King Henry VI, Part I Play
King Henry VI, Part One begins with a young
King Henry VI ruling England with Gloucester as Lord
Protector of the young regent. There is tension in England,
Gloucester accusing the church of attempting to manipulate
his charge. Unfortunately the Dauphin of France, Charles
has declared himself King and is rebelling against the
English. The English Lord Talbot has been taken prisoner
and the English army, no longer strong is edging ever
closer to mutiny...
In France, Charles loses a battle to Salisbury, freeing
Talbot but Charles meets a virgin prophetess seemingly
supported by the will of God, Joan la Pucelle (Joan
of Arc), whom he wants to marry... Whilst surveying
the enemy, a stray cannonball kills Salisbury, Talbot
swearing his friend will be avenged... Meanwhile, encouraged
by the adventures of Joan of Arc who has now joined
forces with Charles, the French attack the English led
by Talbot at Orleans, nearly pushing them into the sea
until Talbot recaptures Orleans in a surprise night
attack, Joan of Arc and Charles escaping.
In England, Winchester refuses Gloucester access his
charge, holding Gloucester prisoner in the Tower of
London. Meanwhile, a dangerous rift begins in England
when the Duke of Somerset accuses Richard Plantagenet
of not having good standing since Plantagenet's father,
Richard, The Earl Of Cambridge was executed by Henry
V for treason... To settle this, they ask others to
show support either by picking a red rose to support
Somerset's position or a white rose to support Richard
Plantagenet's view, this later devolving into the famous
War of the Roses. Plantagenet asks for advise from Edmund
Mortimer, who has been jailed in the Tower of London
by Henry IV since he was a threat to his title. Mortimer
makes Richard his heir before passing away, Plantagenet
becoming convinced that the Throne of England should
therefore be in Richard's hands not the young King Henry's.
Winchester and Gloucester finally stop bickering, King
Henry VI making Richard Plantagenet the Third Duke of
York.
Meanwhile Joan of Arc continues to fight the English,
the English being pushed out of Rouen only to win it
back in a counterattack. Talbot and the Duke of Burgundy
oversee preparations for the coronation of King Henry
IV, to be held in Paris. Whilst heading for Paris, Joan
of Arc convinces the Duke of Burgundy to fight with
the French. Talbot, not at all impressed, prepares to
fight his former brother in arms. To strengthen the
English army, King Henry VI, sends Richard and the Duke
of Somerset to reinforce Talbot's army. Unfortunately
the two rivals continue to bicker, delaying much needed
reinforcements from arriving. York needs Somerset's
horses to send men to the battle; Somerset refuses to
help... Alone, without Richard and Somerset, Talbot
valiantly fights on, dying on the battlefield when his
promised reinforcements never arrive... Finally, Richard
and Somerset rise above their differences to capture
Joan of Arc who is promptly burned at the stake. In
an attempt to creater a lasting peace, Gloucester tries
to marry King Henry to Margaret, a French Lord's daughter.
Winchester, now even more powerful as Cardinal becomes
ever more determined to reduce Gloucester's influence
over King Henry.... The Earl of Suffolk, however has
other ideas, introducing King Henry VI to Margaret of
Anjou in the hopes the two will marry. The Earl intends
to control Henry through this girl...
Contents
Dramatis
Personæ
Act I
Scene I, Scene
II, Scene III, Scene
IV, Scene V, Scene
VI
Act II
Scene I, Scene
II, Scene III, Scene
IV, Scene V
Act III
Scene I, Scene
II, Scene III, Scene
IV, Scene V, Scene
VI
Act IV
Scene I, Scene
II, Scene III, Scene
IV, Scene V, Scene
VI, Scene VII
Act V
Scene I, Scene
II, Scene III, Scene
IV, Scene V
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