is it always depicted in one way or from a single perspective , but it is almost always embedded in there , i . e . in the text of the play , in one way or another . Indeed , it is only when we study these plays as an entire corpus and not just discrete dramatic pieces that we realize how coherent they are in some fundamental respects , especially with regard to the residual .
The Herculean Task that Shakespeare undertakes in the cycle of his History Plays is to resolve the effects of that “ residual ” through a rather biased reading of history , with different degrees and in different forms in different plays , in favor of his patrons , the Tudors ; as well as to direct Queen Elizabeth and her courtiers towards those residual presences that are “ positive ” and so should be emulated and those residual elements that are “ negative ” and should be discarded . And that is what I would like to map out as much as possible in this article .
The most salient manifestation of the residual in the History Plays is the members of the contending houses ’, that is , Lancaster ’ s and York ’ s , continuous drawing on their respective hereditary claims to the throne of England . According to the primogeniture tradition customary in feudal times when these plays are set , the firstborn male child of the king – as well as any other noble – would inherit the family estate . In case of death of the firstborn before he inherited the estate , his firstborn son would perpetuate the family line . In other words , none of the siblings of the firstborn son were eligible to inherit the main family estate and title ( s ) as long as he had a living son . That was the law . Period .
Now , that is exactly the fundamental concern around which Shakespeare ’ s History Plays revolve . King Edward
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