Political Drama in Henry IV and Henry V The contention that Shakespeare's stories are actually political dramas seems to fall uneasily on the ears of modern readers. One reason may be that we, as a society, have blurred the connotation of politics into a vaguer notion – narrow at times, but all too inclusive. A young reader is likely to see politics as election and debate, a kind of ongoing candidacy. Indeed, this may be a valid, if somewhat limited, modern definition. For our purposes, however, this definition is insufficient to establish a starting point from which to examine Shakespeare's presentation of political drama. If we define politics as the acquisition and exercise of state power, we can see that each work in The Great Tetralogy is inherently political. In terms of plot, the action of each play revolves around the concept of succession, the passing of political power from one king to another. Henry IV wrests the crown from Richard II, then is forced to defend it from enemies who would also like to take it. Prince Hal inherits the throne from his father, becoming Henry V, later taking over the throne of France. At the end of Henry V, we are told that another Henry will be “crowned King in infancy” (epilogue 9). But while the plots of the stories are largely about the acquisition of political power, their themes can be said to focus more on the exercise of that power. Fundamentally, the Great Tetralogy is a discourse on the qualities of the ideal ruler. A comparison between Richard II and Henry V, and the way in which each exercises political power, will serve to clarify this point. Ultimately, Henry V is an effective king because… middle of paper… elaborate speeches with minimal direction. We act; the other is just an actor. Works Cited Bevington, David, ed. The complete works of Shakespeare. 4th ed. New York: Longman-Addison Wesley Longman, 1997.Hollister, C. Warren. The creation of England. 7th ed. A history of England. Ed. Lacey Baldwin Smith. vol. 1. Lexington, MA: D.C. Heath, 1996.McDonald, Russ. Shakespeare's Companion Bedford. Boston: Bedford-St. Martin's, 1999. Rosenblum, Joseph. A Reader's Guide to Shakespeare. New York: Salem Press-Barnes & Noble, 1999.Shakespeare, William. The first part of King Henry IV. Bevington 763-803.---. The Life of King Henry the Fifth. Bevington 849-92.---. The second part of King Henry IV. Bevington 804-48.---. The tragedy of King Richard II. Bevington 721-62.