Henriad

H4E1N1R1I1A1D2

proper noun

A group of four of Shakespeare’s plays: Richard II; Henry IV, Part 1; Henry IV, Part 2; and Henry V, with the implication that these four plays are Shakespeare’s epic poem.

Scrabble 11
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Meanings

proper noun
  1. A group of four of Shakespeare’s plays: Richard II; Henry IV, Part 1; Henry IV, Part 2; and Henry V, with the implication that these four plays are Shakespeare’s epic poem.
  2. Either of two groups of four each of Shakespeare’s plays: The "first Henriad" (Henry VI, part 1, Henry VI, part 2, Henry VI, part 3, and Richard III), and the "second Henriad" (Richard II; Henry IV, Part 1; Henry IV, Part 2; and Henry V).https://web.archive.org/web/20210709182046/https://www.thegreatcoursesdaily.com/richard-ii-shakespeare-questions-divine-right-of-kings/
  3. The title translated into English of an epic poem, Le Henriade, by Voltaire.

Origin

Popularized in the Shakespearean sense by Alvin Kernan in 1969 in his book The Henriad: Shakespeare’s Major History Plays, from Henry + -iad.

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

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Cite this entry
APA

Henriad. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Henriad

MLA

“Henriad.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Henriad. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Henriad,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Henriad.

Source: Henriad on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.