King Henry VIII

King Henry VIII is a history play written by William Shakespeare (and now believed co-written by John Fletcher) based on the life of King Henry VIII of England. An alternative title, All is True, is recorded in contemporary documents, the title King Henry VIII not appearing until the play’s publication in the First Folio of 1623. Stylistic evidence indicates 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.

    During a performance of King Henry VIII at the Globe Theater in 1613, a cannon shot employed for special effects ignited the theater’s thatched roof (and the beams), burning the original Globe building to the ground.