The First Part of King Henry the Sixth
"Michèle Willems's edition of The First Part of King Henry the Sixth offers valuable insights into this little-known and puzzling play. Like G. L. Kittredge, on whose work this edition is based, she sees it as mainly Shakespearean. The play we are shown here is no simple exaltation of patriotic feeling, but, more tellingly, a somber and incisive account of a kingdom staggering under the effects of the death of Chivalry. Willems astutely sees an interaction of the play's two main plots that are centered around Lord Talbot and Joan of Arc. She rightly underscores the overwhelming presence in the play of ambivalence, contradiction, irony, and multiple angles of vision. Her account of the play in performance tells a similarly disillusioning story in theatrical terms. Illustrations from performance history help bring to life this underrated and fascinating historical saga."
—David Bevington, University of Chicago
SKU
27629g
George Lyman Kittredge's insightful editions of Shakespeare have endured in part because of his eclecticism, his diversity of interests, and his wide-ranging accomplishments—all of which are reflected in the valuable notes in each volume. The plays in the New Kittredge Shakespeare series retain the original Kittredge notes and introductions, changed or augmented only when some modernization seems necessary. These new editions also include introductory essays by contemporary editors, notes on the plays as they have been performed on stage and film, and additional student materials.
These plays are being made available by Focus with the permission of the Kittredge heirs.
Reviews:
"Michèle Willems's edition of The First Part of King Henry the Sixth offers valuable insights into this little-known and puzzling play. Like G. L. Kittredge, on whose work this edition is based, she sees it as mainly Shakespearean. The play we are shown here is no simple exaltation of patriotic feeling, but, more tellingly, a somber and incisive account of a kingdom staggering under the effects of the death of Chivalry. Willems astutely sees an interaction of the play's two main plots that are centered around Lord Talbot and Joan of Arc. She rightly underscores the overwhelming presence in the play of ambivalence, contradiction, irony, and multiple angles of vision. Her account of the play in performance tells a similarly disillusioning story in theatrical terms. Illustrations from performance history help bring to life this underrated and fascinating historical saga."
—David Bevington, University of Chicago
"This intelligent, performance-based edition should encourage both schools and theaters to pay more attention to this interesting but largely neglected play. Professor Willems’ comparisons of the readily available BBC version with other productions bring the play alive, while her thorough knowledge of the play’s historical background, in both England and France, adds an important dimension to the annotations."
—Lois Potter, University of Delaware
About the Author:
Michèle Willems, Professor Emeritus, taught English Renaissance Literature for 33 years at the University of Rouen (France). She has published extensively on Shakespeare, including the essay "Video and its paradoxes" in The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare on Film (Cambridge University Press).
