The Oxford Shakespeare: King Henry VIII, Or, All Is True

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This first fully annotated modern-spelling edition of King Henry VIII in over a decade features the latest scholarship on the play's dating, authorship, printing, sources, and stage history. The editor posits that the play is a collaboration between Shakespeare and Fletcher, with unique emphasis on Cavendish's biography of Wolsey, often overlooked in previous editions. The edition includes detailed commentary and a selective collation of significant variant readings directly beneath the text. It pays special attention to allusions to scripture and proverb law, with an index of glossed words and cited authorities at the volume's end. The Oxford Shakespeare series provides authoritative texts from leading scholars, designed to enhance understanding for modern readers. Halio contributes a useful historical overview of the split from Rome, while the textual apparatus maintains high standards. The commentary offers concise notes on chronological and historical details, references to source materials, and a comprehensive gloss for challenging words and phrases, organized with a separate index. This edition is particularly suited for undergraduate study, as the introduction integrates previous critical approaches without imposing rigid interpretations, and the text and commentary are presented clearly and accessibly, demonstrating a strong consideration for students' needs.