|
A Study Guide |
||||||||||||
|
.
The
plot summary will be easy to follow if you keep in mind that the play has
three storylines. In the first, an uncle and a great-uncle of the new English
king–an infant boy who accedes to the throne as Henry VI in 1422 upon the
death of his father–vie for control the government while the child is growing
up. In the second, England goes to war against France and its warrior maiden,
Joan of Arc. In the third, an English nobleman of the House of York, who
believes his family has been cheated out of the throne over the years,
quarrels with an English nobleman who supports the House of Lancaster,
which has held the throne since 1399. The new king is a Lancaster. The
action of the play takes place between 1422 and 1445–during the king's
childhood, adolescence and young adulthood–although Shakespeare presents
events as if they were occurring one immediately after the other. After
serving merely as a figurehead in his boyhood and adolescence, Henry begins
to rule on his own in 1437.
By Michael J. Cummings...© 2003 . Duke of Gloucester (Humphrey Plantagenet), brother of the late king and uncle of the new king. Parliament names him acting Lord Protector to oversee government affairs. His brother, the Duke of Bedford (John Plantagenet), officially holds the title of Lord Protector. However, when Bedford goes to France to lead troops in a defense of English-held French lands, he places the boy king and the government in the hands of Gloucester........At the funeral of Henry V, a bitter quarrel erupts between Gloucester and the Bishop of Winchester when the latter claims church prayers made the late king what he was. Gloucester, who believes Winchester is claiming credit for what he does not deserve, insults the bishop as a hypocrite. When Winchester insults him back, claiming Gloucester plans to take full control of the realm, Gloucester rejoins with thou lov’st the flesh,.......While this domestic feud threatens England’s future, so, too, does new war in France. Earlier, under the late Henry V, England captured certain French lands. In a 1420 peace pact known as the Treaty of Troyes, the French agreed that the King of England would become heir to the French throne. However, in 1422, the Dauphin of France, Charles, rejects the provisions of the treaty and, with considerable support, renews war with England. When his father dies late in 1422, Charles assumes the powers of the monarchy, although his step up from dauphin to king has not yet been sealed by a coronation ceremony. The English, of course, still regard their own monarch as the rightful heir of the French throne. .......In the renewed war, the rebel French army of the dauphin includes forces under the following: Reignier, Duke of Anjou........At the siege of Orléans, the French repulse the English and take as prisoner England’s fiercest warrior, Lord Talbot. But the doughty English, now led by Lord Salisbury, fight back ferociously and turn the tide back in their favor. Dauphin Charles thinks all may be lost. However, the Bastard of Orléans comes forth to inform Charles he has reason to cheer up: Be not dismay’d, for succour is at hand:.......This maid is Joan La Pucelle, known to history as Joan of Arc. The Dauphin–skeptical at first that a mere teenage girl could aid the French cause–takes up a sword and tests her in a fencing match. She wins and he is now only too happy to have her fighting on his side. .......Back in England, Gloucester and Winchester continue their quarrel at the Tower of London. Gloucester accuses Winchester of having contrived to murder Henry V and further charges that he grants indulgences to whores. After supporters of Gloucester and Winchester clash, the mayor of London reproaches the two men for breaking the peace. Gloucester and Winchester exchange more insults, then strike out at each other. An officer of the mayor then orders everyone home on pain of death. .......In France, Talbot is released, thanks to a prisoner exchange arranged by the Duke of Bedford. England now has its lion back. But when the battle for Orléans rejoins, Joan leads an attack that repels the English, claiming the lives of two English warriors, Lord Salisbury and Sir Thomas Gargrave. Talbot, amazed by her exploits, calls her a witch. The jubilant Dauphin calls her a saint. At night, redoubtable Talbot leads another attack as the English cry, “Saint George!” (expressed in a stage direction: 2. 1. 43). Surprised, the French flee the city half-dressed. (This part of the story is historically inaccurate; the English did not recapture Orléans.) .......Meanwhile, while Gloucester and Winchester carry on their feud in England, another quarrel breaks out, this one between Richard Plantagenet, of the House of York, and John Beaufort (Earl of Somerset), of the House of Lancaster. Richard and his supporters believe the House of York was cheated out of the throne by Henry IV, the first of the Lancaster kings. Henry IV was succeeded by two other Lancaster kings, Henry V, and now the boy king, Henry VI. .......In a garden in London, Richard, confronting Somerset, bids all who support him to pick a white rose from a bush. Somerset, in turn, asks all who support him to pluck a red rose. Out of this beginning, the Wars of the Roses (between the House of York, symbolized by white roses, and the House of Lancaster, symbolized by red roses) will eventually develop. Later, Richard, seeking a full explanation of why the Houses of York and Lancaster have been at odds, visits his Uncle Mortimer, the Earl of March, who is imprisoned in the Tower of London for opposing the rule of Henry IV, a Lancaster, many years ago. .......Old Mortimer, who is near death, recites the history of the rivalry, pointing out that he believes he should have been king long ago instead of Henry IV. Since that time, Mortimer says, the Yorks have been unfairly treated. He cautions Richard to be wary of the Lancasters, for they are solidly entrenched in the political establishment. Shortly after Richard’s conversation with the old man, Mortimer dies. Thus, three conflicts now afflict England: (1) the Gloucester-Winchester feud, (2) the war with France, and (3) the York-Lancaster dispute between Richard Plantagenet and John Beaufort. .......At a meeting in Parliament, young King Henry VI–now old enough to exert some influence–urges Gloucester and Winchester to put aside their differences for the good of the country. In a scolding appeal, the king says: O, what a scandal is it to our crown,.......Gloucester and Winchester then are forced to shake hands. The king later turns to Richard, who is also present, and says, But all the whole inheritance
I give
.......Then
he confers on Richard the title of Duke of York. Thus, now that domestic
strife appears to have been contained, the king can concentrate on the
war abroad. At the suggestion of Gloucester, the king goes to Paris (along
with the other principals of the drama) to be crowned there to engender
love among his subjects and dishearten his enemies.
May never glorious sun reflex his beamsThe English burn Joan at the stake. Then they propose a peace in which the French ruler becomes a viceroy under the English ruler while still enjoying his royal privileges. Charles agrees to a truce while keeping in mind the advice of one of his men to break the truce when he so desires. Henry, now twenty-four, then marries Margaret of Anjou in April of 1445 at Suffolk’s urging. Suffolk, who has an eye for Margaret, is pleased. He says that Margaret will rule Henry and that he, Suffolk, will rule both Margaret and Henry. .  . Protagonist: Henry VI is the protagonist as the central figure in a chronicle that extends into two other plays (Parts II and III). Although Henry is weak and retiring, all of the political conniving and machination and all of the military action center on his ability or inability to rule, on the legitimacy of his rulership, and on the decisions he makes or endorses with respect to England's future. He is like the eye of a hurricane, as it were: quiet, pacific, aloof in the midst of raging storms. Antagonist: The forces of ambition, power, and envy . The King and His Overseers . King Henry VI: Boy who becomes king after the death of his father, King Henry V. When he grows up, he is weak and ineffectual; all of the leonine qualities that one associates with monarchical rule are absent in him. Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester: Uncle and protector of the king. Duke of Bedford: Uncle of the king and Regent of France. Thomas Beaufort, Duke of Exeter: Great-uncle and guardian of the king. Henry Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester: Self-seeking great-uncle of the king and later a cardinal. . The Lancaster and York Factions . John Beaufort: Earl who becomes Duke of Somerset in the House of Lancaster. Richard Plantagenet: Son of the late Earl of Cambridge. Richard, who is made a duke, becomes the leader of the House of York. He instigates an argument that will eventually blossom into the Wars of the Roses in Henry VI Part II and Henry VI Part III. Edmund Mortimer, Earl of March: Richard's elderly uncle, who is imprisoned in the Tower. He warns Richard to be wary of the House of Lancaster, which has unfairly treated the Yorkists for many years. Richard Neville (Earl of Warwick): Member of the York (White Rose) faction. Vernon: Member of the York (White Rose) faction. William de La Pole, Earl of Suffolk: Member of the Lancaster (Red Rose) faction. Basset: Member the Lancaster (Red Rose) faction. . English Military Leaders . Lord Talbot: Fierce warrior who leads the English against the French. He becomes the Earl of Shrewsbury. Earl of Salisbury: Courageous English general. John Talbot: Lord Talbot's son. Sir John Fastolfe: Cowardly English captain. Sir William Lucy, Sir William Glansdale, Sir Thomas Gargrave Duke of Burgundy: English soldier who defects to the French. . French Personages . Charles: Dauphin of France and later King of France as Charles VII. Joan La Pucelle (Joan of Arc): French military heroine regarded as a witch by the English. Reignier: Duke of Anjou.. Duc d'Alençon, Bastard of Orleans: Generals serving Reignier Margaret: Daughter of Reignier, afterwards married to King Henry VI. Countess of Auvergne Governor of Paris Master-Gunner of Orléans and His Son (Boy) General of the French Forces in Bourdeaux Old Shepherd: Father of Joan. Fiends appearing to La Pucelle French Sergeant . Other Characters . Mayor of London Edmund Mortimer's Keepers Woodville: Lieutenant of the Tower. Minor Characters: Lawyer, porter, lords, warders of the Tower, heralds, officers, soldiers, messengers, attendants. . .. London, England, beginning with the funeral of King Henry V on Nov. 7, 1422; France, including Orléans, Auvergne, Rouen, Paris, Bordeaux, plains near Gascony, Anjou, Angiers. In this play, Shakespeare does not always use actual historical dates when reporting battlefield news and other events. The play is "thus quite unreliable as sober history," says G.B. Harrison. (Work cited: Harrison, G.B., ed. Shakespeare: The Complete Works. New York: Harcourt, 1952. Page 106.) . Climax . The climax of a play or another narrative work, such as a short story or a novel, can be defined as (1) the turning point at which the conflict begins to resolve itself for better or worse, or as (2) the final and most exciting event in a series of events. The climax of Henry VI Part I arguably occurs, according to both definitions, when Lord Talbot and his son die, galvanizing the English into redoubling their efforts and leading to the capture and execution of Joan of Arc. A peace treaty and English-French marriage then follow to maintain comity. . Themes . Sometimes a country is its own worst enemy. England fights France; but enemies at home are also imperil the welfare of England. Women can work wonders. Joan La Pucelle (Joan of Arc) proves that on the battlefield she is the equal of any man. However, unlike other  strong
Shakespeare heroines, Joan is depicted as evil–a witch who uses her diabolical
power to repel the English. The historic Joan is depicted as extraordinarily
pious and upright, though fierce in the pursuit of her goals. She is a
canonized saint of the Roman Catholic Church and one of the most admired
women in European history.
Age and ambition will take advantage of youth and innocence. Self-seekers attempt to manipulate the boy king, Henry VI, in order to control the government. True heroism is selfless. Although most of the characters in the play take risks for personal gain, the great English warrior Talbot puts himself in peril for the welfare of England–and his son, John, follows in his footsteps. Both die bravely in battle. Talbot's heroism carries on the patriotic tradition of Henry V, who is mourned at the beginning of the play. . . Shakespeare's extraordinary power as a writer derives in large part from his ability to turn a memorable phrase. He exhibits this power in Henry VI Part I, written at the very beginning of his career in London. Here are examples of the memorable imagery in the play: Simile . Date Written: Between 1590 and 1592. Probable Main Sources: Shakespeare based Henry VI Part I primarily on accounts in The Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland (Holinshed’s Chronicles), by Raphael Holinshed (?-1580?), who began work on this history under the royal printer Reginald Wolfe. The first edition of the chronicles was published in 1577 in two volumes. Shakespeare also used The Union of Two Noble and Illustre Families of Lancastre and York, by Edward Hall (?-1547). Type of Play: Henry VI Part I is a history play about the struggle for power during the reign of a young English king. . Number of Words in Complete Public-Domain Text: 23,171 Rhyming
Conversation
TALBOT Shall all thy mother's hopes lie in one tomb? Shakespeare depicts Henry VI as weak and ineffectual, as he was in real life. However, the historical Henry did possess some praiseworthy qualities, notably his piety as a devout Catholic and his love of learning and education. He exhibited the latter quality when he established Eton College in 1440 as the King's College of Our Lady of Eton Beside Windsor, providing scholarships for deserving boys who enrolled. Henry also founded Cambridge University's King's College to enable Eton boys to continue their education. Both Eton and King's College continue operation today as two of England's most respected educational institutions. As for Henry's famous saintliness, Edward Hall, a historian who graduated from Eton and King's College, described it in a history that Shakespeare used as one of his sources for the play. Hall (also spelled Halle) wrote:
Lineage of the Houses of Lancaster and York House
of Lancaster: Henry IV ("Bolingbroke," son of the Duke of Lancaster),
1399-1413. Age at death: 47. Henry V (son of Henry IV), 1413-1422. Age
at death: 34. Henry VI (son of Henry V, deposed), 1422-1471. Age at death:
49.
Henry Bolingbroke's ascendancy to the English throne as Henry IV was the germinal event that triggered the War of the Roses (1455-1485) between the House of Lancaster–founded by Bolingbroke's father, John of Gaunt–and the House of York. For additional information on the War of the Roses, click here. Study Questions and Essay Topics 1. Which character in the
play is the most admirable? Which is the least admirable?
|