A Critical Study of Robert Bolt's History Plays. A Theoretical Introduction of Historical Drama

      Аннотация: Robert Bolt is one of the main playwrights of the Second Wave of Modern British Drama.This study analyzes Bolt's history plays: A Man for All Seasons and Vivat! Vivat Regina!. It focuses on the issues that Bolt deals with and the theatrical techniques he applies in his history plays. It also presents the clashes among the prominent leaders and finds out the motives behind—whether the motive is one of morality or personality. It displays the individual trapped between personal ethics and the necessities of authority. The study is widely concerned with all aspects related to the history play: its definition and development, its characteristics, Shakespeare's major contribution to the English history play besides his influence upon his contemporaries and followers, and the dramatist's role in conveying past stories to his current audience. Bolt's history plays can be regarded as examples of the best histories written in the sixties and the seventies of the 20th century, through which we may know more about the political conflicts that were merged with Catholicism-Protestantism conflict in England during the sixteenth century.

Ключевые слова: Robert Bolt, historical drama, history play, A Man for All Seasons, Vivat! Vivat Regina!, Shakespeare's histories, Shakespeare's folio, What is history?, historian's job, historical playwright's job