All is True is Shakespeare's retelling of one of the most defining periods in English history, the marriage and divorce of Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon.'Men's evil manners live in brass, their virtuesWe write in water.'Henry VIII or All is True is Shakespeare's retelling of one of the defining periods in English history: the marriage and divorce of Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon. Written in the wake of the sudden death of Henry Stuart, King James I and VI's oldest son and heir, Shakespeare's most 'contemporary' history play offers provocative parallels between the Tudor past and Stuart present. The play examines the rise and fall of Cardinal Wolsey, Thomas Cranmer, and Anne Boleyn, providing both a meditation on history as a narrative dictated by Church and State, and on the tragic lives of those who become collateral damage to greater forces.The New Oxford Shakespeare offers authoritative editions of Shakespeare's works with introductory materials designed to encourage new interpretations of the plays and poems. Using the text from the landmark The New Oxford Shakespeare Complete Works: Modern Critical Edition, these volumes offer readers the latest thinking on the authentic texts (collated from all surviving original versions of Shakespeare's work) alongside innovative introductions from leading scholars. The texts are accompanied by a comprehensive set of critical apparatus to give readers the best resources to help understand and enjoy Shakespeare's work.
FeaturesShakespeare's retelling of one of the most defining periods in English historyThe play negotiates the ambivalence of truth as dictated by the monarch and the church, and the women who become collateral damage amidst the ambitions of bothThe introduction offers an engaging account of one of Shakespeare's most lavish and yet least known plays, in the context of near-contemporary dramatizations of the life of Henry VIII, including Rowley's When Ye See Me, Ye Know Me (1605)Combines fresh, new scholarship from leading researchers with authoritative texts and comprehensive notes in order to offer readers a complete guide to ShakespeareUses the text from the landmark The New Oxford Shakespeare: Modern Critical Edition collated from all surviving original versions of Shakespeare's workPresented in modern spelling and punctuation with accessible critical appartus to best aid understanding of the plays and poemsABOUT THE SERIESFor over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.