Questions about history and politics
Early history
- King Lear: what really happened in his reign?
- What did Shakespeare know about Roman history?*
- Hamlet: what do we know of the original story?
- Macbeth: was he really so evil?
- Where did Shakespeare learn his English history?
- Why were the English always at war with France?*
- What made Richard II so unpopular?
- All those kings: who was related to who, and why?
- Who was Henry the Fourth Part One?*
- Was Falstaff modelled on a historical figure?
- What were the Wars of the Roses?*
- Did the peasants ever rebel against their lot?
- Was Richard III really a consummate villain?
- What was the "Tudor myth"?*
- What was the "divine right" of monarchs?
More questions about history and politics.
Footnotes
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What did Shakespeare know about Roman history?
Go to this page, and look also at those that follow.
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Why were the English always at war with France?
Go to this page, and look also at those that follow.
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Who was Henry the Fourth Part One?
Go to this page; Part Two is on the next page.
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What were the Wars of the Roses?
Go to this page; see the next page too.
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What was the "Tudor myth"?
Go to this page; see the next page too.