Richard the Third and Henry the Eighth Through Shakespeare's Eyes

An investigation into the life and deeds of the two most disgraced and, possibly, the most enterprising kings of England. Alexander Marinina, having studied the testimonies of William Shakespeare himself, answers the question of who in people's memory was more 'fortunate': the 'child-killer' Richard the Third or the 'wife-killer' Henry the Eighth?

The unsympathetic Richard earned his throne through heavy bloody toil, was constantly occupied with war and state affairs, and perished in the Bosworth swamp at the age of 32. His grandnephew, the handsome Henry, was born a prince, raised by sophisticated intellectuals, and didn't think about reigning since he had an older brother. However, becoming king at the age of 18, he indulged, entertained himself, and quarreled with the church until the age of 55. 'Ice and flame.' What could these two individuals have in common—the last knight of medieval England and the pampered patron of the British Renaissance? It turns out, quite a lot...

In the new historical essay, Alexander Marinina cleverly and captivatingly examines the works of the genius chronicler of that era—the focus is on Shakespeare's famous tragedies 'Richard the Third' and 'Henry the Eighth.'