Why did Shakespeare write histories?

Answer 1

Shakespeare's Histories William Shakespeare wrote the Histories during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England. She was a daughter of King Henry VIII, and grand daughter of King Henry VII. Henry VII had become King of England following his defeat of King Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, bringing an end to the long and bloody civil war known as The Wars of the Roses. The History plays (except King John and Henry VIII) describe the events in English History which led up to this conflict, the conflict itself and its end in the play "Richard III" - they are all named after the monarchs who reigned from King Richard II in 1377 to Richard III who was killed in battle at Bosworth. Richard II was deposed by his cousin, Henry Bolingbroke who became King Henry IV - it could be said that it was this deposition which "sowed the seeds" for the Wars of the Roses. Many aspects of the plays can be seen as Tudor propoganda, supporting the relatively new Tudor dynasty - in particular Richard III is portrayed as an evil hunchback. Just as nowadays there is a market for books and movies about recent history, such as World War 2, The Vietnam War etc, so in Shakespeare's time there was a ready audience for these stories of what was then recent history.

Answer 2

Shakespeare wrote histories to entertain and educate audiences about England's past monarchs and historical events. These plays often explored themes of power, loyalty, and leadership while also capturing the political and social dynamics of the time. Shakespeare's histories are known for blending historical accuracy with dramatic storytelling to create compelling narratives.