Gabriela Nappo

The Courtly Choruses: Historical Research Gabriela Nappo

Since the Chorus? seems to comment and reflect that the play was written to be performed for a courtly aristocratic audience, this present study will argue that Shakespeare, in glorifying King Henry, alludes to and affirms Elizabeth?s role as the idyllic god-queen. To support this argument, I will also show that a number of moments in the 1599 play may have influenced Elizabeth?s last years of rule, especially as we consider her last remarks in her 1601 ?Golden Speech.? In having the command of rewriting history, Shakespeare also had the skill to influence the future. Through this play, he was able to direct how people thought about their history in relation to their future.