Henry VI

William Shakespeare, Paul Werstine, Dr. Barbara A. Mowat — 2011

Henry VI, Part 3 is dominated by a struggle between two military forces, neither of which can achieve victory for long. Until the end, the Yorkists and Lancastrians strive for the English crown. The conflict between these two families began under Richard II. Half a century later, during the reign of Henry VI, it moved toward civil war. Now, in Henry VI, Part 3, Henry’s long reign becomes intermittent as his cousin Richard, Duke of York, seeks the crown and York’s son Edward sporadically succeeds in seizing it. As we watch the crown pass back and forth between Henry VI and Edward IV, our attention is caught by other characters: the Earl of Warwick, Queen Margaret, and Richard, Duke of Gloucester. Warwick is the power behind the challenge to Henry VI, until he shifts to Henry. Margaret raises an army in England and later leads one from France, all in a futile attempt to secure the throne for her son, Prince Edward. Historically, his death destroyed her, but Shakespeare wisely saves Margaret to bring her back in Richard III. Richard, Duke of Gloucester, increasingly draws our attention. Both attractive and repellent, he is energetic, self-aware, bitter about his deformity (which may not have existed historically), ruthless, and unable to care about others. The authoritative edition of Henry VI, Part 3 from The Folger Shakespeare Library, the trusted and widely used Shakespeare series for students and general readers, is now available as an eBook. Features include: · The exact text of the printed book for easy cross-reference · Hundreds of hypertext links for instant navigation · Freshly edited text based on the best early printed version of the play · Full explanatory notes conveniently placed on pages facing the text of the play · Scene-by-scene plot summaries · A key to famous lines and phrases · An introduction to reading Shakespeare’s language · Illustrations from the Folger Shakespeare Library’s vast holdings of rare books · An essay by a leading Shakespeare scholar providing a modern perspective on the play

Reviews

Maxie Froelicher@colonelwinnant

Feb 2, 2022

I’m playing Richard in a livestream version of this show. Good times, long monologues, lots of death. Read for the Around the Year in 52 Books 2020 prompt #27 - A history or historical fiction

Brittney Wilson@brijeanson

Jan 28, 2022

The humour in this killed me. I loved it.

Novel Ideas@efrali

Jan 12, 2022

King Henry VI Part 2 takes place following the events of King Henry VI Part 1, and focuses on Henry's attempts to control his nobles- Queen Margaret, The Duke of Gloucester, The Duke of Suffolk, and The Duke of York. Shakespeare uses these characters to explore betrayal, manipulation, and Henry's weakness as a ruler. The play is split into five acts, same as the first installment of the trilogy, but King Henry VI Part 2 is slower paced than Part 1, focusing more on character interactions than the conflict between France and England. Like with Part 1, the language is typical Shakespearean and isn't the most accessible at times. I would recommend this play to anyone who read Part 1 and wants to continue on in the trilogy, and those looking for a more character driven example of Shakespeare's histories.

Novel Ideas@efrali

Jan 7, 2022

King Henry VI part one follows the country of England as they are at war after the death of their King, King Henry the Fifth. While the dukes of England scramble to get England's politics in order, Lord Talbot fights against Joan La Pucelle and the French forces. Shakespeare uses these characters to explore themes of power and control, heroism and the death of chivalry, and the degradation of power. The play is split into five acts, and and keeps a quick pace. The language is typical of any Shakespeare play, and isn't always the most accessible. I would recommend this play to those interested in reading more Shakespeare, especially if they want to branch out into more of Shakespeare's histories.