Henriad

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Henriad is a common title used by scholars for Shakespeare's second historical tetralogy, comprising Richard II; Henry IV, Part 1; Henry IV, Part 2; and Henry V.[1][2] Although it was the second tetralogy to be written and performed, the subject matter comes chronologically before the first tetralogy.

While it is not known whether Shakespeare conceived of the plays as a cycle, these plays are often interpreted and performed in relation to each other, since they represent a continuous period of English history using recurring characters and including direct references to previous plays. The validity of the term "Henriad", however, is up for debate. References to these four plays as 'The Henriad' can be found on TV and scholarly literature.[3][4][5][6]

Some scholars include in the Henriad Shakespeare's first tetralogy, comprising the plays Henry VI, Part 1; Henry VI, Part 2; Henry VI, Part 3; and Richard III.

Productions of The Henriad

Trinity Repertory Company 2004[7]; The Hollow Crown; BBC2, 2013[8]



  1. ↑ http://plays.about.com/od/plays/a/Best-Of-Shakespeare-Number-One-Play.htm
  2. ↑ http://www.empireonline.com/forum/tm.asp?m=3359966
  3. ↑ The BBC's Henriad; Literature/Film Quarterly 21; 1993
  4. ↑ Shakespeare on Screen: The Henriad, edited by Sara Hatchuel and Nathalie Vienne-Guerrin; Publications des Universites de Rouen et du Havre, 2008
  5. ↑ Metadrama in Shakespeare's Henriad, by James Calderwood, University of California Press, 1979
  6. ↑ Crisis of Degree in Shakespeare's Henriad, by Laurie E. Osbourne, Vol. 25, No. 2, Elizabethan and Jacobean Drama, 1985
  7. ↑ http://www.theatermirror.com/CRr2h4tr.htm
  8. ↑ https://ryanasmussenshakescene.wordpress.com/tag/henriad/
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