Shakespeare's festive history

"Although the festive elements in Shakespeare's plays have been well-noted since the publication of Barber's Shakespeare's Festive Comedy, until now no attempt has been made to show how aspects of festivity structure the entire four-play sequence of Shakespeare's Second Henriad. The author details how Shakespeare creates historical characters who engineer their supremacy, shore up their popular support, and/or sustain their charisma through manipulation of festive elements, which are found throughout the tetralogy and rooted in the English cultural psyche."--Jacket.