The Plantagenet Kings

The Plantagenet Kings of medieval England: A royal family known as the bloodiest in English history because of their alliances, betrayals, usurpations, and wars. While the name “Plantagenet” may not be familiar, the royals themselves are known to today’s culture: Richard the Lion-Heart, Edward the Black Prince, Henry V. From the coronation of Henry II, a Norman king, to the battlefield death of Richard III, the Plantagenets were a dominant force in England and France for centuries. It is no wonder, then, that over the last 500 years their lives and exploits have often been used as the foundation for dynamic theatre.

Terminology

• Plantagenet: Relating to the English royal dynasty which held the throne from the accession of Henry II in 1154 until the death of Richard III in 1485.
• Monarch: A sovereign head of state, especially a king, queen, or emperor.
• History Play: A genre of play that is based on the narrative of true historical events and people, often considered a subgenre of tragedy.
• Wars of the Roses: A series of English civil wars (1455-1487) fought between the families of York (symbolized by the white rose) and Lancaster (symbolized by the red rose) for control of the English crown.
• Hundred Years’ War: From 1337-1453, a series of wars and conflicts between England and France for control of lands in France and the disputed French crown.
• Primogeniture: The right of succession that passes to the eldest son in a family line, which determines the inheritance of estates and royal or noble titles.

Key Dates & Events

Dates of the Kings:

• Henry II: 1133-1189; r. 1154-1189
• Henry the Young King: 1155-1183, reigned as junior king 1170-1183
• Richard I: 1157-1199; r. 1189-1199
• John: 1166-1216; r. 1199-1216
• Henry III: 1207-1272; r. 1216-1272
• Edward I: 1239-1307; r. 1272-1307
• Edward II: 1284-1327; r. 1307-1327
• Edward III: 1312-1377; r. 1327-1377
• Richard II: 1367-1400; r. 1377-1400
• Henry IV: 1367-1413; r. 1399-1413
• Henry V: 1386-1422; r. 1413-1422
• Henry VI: 1421-1471; r. 1422-1461, 1470-1471
• Edward IV: 1442-1483; r. 1461-1470, 1471-1483
• Edward V: 1470-1483; never officially crowned
• Richard III: 1452-1485; r. 1483-1485

Plays & Productions:

• 1577 and 1587: Holinshed’s Chronicles, the source material for Renaissance history plays, is published in two volumes
• 1593: Christopher Marlowe’s Edward II is entered into the Stationers’ Register, notably after his death
• 1591-1599: The generally accepted time frame in which Shakespeare wrote his history plays about the Plantagenet kings
• 1821: The African Grove Theatre is founded in New York City by William Alexander Brown. That year they also stage a performance of Shakespeare’s Richard III.
• 1923: Bertolt Brecht adapts and revises Marlowe’s Edward II into The Life of Edward II of England, formulating his first ideas of Epic Theatre
• 1933: Sir John Gielgud gains acclaim portraying the title character of Elizabeth MacKintosh’s Richard of Bordeaux
• 1935: T.S. Eliot writes Murder in the Cathedral for the Canterbury Festival
• 1959: Jean Anouilh’s Becket (Becket ou l'Honneur de Dieu) is first performed in Paris and transfers to Broadway the following year. In 1964 it is made into a film starring Peter O’Toole and Richard Burton
• 1966: The Lion in Winter by James Goldman premieres on Broadway. Two years later it is made into a film starring Peter O’Toole and Katherine Hepburn
• 1988: Carlyle Brown’s The African Company Presents Richard III premieres