England's Empty Throne

Download or read book England's Empty Throne written by Paul Strohm and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 1998-01-01 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The methods employed by the Lancastrian usurpers in their attempts to legitimise their dynasty's hold in the English throne included the reburying of the murdered Richard II, the invention of chronicles, prophecies and genealogies, new methods of trial and punishment, the use of spies, and the radical redefinition of treason. Strohm uses both literary and historical analysis to explore this quest for legitimacy, and the importance of symbolic activity to Henry IV and V.