Shohei Touyama's "War of the Roses" Summary and Comments - A recommended commentary on the historical background of Shakespeare's "Henry VI" and "Richard III"!
We are pleased to present "The War of the Roses" by Shohei Touyama, published by East Press in 2019.
Let's take a quick look at the book.
Chaos, a byword for "division," still traumatizes the British public.
What was the War of the Roses?The Wars of the Roses, a power struggle for the throne between the House of Lancaster (Red Roses) and the House of York (White Roses), broke out in the 15th century.
In the United Kingdom, which has been rocked by its exit from the European Union, the rift that has divided the country is still likened to the horrors of this civil war.
How did this fierce conflict, which has left such a vivid memory on the British people, unfold and what did it bring about?
The book provides an insight into the long period of turmoil that led to the establishment of the "justice and order" of absolute monarchy by the later Tudor dynasty.Is it really the usurpation of the throne by the House of Lancaster that triggered the civil war?
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Did Henry Tudor's accession to the throne bring true peace to England?
And what changes did the English polity undergo before and after the civil war?
In this book, we keep in mind the historical perspective fostered under the one hundred and eighteen years of the Tudor dynasty,
I would like to outline this unprecedented civil war. (From the "Introduction")
I picked up this book, "The War of the Roses," from Shakespeare'sHenry VI.andRichard III.I wanted to know the historical background of the
I started reading "Henry VI" and "Richard III," which are Shakespeare's early historical plays, but I failed to understand the many characters and their positions.
This was previously mentioned on our blog.Julius Caesar."andAntony and Cleopatra."This was a phenomenon that also happened to me. I started reading these works set in ancient Rome without knowing the historical background, but I had no idea what they were about, and I was frustrated.
But Atouda Takashi'sTo Enjoy Shakespeare."I tried again after reading the book and learning about the historical background, and it was very interesting!
I realized that Shakespeare's works are not easy to read unless you know the historical background and the general flow of the story.
But this is the same with Kabuki. I remember the first time I went to see kabuki, I came home with no idea what was going on. But now I think that if I had studied it carefully and learned about the process, I would have been able to see a completely different world.
So I picked up this book to learn more about the Wars of the Roses, the setting for "Henry VI" and "Richard III".
And I was reminded of this again when I read this book.
I was aware that England, or rather Europe, at that time was a ridiculously complicated and intricate situation.
In the 15th century, England was the scene of a tremendous struggle for supremacy among various powers, large and small. Interestingly, in the 15th century, the Onin War broke out in Japan as well. It was also a time of tremendous turmoil, with the weak and the strong, the powerful and the powerful waging war against each other, and it was surprising to me that two huge wars, divided into two camps, were taking place at exactly the same time.
I was also very surprised to learn, as mentioned in the text, that it was that Thomas More who summarized the history of this War of the Roses and wrote the book "History of Richard III". Speaking of Thomas MoreUtopia."He is also well known as the author of the book, "The Greatest of the World," and for his execution by the tyrant Henry VIII.
Moreover, I learned in this book that Thomas More's "History of Richard III" had a decisive influence on Shakespeare's historical plays. I was surprised to learn that Thomas More's "History of Richard III" had a decisive influence on Shakespeare's historical plays.
Frankly, it is quite tough to read this book in one sitting and understand and memorize it all. A tremendous number of people show up and things get shaken up.
But thanks to this book, I have a general idea of the situation in England at that time. This is tremendous.
The work of the author, Shohei Touyama, has been previously featured on this blog.
this (something or someone close to the speaker (including the speaker), or ideas expressed by the speaker)Henry VIII.The author's narrative is very clear and easy to read, as was also the case with the
The subject of the War of the Roses, which is ridiculously complex and difficult, would normally be a difficult book to read. This book is different. Even though it is difficult to understand everything in one reading, one can easily read through the book and grasp the whole picture of this war. I think this in itself is an amazing thing.
In fact, after reading this piece, I re-read "Henry VI" and "Richard III" and got a completely different impression than the last time. I could see the flow of the story! After all, it is definitely more enjoyable if you have some idea of the historical background and the flow of the story.Julius Caesar."andAntony and Cleopatra."It was the same as
I highly recommend this work not only to those interested in Shakespeare, but also to those interested in England. If you want to know about the complicated and difficult War of the Roses, this book is a shining example.
Why not pick one up?
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