King John and Henry VIII

By William Shakespeare and William H. Matchett

Book Overview

These two history plays--one written in the early days of Shakespeare's career and one at the very end--are alike in the complexity of their political vision. King John probes the nature of good and evil as self-interest and ruthless ambition proceed unchecked while an unpopular ruler wages a brutal fight to keep his throne. Henry VIII is a sumptuous spectacle of pomp and ceremony, as well as an exploration of the mysterious ways in which the rise and fall from power of individuals led ultimately to England's destiny as a Protestant nation.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553212869
• ISBN13: 9780553212860
• Release Date: January 1988
• Publisher: Bantam Classics
• Length: 592 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 4.2" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

Good introductory information about Henry VIII

My favorite thing about this edition of Henry VIII is the introduction, which contains very clear, interesting, and objective views about which scenes were written by Shakespeare himself and which are likely to have been written by collaborators.