The Hollow Crown: A Shakespearean History Lesson

If, like me, you've never  read Shakespeare's history plays, PBS has you covered. Over four weeks, Great Performances is airing The Hollow Crown, a BBC miniseries that covers the "Henriad," Shakespeare's historical tetralogy of plays that follows the passing of the English crown from Richard II to Henry IV to Henry V. Starring a veritable who's who of British acting talent, the series is an impeccably produced introduction to some of Shakespeare's lesser-known works.

The plays are political dramas that chronicle the bloody history of English royalty and the rise and fall of three kings during the 14th and 15th centuries. Richard II stars Ben Whishaw as the vain king, who is overthrown by his cousin Henry Bolingbroke (Rory Kinnear), the future Henry IV. In Henry IV Parts 1 and 2, we see an older King Henry IV, played by Shakespearean stalwart Jeremy Irons, who is entering into civil war with rebel forces and despairs over his son, Prince Hal (Tom Hiddleston, putting in a tour-de-force performance), who seems more interested in drinking and carousing than assuming any royal responsibility. However, Hal grows up quickly over the course of three plays, and becomes Henry V, leading his men into battle against France and urging them "once more unto the breach." These plays may be "histories" but rather than focusing on historical events, they offer a character analysis of each King, and in doing so, they have a lot to say about the nature of power and politics that is just as relevant now as it was in Shakespeare's day.

The rise and fall of these Kings is wondrous to behold and makes history come alive in a way that only Shakespeare could manage. Each play is directed by a notable English theater director - Rupert Goold, Richard Eyre, and Thea Sharrock - and the advantage of film is that the characters can be placed in evocative locations and participate in epic battle sequences that could not be replicated on stage. Richard II is my particular favorite, because it is filmed in exquisite locations, features a startling performance from Ben Whishaw (who deservedly won a BAFTA), and contains some truly memorable verse. In fact, Richard II contains very little prose, and watching the actors converse in perfect rhythm or declaim these remarkable speeches is a true Shakespearean delight. 

The Hollow Crown is a stunning series that showcases the power of Shakespeare's words. Reading history plays might not be your idea of fun, but watching Britain's finest actors bring Shakespeare to life is an experience not to be missed. PBS has already aired the first two plays, which can be viewed in their entirety on the Great Performances website, and the following two plays will be airing over the next two weeks. Or you can just buy the DVD and enjoy these masterpieces for years to come.