chronicle play
noun
: a play with a theme from history consisting usually of rather loosely connected episodes chronologically arranged
Examples of chronicle play in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
During the Renaissance the belief passed for proverbial wisdom in William Shakespeare’s chronicle play Henry IV, Part 2 (written 1597–99):
’Tis seldom when the bee doth leave her comb
In the dead carrion.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Apr. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chronicle play.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chronicle%20play. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
