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The Diary of [[Philip Henslowe]] records a performance of a ''Henry VI'' on March 3, 1592, by the [[Lord Strange's Men]]. [[Thomas Nashe]], in his ''Pierce Penniless'', also of 1592, refers to a popular play about Lord Talbot, seen by "ten thousand spectators at least" at separate times. Apart from ''1 Henry VI'', no play about Talbot is known to have existed. Since ''[[Henry VI, part 3]]'' was also acted in 1592 &mdash; [[Robert Greene]] parodied one of its lines in his 1592 pamphlet ''A Groatsworth of Wit'' &mdash; the implication is that all three parts of the trilogy were being acted in 1592.<ref>F. E. Halliday, ''A Shakespeare Companion 1564-1964,'' Baltimore, Penguin, 1964; pp. 216-17, 369.</ref>
The Diary of [[Philip Henslowe]] records a performance of a ''Henry VI'' on March 3, 1592, by the [[Lord Strange's Men]]. [[Thomas Nashe]], in his ''Pierce Penniless'', also of 1592, refers to a popular play about Lord Talbot, seen by "ten thousand spectators at least" at separate times. Apart from ''1 Henry VI'', no play about Talbot is known to have existed. Since ''[[Henry VI, part 3]]'' was also acted in 1592 &mdash; [[Robert Greene]] parodied one of its lines in his 1592 pamphlet ''A Groatsworth of Wit'' &mdash; the implication is that all three parts of the trilogy were being acted in 1592.<ref>F. E. Halliday, ''A Shakespeare Companion 1564-1964,'' Baltimore, Penguin, 1964; pp. 216-17, 369.</ref>


Othewise, ''1 Henvy VI'' has very little stage history; it remained unacted until 1906. The play was not published until it was included in the [[First Folio]] in 1623.
Othewise, ''1 Henry VI'' has very little stage history; it remained unacted until 1906. The play was not published until it was included in the [[First Folio]] in 1623.


There is stylistic evidence that Part 1 is not by [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]] alone, but was co-written by a team of three or more playwrights whose identities remain unknown (although [[Thomas Nashe]] is one possibility<ref>Edward Burns: The Arden Shakespeare "King Henry VI Part 1" introduction p.75.</ref>). Team-writing was common in the period, especially for history plays.<ref>Edward Burns: The Arden Shakespeare "King Henry VI Part 1" introduction p.76.</ref> One estimate is that Shakespeare wrote no more than the fourth act and parts of the second.<ref>Gary Taylor "Shakespeare and Others: the authorship of Henry the Sixth, Part One" Medieval and Renaissance Drama in England (Vol 7, pp.145-205) cited with approveal by Edward Burns in The Arden Shakespeare "King Henry VI Part 1" introduction p.75</ref> For this reason, the word '"Shakespeare" in the following paragraphs should perhaps be considered a shorthand for "Shakespeare and his co-writers."
There is stylistic evidence that Part 1 is not by [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]] alone, but was co-written by a team of three or more playwrights whose identities remain unknown (although [[Thomas Nashe]] is one possibility<ref>Edward Burns: The Arden Shakespeare "King Henry VI Part 1" introduction p.75.</ref>). Team-writing was common in the period, especially for history plays.<ref>Edward Burns: The Arden Shakespeare "King Henry VI Part 1" introduction p.76.</ref> One estimate is that Shakespeare wrote no more than the fourth act and parts of the second.<ref>Gary Taylor "Shakespeare and Others: the authorship of Henry the Sixth, Part One" Medieval and Renaissance Drama in England (Vol 7, pp.145-205) cited with approveal by Edward Burns in The Arden Shakespeare "King Henry VI Part 1" introduction p.75</ref> For this reason, the word '"Shakespeare" in the following paragraphs should perhaps be considered a shorthand for "Shakespeare and his co-writers."

Revision as of 07:43, 1 June 2007

The First Part of King Henry the Sixth is one of Shakespeare's history plays. It is the first in the cycle of four plays often referred to as "The First Tetralogy."

Date and authorship

The Diary of Philip Henslowe records a performance of a Henry VI on March 3, 1592, by the Lord Strange's Men. Thomas Nashe, in his Pierce Penniless, also of 1592, refers to a popular play about Lord Talbot, seen by "ten thousand spectators at least" at separate times. Apart from 1 Henry VI, no play about Talbot is known to have existed. Since Henry VI, part 3 was also acted in 1592 — Robert Greene parodied one of its lines in his 1592 pamphlet A Groatsworth of Wit — the implication is that all three parts of the trilogy were being acted in 1592.[1]

Othewise, 1 Henry VI has very little stage history; it remained unacted until 1906. The play was not published until it was included in the First Folio in 1623.

There is stylistic evidence that Part 1 is not by Shakespeare alone, but was co-written by a team of three or more playwrights whose identities remain unknown (although Thomas Nashe is one possibility[2]). Team-writing was common in the period, especially for history plays.[3] One estimate is that Shakespeare wrote no more than the fourth act and parts of the second.[4] For this reason, the word '"Shakespeare" in the following paragraphs should perhaps be considered a shorthand for "Shakespeare and his co-writers."

English Patriotism was at a high after the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588. This patriotism fed the fascination audiences had with history plays. The Henry VI trilogy was one of Shakespeare's first histories.

Historical accuracy

The play follows the available historical chronicles fairly closely, while making occasional changes for dramatic effect.

Some of the changes appear to have been made for patriotic reasons. The French are depicted as foolish and easy to defeat, perhaps because the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 had created the belief among the English that their soldiers were superior to the French. The play implies that only internal divisions and aristocratic squabbling (represented by the feuds between Gloucester and Winchester and between Somerset and York) could account for the English defeat. In addition, Joan of Arc, a national heroine in France, is portrayed as a witch and a whore by Shakespeare. This depiction would have been in keeping with available documents in the English language from the fifteenth century because the English had been her enemies in war.

Plot

The play opens in the aftermath of the death of King Henry V of England (although it was written before Shakespeare's play, Henry V). News reaches England of military setbacks in France, and the scene shifts across the English Channel, to Orleans, where "La Pucelle" (Joan of Arc) is encouraging the Dauphin to resist. She defeats an English army led by Talbot (Sir John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury).

While in France, Talbot and fellow Englishmen are trapped in the castle of a countess, but Talbot is prepared and foils her plan. In England, Richard, Duke of York quarrels with John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset. The lords select red or white roses to indicate whose claim they believe is correct. King Henry innocently selects a red rose, aligning himself with Somerset and setting in motion the Wars of the Roses between the House of Lancaster, represented by the red rose, and the House of York, represented by the white. Edmund Mortimer, a leading claimant to the throne, is a prisoner in the Tower of London, and declares Richard his heir. The young Henry VI honours both Richard and Talbot. The faction between Somerset and York deepens, ultimately costing the lives of Talbot and his son in battle against the French. On top of this dissention lies a long-running dispute between the Protector Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, Henry V's brother, and the powerful Bishop of Winchester (later Henry Cardinal Beaufort). Meanwhile, Henry is under pressure from the pope and other heads of state to end the war quickly, and toward this end agrees to marry the daughter of the Earl of Armagnac.

Back in France, York leads the English to victory in Angiers and captures Joan, who is sent to the stake. Beaufort arrives to organize a truce that dissatisfies everyone: York resents having the opportunity for complete victory snatched from his grasp, while the King of France resents becoming a viceroy under Henry. The Earl of Suffolk has captured a young French princess, Margaret of Anjou, with whom he falls in love. He arranges to have her marry Henry, intending to dominate the king through her.

This is one of few occasions in which Shakespeare ends a play with a lack of closure. The slack construction may be a result of collaborative authorship (see above), or it may be because the play was written to be performed in tandem with Henry VI, part 2, which continues the story.

Cast

The following lists the characters in the play and, where appropriate links to the historical figures on which they are based)

  • Fiends appearing to Joan
  • Lords, attendants, warders, heralds, etc.

Note

  1. ^ F. E. Halliday, A Shakespeare Companion 1564-1964, Baltimore, Penguin, 1964; pp. 216-17, 369.
  2. ^ Edward Burns: The Arden Shakespeare "King Henry VI Part 1" introduction p.75.
  3. ^ Edward Burns: The Arden Shakespeare "King Henry VI Part 1" introduction p.76.
  4. ^ Gary Taylor "Shakespeare and Others: the authorship of Henry the Sixth, Part One" Medieval and Renaissance Drama in England (Vol 7, pp.145-205) cited with approveal by Edward Burns in The Arden Shakespeare "King Henry VI Part 1" introduction p.75

References

  • Stanley Wells and Gary Taylor, eds. William Shakespeare: The Complete Works (Oxford University Press, 1986)
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