reign was cut short by his early death in 1422. Henry V.'s only child, Henry VI., who now became king, was a mere infant when his father died. In the latter part of his long reign (1422-1461) the Wars of the Roses commenced, the standard of revolt being raised in 1455 by Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York. York was a man of much more character and ability than Henry, and he based his claim to the throne on hereditary right, inasmuch as he was descended both from the third and from the fifth son of Edward III., while his rival was descended only from (he fourth. At first the Yorkists carried all before them, but in 1460 the.Lancastrians won a victory at Wakefield, where York himself was slain, while his son, the Earl of Rutland, was cruelly murdered after the battle. King Edward IV., eldest son of the Duke of York, now became head of the Yorkist party. He was at this time a mere youth, having been born in 1442. A victory at Mortimer's Cross in 146I, even though followed almost immediately by a Yorkist defeat at St. Alban's ("Margaret's battle"), led to his being offered the crown, and on March 4th of that year he assumed the title of king. The strife, however, still continued, and it was not until 1471 that the Lancastrians were finally crushed at Tewkesbury. In this last battle Prince Edward, only child of Henry VI., was killed, and shortly...

Other editions - View all

About the author (2009)

William Shakespeare, 1564 - 1616 Although there are many myths and mysteries surrounding William Shakespeare, a great deal is actually known about his life. He was born in Stratford-Upon-Avon, son of John Shakespeare, a prosperous merchant and local politician and Mary Arden, who had the wealth to send their oldest son to Stratford Grammar School. At 18, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway, the 27-year-old daughter of a local farmer, and they had their first daughter six months later. He probably developed an interest in theatre by watching plays performed by traveling players in Stratford while still in his youth. Some time before 1592, he left his family to take up residence in London, where he began acting and writing plays and poetry. By 1594 Shakespeare had become a member and part owner of an acting company called The Lord Chamberlain's Men, where he soon became the company's principal playwright. His plays enjoyed great popularity and high critical acclaim in the newly built Globe Theatre. It was through his popularity that the troupe gained the attention of the new king, James I, who appointed them the King's Players in 1603. Before retiring to Stratford in 1613, after the Globe burned down, he wrote more than three dozen plays (that we are sure of) and more than 150 sonnets. He was celebrated by Ben Jonson, one of the leading playwrights of the day, as a writer who would be "not for an age, but for all time," a prediction that has proved to be true. Today, Shakespeare towers over all other English writers and has few rivals in any language. His genius and creativity continue to astound scholars, and his plays continue to delight audiences. Many have served as the basis for operas, ballets, musical compositions, and films. While Jonson and other writers labored over their plays, Shakespeare seems to have had the ability to turn out work of exceptionally high caliber at an amazing speed. At the height of his career, he wrote an average of two plays a year as well as dozens of poems, songs, and possibly even verses for tombstones and heraldic shields, all while he continued to act in the plays performed by the Lord Chamberlain's Men. This staggering output is even more impressive when one considers its variety. Except for the English history plays, he never wrote the same kind of play twice. He seems to have had a good deal of fun in trying his hand at every kind of play. Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets, all published on 1609, most of which were dedicated to his patron Henry Wriothsley, The Earl of Southhampton. He also wrote 13 comedies, 13 histories, 6 tragedies, and 4 tragecomedies. He died at Stratford-upon-Avon April 23, 1616, and was buried two days later on the grounds of Holy Trinity Church in Stratford. His cause of death was unknown, but it is surmised that he knew he was dying.

Bibliographic information