Henry VI, Part 1
The first part of the Henry VI trilogy (though written last of the three, c. 1591–1592) dramatizes the loss of English territories in France, the military career and defeat of Lord Talbot, the rise of Joan la Pucelle (Joan of Arc), and the first stirrings of the York–Lancaster rivalry symbolized by the plucking of the red and white roses.
At a Glance
- Genre: History
- Approximate date: c. 1591–1592 (written after Parts 2 and 3)
- Setting: England and France
- Source: Holinshed's Chronicles; Hall's Union
- Acts: 5
Dramatis Personæ
| Character | Description |
|---|---|
| KING HENRY THE SIXTH | Young king; presides over a fractious court |
| DUKE OF GLOUCESTER | Lord Protector; Henry's uncle |
| DUKE OF BEDFORD | Regent of France; Henry's uncle |
| DUKE OF EXETER | Henry's great-uncle |
| BISHOP OF WINCHESTER (HENRY BEAUFORT) | Gloucester's enemy; later Cardinal |
| DUKE OF SOMERSET (John Beaufort) | Lancaster faction |
| RICHARD PLANTAGENET | Later Duke of York; begins the Rose feud |
| EARL OF WARWICK | Supports Richard Plantagenet |
| EARL OF SALISBURY | English general; killed at Orleans |
| EARL OF SUFFOLK | Captures and falls in love with Margaret of Anjou |
| LORD TALBOT | England's great general in France; heroic but doomed |
| JOHN TALBOT | His son; dies with him |
| EDMUND MORTIMER | Claims throne; reveals York's dynastic right |
| SIR JOHN FASTOLF | Cowardly knight (a dishonorable caricature, distinct from Falstaff) |
| SIR WILLIAM LUCY | English officer |
| MAYOR OF LONDON | |
| CHARLES, Dauphin | Afterwards King Charles VII of France |
| REIGNIER | Duke of Anjou; Margaret's father |
| DUKE OF BURGUNDY | English ally, then lost to the French |
| DUKE OF ALENÇON | French |
| BASTARD OF ORLEANS | French |
| JOAN LA PUCELLE | Joan of Arc; witch or saint, depicted ambiguously |
| MARGARET OF ANJOU | Daughter of Reignier; captured by Suffolk; future Queen |
| COUNTESS OF AUVERGNE | Attempts to trap Talbot |
Plot Summary
Act I: Henry V's funeral. England mourns; news arrives that French territories are being lost. Talbot is England's champion in France; he has been captured but ransomed. Joan la Pucelle appears, defeats Charles the Dauphin in single combat, and leads a French revival. The English take Orleans, then lose it. In London, Gloucester and Winchester quarrel violently; the young king fails to control them. The Rose Garden scene: Richard Plantagenet and Somerset pluck white and red roses, beginning the factional symbolism of the Wars of the Roses.
Act II: Talbot is lured into a trap by the Countess of Auvergne but escapes. The Rose factions continue to divide the court.
Act III: Henry VI restores Richard to the title of Duke of York. The Talbot-led English are triumphant at several points; Rouen is retaken temporarily. Joan turns the Duke of Burgundy away from England to France.
Act IV: The factional quarrel between Somerset and York hampers the military effort. Talbot and his son John are besieged at Bordeaux. Reinforcements are withheld by the factional squabbling. Father and son die together on the battlefield in a deeply moving double sacrifice.
Act V: Joan la Pucelle is captured. Her claims of divine inspiration are rejected; she is condemned as a witch and burned. Suffolk captures the beautiful Margaret of Anjou and conceives a plan: she will marry Henry VI, and Suffolk will govern England through her. The peace of Tours is arranged. Suffolk urges the match on Henry.
Key Themes
- Military heroism and loss — Talbot represents a dying English chivalric ideal betrayed by political division
- English nationalism vs. French sorcery — Joan is depicted as a witch, reflecting English hostility
- Dynastic seeds — the Rose quarrel begins; England's future civil war is planted
- Political weakness — Henry VI's inability to control his nobles dooms England
Notable Quotations
"Talbot is taken, whom we wont to fear: / Remaineth none but mad-brained Salisbury." *(I.i)*
LibriVox Recording
Henry VI, Part 1 audiobook on LibriVox — Free public domain recording.
Cross-references
- Histories — genre context
- Henry VI, Part 2 — immediate continuation
- Henry VI, Part 3 — Wars of the Roses escalate
- Richard III — concludes the tetralogy