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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Amnésie collective et réécritures de l'histoire dans les deux tétralogies historiques de Shakespeare

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description

The genre of the history play was in its heyday in England between the 1580s and the 1610s. The transition from the concept of realm to those of state and nation took place at the same time, which could suggest that the history play should be seen as a patriotic genre. Yet, a close reading of both of Shakespeare’s historical tetralogies shows that things are far more complex. The plays are not so much a reflection of history as a reflection on history. The historical events they depict are thwarted, rewritten and blended with fiction in order to provide a reflection on the games of politics and comments on the contemporary situation as well as the process of writing history itself.