The first edition of Henry VI, Part 2 was printed in 1594 as “The firste parte of the Contention of the two famous houses of York and Lancaster.” Nearly 430 years later, Shakespeare & Company has given the title a modern abbreviation as it explores themes of royalty that remain timeless: strategic marriages, political treachery, religious unrest, and a measure of “comic sport –” particularly in the arena of law. Commonly regarded as the strongest of the Henry VI trilogy, The Contention centers on the War of the Roses, a murder plot, and a rebellion that widens the divide between two houses.