The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 15.1708  Monday, 13 September 2004

[1]     From:   D Bloom <
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        Date:   Friday, 10 Sep 2004 07:47:03 -0500
        Subj:   RE: SHK 15.1695 Henry, Earl of Richmond

[2]     From:   Dennis Taylor <
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        Date:   Friday, 10 Sep 2004 15:23:51 -0400
        Subj:   Re: SHK 15.1682 Henry, Earl of Richmond


[1]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From:           D Bloom <
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Date:           Friday, 10 Sep 2004 07:47:03 -0500
Subject: 15.1695 Henry, Earl of Richmond
Comment:        RE: SHK 15.1695 Henry, Earl of Richmond

I think that Shakespeare realized that there wasn't much drama to the
life of HVII as king, whose prime accomplishment was murdering all those
nobility with a better title to the throne than his (which was a sizable
percentage), including (it has been alleged) his wife.

About all you could make of him would be a kind of R III without the
hump -- and, of course, succeeding. However historically true, this
presentation would probably not sit well with either Elizabeth or James
whose ancestor he was.

In general, a play requires some kind of crisis to make it work. Since
his occurred at the beginning of his reign, his kingship would be
disqualified.

One supposes that you could write a kind of action-adventure thing,
setting him up as a young hero-prince, on the order of Charles II,
escaping the wicked Yorkists and especially the demonic Crouchback,
before returning to triumph at Bosworth. Were there such stories about
Richmond?

If there were, then I would be surprised that WS didn't form a play out
of them.

Cheers,
don

[2]-------------------------------------------------------------
From:           Dennis Taylor <
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Date:           Friday, 10 Sep 2004 15:23:51 -0400
Subject: 15.1682 Henry, Earl of Richmond
Comment:        Re: SHK 15.1682 Henry, Earl of Richmond

The article is:

Burn, Michael, "Why No Henry VII? (with a Postscript on Malvolio's
Revenge)." In Manner and Meaning in Shakespeare, ed. B. A. W. Jackson.
Stratford Papers 1965-67 [F] (Hamilton Ontario: McMaster University
Library Press, 1969): 208-31.

DT

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