• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

LIST OF THE PLAYS’ SOURCES

HENRY VI – Holinshed’s Chronicles

THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA – Young’s Translation of Diana

ROMEO AND JULIET – Brooke’s Poem

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE – Three Sources

TWELFTH NIGHT – Barnabe Rich’s Short Story

HAMLET – Kyd’s The Spanish Tragedy

TROILUS AND CRESSIDA – Chaucer’s Poem

ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL - William Painter's Palace of Pleasure

MEASURE FOR MEASURE – George Whetstone’s Promos and Cassandra

OTHELLO - Cinthio's Tale

KING LEAR – Holinshed, Sydney and Spenser

MACBETH – Holinshed’s Chronicles

ANTHONY AND CLEOPATRA – Thomas North’s translation of Plutarch’s Lives

CORIOLANUS – Thomas North’s translation of Plutarch’s Lives

PERICLES – John Gower’s Confessio Amantis

THE WINTER’S TALE – Greene’s Poem

CYMBELINE - Geoffrey of Monmouth’s History

THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN – Chaucer’s The Knight’s Tale

HENRY VI – Holinshed’s Chronicles

Many of Shakespeare’s history plays drew their source material from Holinshed’s famous Chronicles. This extract from the 1587 second edition reveals much of the content of Shakespeare’s earliest plays – the Henry VI ‘trilogy’.

In time of this siege at Orleance (French stories saie) the first wéeke of March 1408, W. P. Ieha de Tillet. vnto Charles the Dolphin, at Chinon as he was in verie great care and studie how to Les chronic. de Bretaigne: Le Rosier calleth him Robert. wrestle against the English nation, by one Peter Badricourt capteine of Vacouleur, (made after marshall of France by the Dolphins creation) was caried a yoong wench of an eightéene yeeres old, called Ione Are, by name of hir father (a sorie sheepheard) Ione de Are Pusell de dieu. Iames of Are, and Isabell hir mother, brought vp poorelie in their trade of kéeping cattell, borne at Domprin (therefore reported by Bale, Ione Domprin) vpon Meuse in In vita Bundvicœ. Loraine within the diocesse of Thoule. Of fauour was she counted likesome, of person stronglie made and manlie, of courage great, hardie, and stout withall, an vnderstander of counsels though she were not at them, great semblance of chastitie both of bodie and behauiour, the name of Iesus in hir mouth about all hir businesses, humble, obedient, and fasting diuerse daies in the weeke. A person (as their bookes make hir) raised vp by power diuine, onelie for succour to the French estate then déepelie in distresse, in whome, for planting a credit the rather, first the companie that toward the Dolphin did conduct hir, through places all dangerous, as holden by the English, where she neuer was afore, all the waie and by nightertale safelie did she lead; then at the Dolphins sending by hir assignement, from saint Katharins church of Fierbois in Touraine (where she neuer had béene and knew not) in a secret place there among old iron, appointed she hir sword to be sought out and brought Grand chro. 4. hir, that with fiue floure dellces was grauen on both sides, wherewith she fought & did manie slaughters by hir owne hands. On warfar rode she in armourFrom head to foot. cap a pie & mustered as a man, before hir an ensigne all white, wherin was Iesus Christ painted with a floure delice in his hand.

Vnto the Dolphin into his gallerie when first she was brought, and he shadowing himselfe behind, setting other gaie lords before him to trie hir cunning from all the companie, with a salutation (that indeed marz all the matter) she pickt him out This salutation appeareth after héere. alone, who therevpon had hir to the end of the gallerie, where she held him an houre in secret and priuate talke, that of his priuie chamber was thought verie long, and therefore would haue broken it off; but he made them a sign to let hir saie on. In which (among other) as likelie it was, she set out vnto him the singular feats (forsooth) giuen her to vnderstand by reuelation diuine, that in vertue of that sword shée Les grand chronic. should atchiue, which were, how with honor and victorie shee wóuld raise the siege at Orleance, set him in state of the crowne of France, and driue the English out of the countrie,