Henry VIII is a collaborative history play, written by William Shakespeare and John Fletcher, based on the life of Henry VIII. An alternative title, All Is True, is recorded in contemporary documents, with the title Henry VIII not appearing until the play's publication in the First Folio of 1623. Stylistic evidence indicates that individual scenes were written by either Shakespeare or his collaborator and successor, John Fletcher. It is also somewhat characteristic of the late romances in its structure. It is noted for having more stage directions than any of Shakespeare's other plays.
Queen Katherine's Dream by William Blake, c. 1825. NGA 11638, National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
The first edition of Raphael Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande, printed in 1577.
Dame Ellen Terry as Queen Katherine of Aragon
The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 at Southwark, close to the south bank of the Thames, by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men. It was destroyed by fire on 29 June 1613. A second Globe Theatre was built on the same site by June 1614 and stayed open until the London theatre closures of 1642. As well as plays by Shakespeare, early works by Ben Jonson, Thomas Dekker and John Fletcher were first performed here.
The second Globe, preliminary sketch (c. 1638) for Hollar's 1647 Long View of London
Detail from the Visscher panorama of 1616 showing The Globe (right) and the Bear Garden (left)
Conjectural reconstruction of the Globe theatre by C. Walter Hodges based on archaeological and documentary evidence
Site of the Globe Theatre, from Park Street; the dark line in the centre marks the foundation line. The white wall beyond is the rear of Anchor Terrace.