Shakespeare’s Historical Tetralogies: Compared and Contrasted

Abstract

"No poet has ever expressed England, its character, its folk-speech and song, its virtues and its follies and some of its vices, and even its physical appearance, so sensitively and memorably." These words were spoken of William Shakespeare, literature’s greatest dramatist. These words can be verified easily enough by anyone who has read the many plays produced by this magnificent artist. It is not necessary, however, to read every-thing Shakespeare wrote in order to appreciate either his dramatic talent or his ability to depict the real England. A study of two groups of plays, commonly referred to as his historical tetralogies, will afford the reader an insight into England, her men and her morals.