Reign of King Edward IV

Historical Context Essay

David C. Dougherty (Loyola University Maryland)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.02: English Writing and Culture: High and Late Medieval, 1066-1485.
Vol. editors: Kate Ash-Irisarri (University of Edinburgh), Rory Critten (Université de Lausanne), David Fuller (University of Durham), Natalie Hanna (University of Liverpool), Hugh Magennis (Queen's University Belfast), Jamie McKinstry (University of Durham), Sarah Peverley (University of Liverpool), Sebastian Sobecki (Rijksuniversiteit Groningen)

Domains

Changes of government, elections and reigns

Dates

Date of occurrence 1461-1470

Places

England (Location)

Of the many late-Plantagenet kings portrayed as weak or even despicable by William Shakespeare, none have as good a case for libel as Edward IV (1442-1483; regnal 1461-70, 1471-83): it has long been believed by many historians and literary scholars that Shakespeare contributed, if late in the game, to an orchestrated campaign to justify the Tudor coup of 1485. Even a hundred years after the fact, the Tudor establishment encouraged stories about the weakness and depravity of the late-Plantagenet monarchs in order to justify the invasion by Henry VII (1457-1509, regnal 1485-1509) and his establishment of the Tudor line. Whether Shakespeare was a deliberate propagandist, or whether he simply based his great historical dramas o…

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2321 words

Citation: Dougherty, David C.. "Reign of King Edward IV". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 21 January 2005 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=618, accessed 23 November 2024.]

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Reign of King Edward IV

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