Abstract
In his first plays, Shakespeare exercised great freedom in devising his plots. The First Part of King Henry VI, it has been said, “darts about the period in a bewildering way.” It is “not so much a Chronicle play as a fantasia on historical themes.” Its two episodic sequels are equally or perhaps even more loosely plotted, while Richard III picks and chooses among events that took place in the decade and a half before 1485 and also seems to incorporate matter from earlier plays (Latin as well as English). In the The Comedy of Errors, Shakespeare began with a groundwork drawn from Plautus's Menæchmi but added the twin Dromios as well as some material from the Amphitruo. The Two Gentlemen of Verona integrates plot elements from a number of sources, including Montemayor's Diana, the well-circulated story of Titus and Giseppus, and the myth of Robin Hood. In making The Taming of the Shrew, Shakespeare combined elements from the oral tradition (the drunken peasant, the taming) with a literary subplot drawn from George Gascoigne's Supposes.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
