Henry VIII

William ShakespeareProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.8

Word count: 190K words
Chapters: 19

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Henri VIII by William ShakespeareAuthor: Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616,Language: French, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Oct 3, 2008

Editor's review

This is an electronic edition of a French translation of Shakespeare's history play Henri VIII, published by Project Gutenberg. The play centers on the court politics and marital upheavals of Henry VIII, involving the fall of the Duke of Buckingham, the repudiation of Queen Katherine, the rise and fall of Cardinal Wolsey, and the arrival of Anne Boleyn; the final act closes with the christening of Princess Elizabeth and carries a celebratory tone toward the Tudor dynasty. As a late work co-written by Shakespeare and Fletcher, its structure is relatively loose, but its court scenes are grand and the turns of its characters' fortunes are striking; it suits readers interested in English history or the political strand of Shakespeare's plays. The French translation can be used for language learning and comparative textual study, but note the differences in style from the original. The electronic edition is convenient for searching characters and lines and works as classroom support or for self-reading. Before reading, it is advisable to understand the basic background of Henry VIII's Reformation; otherwise some of the political conflicts are hard to appreciate. Overall, this is a play suited to close reading and discussion rather than to a sense of tight plotting.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in the history of England's Tudor dynasty
Learners of French who wish to engage with literary translations
Teachers, students, and enthusiasts studying Shakespeare's history plays
People needing an electronic text for searching or citation

Not a good fit for

General fiction readers expecting light entertainment
People unfamiliar with English history and unwilling to look up background
Pure Chinese-language readers needing a modern Chinese translation

Reading tips

Read a brief introduction to the background of Henry VIII's Reformation before entering the play.
Sort out the character relationships act by act, marking especially the shifts in court factions.
French learners can read key soliloquies and dialogue against the English original.
After reading the two scenes of Katherine's repudiation and Wolsey's fall, pause to take notes.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book in Chinese or French?

According to the data, the language is French; it is an electronic edition of a French translation of Shakespeare's Henri VIII, published by Project Gutenberg. Chinese readers without French reading ability will face major obstacles; first confirm that the language meets your needs.

What historical background should I know before reading this play?

It is best to understand the basic outline of Henry VIII's conflict with the Roman Curia, the divorce case, and the English Reformation, and to know roughly who Queen Katherine, Cardinal Wolsey, Anne Boleyn, and the other figures were. This background helps you understand the court struggles and character motives in the play.

Is this play suitable as an introduction to Shakespeare?

Not very. It is a late work co-written by Shakespeare and Fletcher, with a relatively loose structure and dense political and historical information; it is not friendly to first-time readers. It is better to start with more commonly read plays such as Macbeth or Hamlet before returning to this history play.

How is the electronic edition best used?

The electronic edition is convenient for full-text searching of character names and keywords and suits classroom support, textual comparison, or citation checking. For close reading, use paper notes to organize character relationships and event threads act by act, so that searching and jumping around do not disrupt the reading rhythm.

Comments

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About the author

William Shakespeare Author · English · 1564–1616

William Shakespeare (1564–1616) was the greatest playwright, poet and actor of the English Renaissance. Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, he is known as the "Bard of Avon." He wrote roughly thirty-seven to thirty-nine plays, one hundred and fifty-four sonnets and narrative poems. His representative works include Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet. His works span tragedy, comedy and history play, distinguished by rich, poetic language and profound characterization. His explorations of human nature, power, love and fate have had a lasting influence, and his works have been translated into many languages and circulated widely around the world.