Shakespearean HistoryWAR OF THE ROSES

How Did It Start?The war began in 1455 when Richard, Duke of York

challenged the current king's right to the throne. Richard, Duke of York, descended ultimately from the same family as

King Richard II, who was deposed by Henry Bolingbroke (Henry IV). The king at the time was the Lancastrian Henry

VI, a pious but weak ruler prone to bouts of insanity. He descended from Henry IV, our "hero" in Shakespeare's play

Richard II. Richard Duke of York argued that Henry IV's descendants have no right to the throne because Henry IV

usurped the position unlawfully. Richard's son Edward becomes King Edward IV in 1461 and Henry VI flees the

country for nine years.

• 1455 – Begins the War of the Roses• 2 families fighting for control of the British Throne• Families were cousins of each other:• House of Lancaster: Henry VI – signified by Red Rose

– House of York: Edward VI – signified by White Rose

• By 1485 – more than 3,000 died and the country was tired of the war – • side note: this battle was the inspiration for the beginning of Romeo

and Juliet; two families fighting, no one is sure why, but the ones who kept it going were the servants. People would walk with coats on – smock – and a rose would be engraved/stitched onto clothing to show which house you were a support of – everyone had to support someone – otherwise you were not loyal to the throne.

Shakespearean History

War of the Roses – What Happened???

• Edward IV (WHITE ROSE)ruled for nine years without too much trouble until 1470, when Henry VI returned with an army. Henry VI (RED ROSE)briefly regained the throne in 1470, but Edward IV ultimately wrestled power away from him again.

• On Edward IV's death in 1483, his son Edward V was the next Yorkist ruler slated to ascend the throne. However, though Edward was unusually precocious and capable, he was still a child. His uncle Richard, Duke of Gloucester (the guy who later becomes King Richard III) set himself up as regent (temporary ruler) until the boy Edward reached adulthood. After doing this, Richard declared martial law under his "protectorate government." Richard of Gloucester sent young Edward and Edward's younger brother into the Tower of London (supposedly "for the princes' protection"). There, the two child-princes mysteriously vanished, presumably murdered. Richard then declared himself King Richard III as the next Yorkist in line for the throne. After all, he was brother to Edward IV, and all the male offspring of Edward were now out of the way.

• However, King Richard III's rule was troubled by rebellion on the part of the Lancastrian faction. While he had strong support in the northern regions of England, many southerners were outraged by the (presumed) murders of the fine young princes in the tower. The House of Lancaster continued its warfare against Richard III.

The War Ends

• 1485 – Battle of Bosworth ends the War of the Roses with Henry VII winning control of the throne.

• House of Tudor comes to rule England – still does today• Henry VII – wins the throne • Due to many years fighting, he is very sickly• Prone to illness and a bit mad(which means crazy)• War had divided England and since he(Henry) came in from

France with a claim to the throne – (People believe he should have stayed in England)

• His actual claim to it was weak(lived in France, not England but still wanted to rule England)

• Dies in 1509 leaving the throne to his son – Henry VIII (the 8th)

The struggle ended abruptly at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 when the Lancastrian faction won a decisive victory. Henry Tudor, an obscure Welsh prince, raised an army to fight Richard III. The Tudors had blood-ties to the House of Lancaster, and Henry Tudor had a strong claim to the throne since most of the major Lancastrian and Yorkist candidates had killed each other during the thirty years of warfare. Henry Tudor declared himself King Henry VII. In the first few years of his reign, he eliminated all his rivals. He then married Edward IV's daughter Elizabeth to strengthen his descendant's claim to the throne. The marriage was a brilliant move politically; Elizabeth carried matrilineal the Yorkist claim to the throne, and Henry carried patrilineal the Lancastrian claim to the throne. Thus, Henry VII's children would have both Yorkist and Lancastrian blood. Their son became Henry VIII, and he in turn fathered Queen Elizabeth I, the illustrious monarch who ruled during Shakespeare's early career.

• HenryVIII• Inherits the throne – 1509

at the age of 18• Married his dead brother’s

wife – Catherine of Aragon (Spain)

• Had a daughter – Mary I• Catherine was Catholic, as

was Henry – the religion of the country(England)

• Divorced in 1530

He was 5 foot 2 inches tall and weighed close to 300 pounds – but he was The King.

• Henry tried to have the marriage nullified so he could marry another woman – but the Pope said no -so Henry split from the Catholic Church and formed the Church of England. (Basically a cousin from France told the Pope not to dissolve the marriage because he wanted his cousin - Mary – to be able, if she wanted to rule England)

• Catherine was put in the White Tower until her untimely death – possibly from poison. People of England loved her

Catherine of Spain

Princess Mary

Marries Anne Bolen Hated by most English. (Henry had an affair with her sister – Mary, and she had a son. Since they never married the child was not able to inherit the throne)SnobbyHad a daughter – Elizabeth (red hair sign of the devil)Henry needed a male heir – seen as weak if he was unable to have a son.(Bad ruler)

Henry becoming weaker – suffered an old leg injury during the War of the Roses and it never healed properly – began to walk with a limp and gained lots of weight.Anne – trying to have a son( to please husband and people of England) – had a few miscarriages.Rumor – had an affair with her brother in order to get pregnant – she also had many affairs with other members of the court.“Devil” child was born and killed – terribly deformedRumor – Anne had poisoned Catherine – she must be a witchBeheaded in 1536 after being held as a prisoner in the Tower of London

The Church of England

• Formed by King Henry VIII– The Pope would not let him divorce Anne Bolen• The Pope had changed and the new guy wouldn’t take

a bribe to “look the other way”

– So, since he started dating Jane Seymour and he couldn’t divorce Anne, he had her killed and created his own church.• First rule: you can get divorced as many times as you

want.– Became the starting point for Protestants, Lutherans,

Methodists and Baptist.

Married Jane Seymour

Former court - lady in waiting or “posse” of Anne Bolen

Gave birth Henry 1st male heir – Edward – was diagnosed as a hemophiliac – uncontrollable

bleeding Jane was sick after giving birth and died a week after

his birth

Henry, by this time was about 30 and she was around 19.

Married Anne of Cleves

• Arranged marriage so that Henry didn’t have to be alone

• She supposedly had bad body odor• Was well- liked by most people• Divorced maybe one year into the

marriage though stayed friendly with Henry and his future wives

Married Catherine Howard

• Ambitious lady, saw being Henry’s wife as a strong position to hold

• Wanted fame and fortune• Unable to produce an heir• Started fooling around with other men –

trying to get pregnant• Beheaded

Married Katherine

• Provided no children• Married to Henry until his death in 1547

Edward VI (son with Jane Seymour) – becomes King at 9 years oldA weak King – sickly

Never married – though many tried to arrange themExiled his two sisters and refused to let them have any claims to the

throneCatholics said he was not rightful heir to throne that it should

belong to Mary - Died 1553

The Reign of Mary I

• Mary I – daughter of 1st Catherine• Spent time being educated in Spain and France• Was not permitted to attend Edwards’s funeral – though she was kept in the

tower during the services• Assumes throne in 1554 - Brought English back to Catholicism - religion of the

country – lost respect of Protestants (Elizabeth waiting in the wings)• Not respected as queen – not married –could “sell out England to Spain”• Protestants get together and said she was not rightful heir – should be

Elizabeth – Mary’s mom was married to Henry’s brother first so second marriage not valid.

• Marries Philip II of Spain and tried desperately to have a child – under much pressure

• Kept Elizabeth close to her – locked in the Tower – she had first promised to be loyal and then conspired against Mary to assume throne. Began having an affair with Mary’s husband.

• Believed she was pregnant twice – public record though no child was ever born – nor miscarriage. Believed today that she had ovarian cancer.

• She died 1558 – only served for four years – Elizabeth tried to have her killed three times and fronted an overthrow – which did not succeed

The People’s Princess

Assumes throne in 1558 in huge celebrationTakes the religion back to Protestantism – but then changes her

mind tells English to choose their own religion –she was Protestant but others can practice what they want without fear of reprisals (Mary had killed those that did not practice the Queen’s

Religion).Had lots of trouble on the throne – probably because she had

many affairs with married and unmarried men.Shocking red hair – sign of the devil – mother was a convicted

witch and beheaded.Some did not see her as rightful heir to the throne – believe she

scared or killed Mary just as her mother had killed Mary’s mother.1564 – William Shakespeare born

Elizabeth was a fan of the artsCreated funds or money for artists

• 1567: Queen Mary of Scotland abdicates throne• Cousin to Elizabeth – • Mary – had her trusted counselor killed• Mary – had her husband killed then married the

assassin.• Mary went and hid out in England for twenty years –

supposedly to plot against Elizabeth• Babington Conspiracy of 1586• Mary and Anthony Babington conspire to kill

Elizabeth to gain English throne to rule - Plan found out and Mary was placed in White Tower until her death

James I of Scotland• Inherits throne from sister after she abdicates• Promises Elizabeth not to seek crown• 1594: Shakespeare is a favorite of Elizabeth• Has “Theatre Night” at castle and Shakespeare

is the playwrightFirst play was Titus Andronicus in 1591

• Globe Theatre was built in the round

• Groundlings – comedy troupe named after them• All plays were performed there• Wealthy had seats – poor people had to stand during

performance• Open roof – weather did not stop performances• 1613 – Globe Theatre burned down after

performance of Henry VIII – battle scene – rebuilt in the same year – completed before Shakespeare’s death in 1616.