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Chapter 1 - Royal Shakespeare

Commemorating Conflict during the Seven Years’ War (1756–63)

from Part I

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 October 2023

Amy Lidster
Affiliation:
University of Oxford
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Summary

Chapter 1 concentrates on the Seven Years’ War (1756–63) and the performance of Shakespeare at the Theatres Royal in London to show how several prominent productions construct a triumphant narrative of the conflict and commemorate Britain’s participation through the figure of the monarch. This period of war involved a number of widely celebrated victories that were seen to solidify Britain’s dominance as a global power, imparting a retrospective unity to the conflict that was marked by growing war weariness, escalating costs, and uncertainty about its justification and aims. This chapter concentrates on John Rich’s Henry V at Covent Garden and David Garrick’s Henry VIII at Drury Lane in 1761, both of which incorporate replicas of George III’s recent coronation, establishing a connection between the histories of the plays and contemporary royal spectacle. It shows how the use of Shakespeare seems to authorize an approving view of British conquests, despite George III’s own interest in peace negotiations and the disparate aims of production and reception agents connected to these performances.

Type
Chapter
Information
Wartime Shakespeare
Performing Narratives of Conflict
, pp. 35 - 70
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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  • Royal Shakespeare
  • Amy Lidster, University of Oxford
  • Book: Wartime Shakespeare
  • Online publication: 12 October 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009356053.003
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  • Royal Shakespeare
  • Amy Lidster, University of Oxford
  • Book: Wartime Shakespeare
  • Online publication: 12 October 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009356053.003
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Royal Shakespeare
  • Amy Lidster, University of Oxford
  • Book: Wartime Shakespeare
  • Online publication: 12 October 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009356053.003
Available formats
×