King Henry VIII

Henry VIII was one of Shakespeare's most popular plays in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It has not been staged so frequently in the twentieth century, but a number of important recent productions have revealed the theatrical potential of a more complete text. Professor Margeson considers and illustrates the stage history of the play, and gives a balanced account of the authorship controversy from the mid-nineteenth century, when John Fletcher's name was first put forward as a collaborator, to recent scholarship, which has not yet reached a consensus. The commentary is detailed but concise, explaining difficult passages and contemporary references, and suggesting how the play might have been staged in an Elizabethan theatre, or might still be staged for a modern audience.Shakespeare, William is the author of 'King Henry VIII' with ISBN 9780521296922 and ISBN 0521296927.