A Study Of Historicity And Textuality In Henry ?

William Shakespeare(1564-1616)is regarded as one of the greatest playwrights and poets in the history of English literature.In his 23-year theatrical career,he dedicated 37 plays to us.These great plays,with great artistic momentum,show a historical picture scroll interwoven with the ideal and reality,which has a great influence on descendants.Henry ? is one of these important works.This thesis starts with a close reading of Henry IV and analyzes it in depth from the perspective of the theory of New Historicism.Firstly,the historicity and textuality of the play will be explored through detailed analysis and interpretation from the theory of New Historicism.The thesis expects to explore the relationships between history and text,literature and history in Henry IV.Through the exploration,the history and social scene of Britain is reproduced and we can have some understandings of the political struggle and succession at court.What's more,according to "the textuality of history",Shakespeare's rebellion against orthodox view of history,arts of representing history and historical consciousness are shown incisively and vividly.From this we can see a spirit of revolting against power discourse,resisting official history and opposing genre authority.In order to explore the relationship between history and text in Henry ?,and to prove Shakespeare's view of history in Henry IV,the analysis will unfold according to the following steps:Chapter I firstly gives an introduction to Shakespeare and the play Henry ?;then the thesis sums up the critical approaches to Henry IV up to date from home and abroad;and the last part of the chapter displays the objective,significance and structure of the thesis.Chapter II shows the theoretical framework.The development of New Historicism,basic principles of New Historicism and major representatives and standpoints are all covered.Chapter III discusses the historicity of texts in Henry IV.Shakespeare reproduces English society and represents the political struggle and succession based on the history,which reflects the conflicts among aristocrats,upper society and civilian society.Chapter ? analyzes the textuality of history in Henry ?.More attention will be paid to the analysis of rebellion against orthodox view of history,the art of Shakespeare's representation of history and his historical consciousness reflected in Henry ?.Chapter ? summarizes the major points of the thesis and gives some fresh understandings of the play which can deepen the practice of New Historicism through analyzing the relationship between the historicity of texts and the textuality of history in Henrv ?.Based on the analysis above,this thesis is aimed at demonstrating that Shakespeare's Henry ? is a piece of work in which text and history interact each other.One the one hand,it is shaped by history.On the other hand,it shapes history as well.Not only does Shakespeare give us a vivid description of England's past but also provides his descendants a window into England's past.Shakespeare's purpose of creation is to "learn from history",that is,to seek and understand the law of social development from the varied changes of history,so as to better promote the development of the current society.