This is a play about leadership, or rather the lack of it. Written early in William Shakespeare's career, the three parts of Henry VI chronicle the weak leadership of England under Henry VI and the civil war that resulted.
In "1 Henry VI," Henry is a mere boy but already king. England is at war with France over territorial rights, while the noblemen of the King's court are bitterly divided. Characters of principle, such as Talbot and Gloucester, are blissfully unaware of the poisonous politics that threaten the kingdom. Those aware of the threat, such as Plantagenet and Suffock, are without principle and supplying much of the poison. Caught in the middle, young King Henry has no support in his own court. Worse, he is without a father or mentor to train him in the art of effective leadership.
With the English court divided, the French regain many of their cities including Rouen, under the able military leadership of Joan of Arc (in Shakespeare's play, Joan is a harlot and witch, as the English viewed her at the time). Lord Talbot mounts a counterattack to retake Rouen but is trapped by superior forces while attempting to capture Bordeaux. Back in London, the quarreling Dukes are pushing the kingdom toward civil war (a.k.a. the Wars of the Roses). They fail to send reinforcement troops to France and as result the English are defeated at Bordeaux and Talbot is slain. In another battle, the English capture Joan of Arc and Margaret of Anjou. Joan is condemned to death at the stake while Margaret is groomed to marry Henry VI as part of settlement that ends the war with France. As the play ends, the Wars of the Roses is poised to begin.
1 Henry VI is a cautionary tale of how bad leadership can lead to a nation's undoing. To quote William Baldwin in "A Mirror for Magistrates" (1559), "The goodness or badness of any realm lieth in the goodness or badness of the rulers." For more, read Janis Lull's insightful introduction. The play itself makes for a highly entertaining read, involving "battles, castles, and marching armies; kings, queens, knights and esquires . . ." (to quote Irish dramatist Sean O'Casey).
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Ricardo Mio
How NOT to rule a kingdom
Reviewed in the United States on 26 August 2014Verified Purchase
