Sources for the histories
The histories:
Click on the play to open a popup that summarizes the sources Shakespeare used in composing each play.
- Henry VI, Part One*
- Henry VI, Part Two*
- Henry VI, Part Three*
- The Tragedy of Richard III*
- The Life and Death of King John*
- The Tragedy of King Richard II*
- Henry IV, Part One*
- Henry IV, Part Two*
- The Life of Henry V*
- The Famous History of the Life of Henry VIII*
Footnotes
-
Henry VI, Part One
Sources:
- The Union of the Two Noble and Illustre Famelies of Lancastre and Yorke, Edward Hall (1548)
- The Third Volume of Chronicles, Raphael Holinshed (1587)
- Historia Regum Britanniae, Geoffrey of Monmouth - Bk. VIII, Ch. xxi-xxiii
Probable historical source:
- Contemporary account. From Journal of the Siege of Rouen, Sir Thomas Coningsby (1591)
-
Henry VI, Part Two
Sources:
- The Union of the Two Noble and Illustre Famelies of Lancastre and Yorke, Edward Hall (1548)
- Probable sources:
- Actes and Monuments of Martyrs, John Foxe (1583)
- The Third Volume of Chronicles, Raphael Holinshed (1587)
- A Chronicle at Large, R. Grafton (1569)
Analogues:
- Device for Lord Mayor's Pageant, T. Nelson (1590)
- The Life and Death of Jack Straw, Anon. (1593/4)
- A Myrroure for Magistrates (1559) - The Duke of Suffolk
-
Henry VI, Part Three
Sources:
- The Union of the Two Noble and Illustre Famelies of Lancastre and Yorke, Edward Hall (1548)
- The Third Volume of Chronicles, Raphael Holinshed (1587 edition) - "The Death of York"
- Possible source:
- A Myrroure for Magistrates (1559) - "Richard, Duke of York" and "King Henry the Sixth"
-
The Tragedy of Richard III
Sources:
- The Union of the Two Noble and Illustre Famelies of Lancastre and Yorke, Edward Hall (1548)
- Probable sources:
- A Myrroure for Magistrate, (1559) - "George, Duke of Clarence"
- The True Tragedy of Richard III, Anon. (1594)
Possible source:
- Hercules Furens, Seneca; translated by Jasper Heywood (1561) - Act II
Analogues:
- Richardus Tertius, Thomas Legge (1579)
- The Rose of Englande, Anon.
-
The Life and Death of King John
Sources:
- The Third Volume of Chronicles, Raphael Holinshed (1587)
- The Troublesome Raigne of King John. Anon. (1591)
- Probable source:
- The Union of the Two Noble and Illustre Famelies of Lancastre and Yorke, Edward Hall (1548)
Possible sources:
- Actes and Monuments of Martyrs, John Foxe (1583)
- Analogue:
- The English Chronicle of Randulph of Coggeshall - "The Attempt to Blind Prince Arthur," and " Faukes de Brent"
- King Johan, John Bale
-
The Tragedy of King Richard II
Sources:
- The Union of the Two Noble and Illustre Famelies of Lancastre and Yorke, Edward Hall (1548)
- The Third Volume of Chronicles, Raphael Holinshed (1587)
- Thomas of Woodstock, Anon.
- Probable sources:
- The First Fowre Bookes of the Civile Wars, Samuel Daniel (1595)
Possible sources:
- A Myrroure for Magistrates, (1559) - "Lord Mowbray" and "King Richard II"
- The Chronicle of Froissart; translated by Lord Berners (1523-25)
Analogue:
- Chronicque de la Traïson et mort de Richard Deux Roy Dengleterre, ed. and translated by Benjamin Williams
-
Henry IV, Part One
Source:
- The Third Volume of Chronicles, Raphael Holinshed (1587)
- Probable sources:
- The First Fowre Bookes of the Civile Wars, Samuel Daniel (1595)
- The Chronicles of England, John Stowe (1580)
Possible source:
- A Myrroure for Magistrates (1559) - "Owen Glendower" and "Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland"
Historic analogue:
- Sir John Fastol of Nacton
Analogues:
- A New Enterlude called Thersytes. Anon.
- Endimion, John Lyly (1591)
- The Nature of the Four Elements, John Rastell? (1519)
- The World and the Child, Anon. (1522)
-
Henry IV, Part Two
Sources:
- The Third Volume of Chronicles, Raphael Holinshed (1587)
- The Famous Victories of Henry the Fifth, Anon. (1598)
Probable sources:
- The First Fowre Bookes of the Civile Wars, Samuel Daniel (1595)
- The Union of the Two Noble and Illustre Famelies of Lancastre and Yorke, Edward Hall (1548)
Possible source:
- The Governour, Sir Thomas Elyot (1531) - Bk. II, Ch. VI
- The Chronicles of England, John Stowe (1580)
Analogues:
- Tarlton's Jests (1638)
- Hickscorner, Anon. (1510)
-
The Life of Henry V
Sources:
- The Third Volume of Chronicles, Raphael Holinshed (1587)
- The Annals of C. Tacitus; translated by R. Grenewey (1598)
Possible sources:
- The Battle of Agincourt, Anon.
- The First Fowre Bookes of the Civile Wars, Samuel Daniel (1595)
- Instructions, Observations and order Militarie, Sir John Smithe (1595)
Analogue:
- A Myrroure for Magistrates, (1559) - "Richard, Earl of Cambridge"
-
The Famous History of the Life of Henry VIII
Sources:
- The Third Volume of Chronicles, Raphael Holinshed (1587)
- Actes and Monuments of Martyrs, John Foxe (1583)
Probable source:
- When You See Me, You Know Me, Samuel Rowley (1605)