Henry VI Part Two (2015)

The second play in Shakespeare's tetralogy about the Hundred Years War and the Wars of the Roses, Henry VI, Part Two is an introduction to his genius as a writer of history plays. Henry VI is tricked into marrying Margaret, the lover of the Earl of Suffolk, who hopes to rule the kingdom through her influence. The noble Lord Protector stands in Suffolk's way, so he slyly orders his murder. When Henry discovers the betrayal, he banishes Suffolk, but with his Lord Protector gone, the unworldly young king must face his greatest challenge: impending civil war and the rising threat of the House of York. This edition includes a general introduction to Shakespeare's life and Elizabethan theatre, a separate introduction to the play, a chronology, suggestions for further reading, an essay by Rebecca Brown on performance options for stage and screen, and a commentary. It also includes an introduction by Michael Taylor and is edited by Norman Saunders. William Shakespeare (1564–1616) wrote around 38 plays, including Romeo and Juliet, Henry V, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth, as well as 154 sonnets.