earticle

영어

This paper attempts to examine Shakespeare’s political attitude toward the populace presented in Henry VI Trilogy. Shakespeare’s history plays contain not only the voices of ruling class but those of the commoners. Therefore the monopoly of historical interpretation can bring forth the critical interpretative fallacy. While Tillyard perceived the divine harmony, stability and order in Shakespeare’s texts, New Historicists try to read the economic and political grievances of the oppressed and exploited. So the New Historicism approach toward Shakespeare’s history plays offers an useful tool to understand the political situation of the populace and the power mechanism at that times. Henry VI Trilogy involves contemporary economic and political problems of the populace in England and contemporary political conflict between the commoners and the patricians. Shakespeare depicts the commoners in 2 Henry VI not only as favorable and rational but as violent and fickle. Cade’s revolt is not only the parody of York’s sedition and self-promotion but the travesty of all mismanagement of the authority. In conclusion, Shakespeare’s political attitude toward the populace is dynamic and complicated.