Tracing the fortunes of the English monarchy during periods of widespread intrigue, treachery, and violence, Shakespeare's Histories center on the problem of power - its use and misuse, its prerogatives and responsibilities, its glittering rewards and grim reckoning. The critical essays in this volume consider the plays both individually and as part of a dramatic sequence. Included are: The Elizabethan World Order, Angel with Horns: The Unity of Richard...

This volume includes most of the important modern commentaries on Christopher Marlowe. It is the first major collection of criticism on this epoch-making Elizabethan poet and dramatist. The writers represented here call attention to his comic and ironic overtones, the allegorical and moral strains running through his plots, his lurking awareness of the horror in the world. These critics emphasize also Marlowe's skill as a practical dramatist and deplore...