"Then draw the Curtaines againe": The Strange Case of Good Duke Humphrey (of William Shakespeare’s Henry VI, Part Two)

KRAJNÍK, Filip. "Then draw the Curtaines againe": The Strange Case of Good Duke Humphrey (of William Shakespeare’s Henry VI, Part Two). The Luminary. 2013, No 3, p. 26-37.

Basic information

• Original name: "Then draw the Curtaines againe": The Strange Case of Good Duke Humphrey (of William Shakespeare’s Henry VI, Part Two)
• Authors: KRAJNÍK, Filip.
• Edition: The Luminary, 2013.

Other information

• Original language: English
• Type of outcome: Article in a journal
• Field of Study: Literature, mass media, audio-visual activities
• Country of publisher: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
• Confidentiality degree: is not subject to a state or trade secret
• WWW: Odkaz na plné číslo periodika se článkem.
• Organization unit: Faculty of Arts
• Keywords in English: Shakespeare; Henry VI; dramatic characterisation; sleep
• Tags: Reviewed

Abstract

The image of a sleeping character on stage had a special dramatic significance for mediaeval and early-modern playwrights and audiences, often playing a crucial rôle in the dramaturgical plane of the play in question. William Shakespeare seems to have been particularly fond of this trope, having used it numerous times throughout his dramatic career. The present paper discusses the very first instance of the topos in Shakespeare’s canon – the murder of Duke Humphrey in his bed in 2 Henry VI. Special attention is paid to two distinct versions of the scene (Quarto and Folio), whose relationship has not been unanimously agreed upon by literary criticism. The author argues that, while the Quarto version seems to be the original work of early Shakespeare, the Folio variant is dramatically superior and more consistent with the use of the topos in Shakespeare’s later – and more mature – works.