Rentz 1The British Monarchy has an elaborate history filled with violence and betrayals. The intricacy of the British Monarchy did not deter William Shakespeare from writing hishistorical plays. In contrast the scandals and backstabbing present in history most likely inspired these dramatic elements in his historical plays. Two historical plays by Shakespeare that differ in merit are The Tragedy of King Richard the Third (Richard III) and The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight (Henry VIII). Using his creativity Shakespeare altered the history found in his source the 1587 edition of Holinsheds Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland. In comparing these two plays it is evident that Shakespeare strays from this, and other historical records in order to influence the audiences’ attitudes towards specific characters. Due to the popularity of Shakespeare during the rein of Queen Elizabeth his portrayals of King Richard III and King Henry VIII were most likely politically motivated.To understand the complex relationships between the heirs to the throne the story starts in Medieval England. King Henry VI was strongly influenced by his cousin Edmund, The Second Duke of Somerset. Edmund of Somerset though unpopular was able to influence and control all of the Kings decisions. However, in 1453 King Henry VIhad an attack of insanity rendering him incapable of being King. Parliament appointed Richard, the Duke of York, (Richard III’s father) as protector of the throne. Richard of York was now in charge, and being rivals with Edmund of Somerset had him put in the Tower of London for treason.Rentz 2King Henry VI and Richard of York both have a claim to the throne being decedents of King Edward III. Through the traditional paternal line King Henry VI is a descendent of King Edward III’s third son and Richard of York a descendent of King Edward III’s fourth son. King Henry VI having no children would have left the throne to Richard of York. Except during King Henry VI’s fugue state his wife, Queen Margaret, gives birth to a son. A few months later King Henry VI recovered from his ‘illness’, returning to the throne and releasing Edmund from the Tower of London. As previously stated, King Henry VI was entitled to the throne since he was a descendent from King Edward III’s third son. Richard of York wanting the throne made the argument that through his mother he was a descendent from King Edward III’s secondson. Richard of York challenging the rules of inheritance divided The House of Plantagenet, from which both Richard of York and King Henry VI were descended from. On one side, King Henry VI and The House of Lancaster represented with a red rose. The other side, Richard of York and The House of York represented with a white rose. These two houses were rivals waging battles against one another for the throne of England, in what would be called The War of the Roses. The war challenged the rules of inheritance, The House of Lancaster following the traditional male inheritance and the House of York challenging tradition using a maternal connection to royalty.The War of the Roses started in 1455 at the battle of St. Albans. Richard of York won the battle and Edmund of Somerset was executed. Several battles were fought between the House of York and the House of Lancaster. At the Battle of Northampton,Rentz 3taking place on July 10th 1460, King Henry VI was taken as a prisoner. Queen Margaret returned with an army in December of 1460, and during The Battle of Wakefield, Richardof York is killed along with his son Rutland. Queen Margaret continued south and defeated Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, at the second battle of St. Albans. The Houseof Lancaster winning the battle, forced Richard of Warwick to retire and King Henry VI was released. After this loss Cicely, Richard of York’s wife, sent their sons Richard (laterRichard III), and other son George into hiding.In March of 1471 King Edward IV returned with his younger brother Richard (Richard III) to Yorkshire, “ his force was hardly more than a bodyguard; the gates of the towns were shut against him, and the country people fled. But by his own personal charm, diplomacy, fair promises and an oath of allegiance to King Henry VI, sworn solemnly at York, he disarmed hostility and, eluding Montagu’s army, reached his own estates in the Wakefield” (“Encyclopedia Britannica”). In April of 1471 the Battle of Barnet ensued. King Edward IV forces fought against Richard Neville, The Earl of Warwick’s. When Richard of Warwick sent for reinforcements they were accidently mistaken for Edward’s forces and attacked by Warwick’s army. Confusion among Warwick’s army ensued and Edward taking advantage of this won the battle, and the throne. Warwick was executed after the battle. Henry VI again captured and put in the Tower of London. Queen Margaret and her son, Prince Edward, fought King Edward VI at the Battle of Tewkesbury. Prince Edward was killed during the battle, and Henry VI executed in the Tower of London. Leaving King Edward IV as the unopposed king.Rentz 4Historically this is the place where William Shakespeare begins Richard III. Richard III’s older brother Edward is King Edward IV and Richard III opens with a soliloquy. Richard explains that since Edward has become the king everyone is celebrating peacetime. However, he doesn’t enjoy peacetime since he doesn’t fit in with society. Richard is disgusted by his own physical deformities and explains them to the audience:Cheated of feature by dissembling nature,Deformed, unfinished, sent before my timeInto this breathing world, scarce half made up,And that so lamely and unfashionableThat dogs bark at me as I halt by them—(1.1.20-25).Richard’s deformities are a result of being born prematurely. He is horribly disfigured and this forces him to walk with a limp. Richard doesn’t feel he belongs in the groups who are partying and flirting. Richards need for wartime drives him to plot against his own family, in a quest to take the throne from his brother.In August of 2012 the body of King Richard III was located by anthropologists, and exhumed from underneath a modern parking lot. Once exhumed Richard’s body wasstudied by experts, “The osteologist's [Jo Appleby] studies also revealed that Richard wasa man of slight build who suffered from a medical condition known as idiopathic adolescent