26. Hampton-Reeves, “Theatrical Afterlives.”

  27. Peter Hall, Introduction to The Wars of the Roses Adapted for the Royal Shakespeare Company from William Shakespeare’s Henry VI, Parts I, II, III and Richard III by John Barton in collaboration with Peter Hall (1970).

  28. Nicola Barker, Observer, 14 August 1994.

  29. Benedict Nightingale, The Times (London), 12 August 1994.

  30. Michael Billington, Guardian, 11 August 1994.

  31. Peter Holland, English Shakespeares: Shakespeare on the English Stage in the 1990s (1997).

  32. Barbara Hodgdon, “The RSC’s ‘Long Sonata of the Dead,’ ” in Re-Visions of Shakespeare, ed. Evelyn Gajowski (2004).

  33. Nicholas de Jongh, Evening Standard, 14 December 2000.

  34. Billington, Guardian, 16 December 2000.

  35. Billington, Guardian, 16 December 2000.

  36. Charles Spencer, Daily Telegraph, 15 December 2000.

  37. Hampton-Reeves, “Theatrical Afterlives.”

  38. Hall, Introduction to The Wars of the Roses.

  39. Barton and Hall, The Wars of the Roses.

  40. A Band of Arrogant and United Heroes, The Story of the Royal Shakespeare Company Production of The Wars of the Roses (1990).

  41. Sally Emerson, Plays and Players, September 1977.

  42. J. M. Maguin, Cahiers Élisabéthains, No. 12, October 1977.

  43. Maguin, Cahiers Élisabéthains.

  44. Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph, 11 August 2006.

  45. Hodgdon, “The RSC’s ‘Long Sonata of the Dead.’ ”

  46. Billington, Guardian, 16 December 2000.

  47. Hall, Introduction to The Wars of the Roses, 1970.

  48. John Russell Brown, Shakespeare’s Plays in Performance (1966), pp. 196, 215–16.

  49. Peter Roberts, Plays and Players, 12 September 1963.

  50. B. A. Young, Financial Times, 13 July 1977.

  51. T.C. Worsley, Financial Times, 18 July 1963.

  52. Adrian Noble, Introduction from The Plantagenets, 1989.

  53. Maguin, Cahiers Elisabéthains 7.

  54. Carol A. Chillington, Educational Theatre Journal, 4 December 1977.

  55. Michael Billington, Guardian, 11 August 1994.

  56. Paul Taylor, Independent, 12 August 1994.

  57. Taylor, Independent, 12 August 1994.

  58. Rhoda Koenig, Independent, 14 December 2000.

  59. Benedict Nightingale, The Times (London), 15 December 2000.

  60. Benedict Nightingale, The Times (London), 11 August 2006.

  61. Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph, 11 August 2006.

  62. Joyce McMillan, Scotsman, 20 December 2000.

  63. Carol A. Chillington, Educational Theatre Journal, 4 December 1977.

  64. Fiona Bell, “Joan of Arc and Margaret of Anjou,” in Players of Shakespeare 6, ed. Robert Smallwood (2004).

  65. Nightingale, The Times, 15 December 2000.

  66. Cavendish, Daily Telegraph, 11 August 2006.

  67. Nightingale, The Times, 11 August 2006.

  68. Bell, “Joan of Arc and Margaret of Anjou.”

  69. Penny Downie, “Queen Margaret,” in Players of Shakespeare 3, ed. Russell Jackson and Robert Smallwood (1993).

  70. Peter Roberts, Plays and Players, 12 September 1963.

  71. Robert Potter, “The Rediscovery of Queen Margaret: The Wars of the Roses,” 1963, New Theatre Quarterly, Vol. 4, No. 14, May 1988.

  72. Potter, “The Rediscovery of Queen Margaret: The Wars of the Roses” (1988).

  73. Benedict Nightingale, New Statesman, Vol. 94, No. 2418, 22 July 1977.

  74. Carol A. Chillington, Educational Theatre Journal, 4 December 1977.

  75. Bell, “Joan of Arc and Margaret of Anjou.”

  76. Rebecca Brown, “The Play in Performance,” Henry VI Part 2 (2005).

  77. Ralph Fiennes, “Henry VI,” in Players of Shakespeare 3, ed. Russell Jackson and Robert Smallwood (1993).

  78. Chillington, Educational Theatre Journal, 4 December 1977.

  79. The Times (London), 18 July 1963.

  80. Rhoda Koenig, Independent, 15 December 2000.

  81. Nightingale, The Times, 15 December 2000.

  82. Brown, “The Play in Performance.”

  83. Nightingale, The Times, 11 August 2006.

  84. Brown, “The Play in Performance.”

  85. Chillington, Educational Theatre Journal, 4 December 1977.

  86. Chillington, Educational Theatre Journal, 4 December 1977.

  87. Anton Lesser, “Richard of Gloucester,” in Players of Shakespeare 3, ed. Russell Jackson and Robert Smallwood (1993).

  88. B. A. Young, Punch, Vol. CCXLV, No. 6411, 24 July 1963.

  89. Frank Cox, Plays and Players, Vol. 11, No. 6, 1964.

  90. Chillington, Educational Theatre Journal, 4 December 1977.

  91. Fiennes, “Henry VI.”

  92. Lesser, “Richard of Gloucester.”

  93. Nightingale, The Times, 15 December 2000.

  94. Chillington, Educational Theatre Journal, 4 December 1977.

  95. McMillan, Scotsman, 20 December 2000.

  The RSC Shakespeare

  Edited by Jonathan Bate and Eric Rasmussen

  Chief Associate Editors: Jan Sewell and Will Sharpe

  Associate Editors: Trey Jansen, Eleanor Lowe, Lucy Munro,

  Dee Anna Phares, Héloïse Sénéchal

  Henry VI Parts I, II, and III

  Cover design: Gabrielle Bordwin

  Cover photograph: © Datha Thompson/Arcangel Images

  Textual editing: Eleanor Lowe and Eric Rasmussen

  Introduction and Shakespeare’s Career in the Theater: Jonathan Bate

  Commentary: Charlotte Scott and Héloïse Sénéchal

  Plot Synopses: Will Sharpe

  In Performance: Karin Brown (RSC stagings), Peter Kirwan (overview)

  The Director’s Cut (interviews by Will Sharpe and Kevin Wright):

  Edward Hall and Michael Boyd

  Designing Henry VI: Tom Piper

  Editorial Advisory Board

  Gregory Doran, Chief Associate Director, Royal Shakespeare Company

  Jim Davis, Professor of Theatre Studies, University of Warwick, UK

  Charles Edelman, Senior Lecturer, Edith Cowan University,

  Western Australia

  Lukas Erne, Professor of Modern English Literature,

  Université de Genève, Switzerland

  Akiko Kusunoki, Tokyo Woman’s Christian University, Japan

  Jacqui O’Hanlon, Director of Education, Royal Shakespeare Company

  Ron Rosenbaum, author and journalist, New York, USA

  James Shapiro, Professor of English and Comparative Literature,

  Columbia University, USA

  Tiffany Stern, Professor of English, University of Oxford, UK

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND

  PICTURE CREDITS

  Preparation of “Henry VI in Performance” was assisted by a generous grant from the CAPITAL Centre (Creativity and Performance in Teaching and Learning) of the University of Warwick for research in the RSC archive at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.

  Thanks as always to our indefatigable and eagle-eyed copy editor Tracey Dando and to Ray Addicott for overseeing the production process with rigor and calmness.

  Picture research by Michelle Morton. Grateful acknowledgment is made to the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust for assistance with picture research (special thanks to Helen Hargest) and reproduction fees.

  Images of RSC productions are supplied by the Shakespeare Centre Library and Archive, Stratford-upon-Avon. This library, maintained by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, holds the most important collection of Shakespeare material in the UK, including the Royal Shakespeare Company’s official archive. It is open to the public free of charge.

  For more information see www.shakespeare.org.uk.

  1. Directed by Michael Boyd (2000). Manuel Harlan © Royal Shakespeare Company

  2. Directed by Katie Mitchell (1994). Malcolm Davies © Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

  3. Directed by Terry Hands (1977). Joe Cocks Studio Collection © Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

  4. Directed by Terry Hands (1977). Joe Cocks Studio Collection © Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

  5. Directed by Adrian Noble (1988). Joe Cocks Studio Collection © Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

  6. Directed by Peter Hall (1963). Tom Holte © Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

  7. Directed by Michael Boyd (2000). Manuel Harlan © Royal Shakespeare Company

  8. Directed by Edward Hall (2001). Donald Cooper © photostage.co.uk

  9. Directed by Michael Boyd (2006). Ellie Kurttz © Royal Shakespeare Company

  10. Directed by Michael Boyd (2006). Ellie Kurttz © Royal Shakespeare Company

  11. Reconstructed Elizabethan Playhouse © Charcoalblue

  THE MODERN LIBRARY EDITORIAL BOARD

  Maya Angelou

  •

  A. S. Byatt

  •

  Caleb Carr

  •

  Christopher Cerf

  •

  Harold Evans

  •

  Charles Frazier

  •

  Vartan Gregorian

  •

  Jessica Hagedorn

  •

  Richard Howard

  •

  Charles Johnson

  •

  Jon Krakauer

  •

  Edmund Morris

  •

  Azar Nafisi

  •

  Joyce Carol Oates

  •

  Elaine Pagels

  •

  John Richardson

  •

  Salman Rushdie

  •

  Oliver Sacks

  •

  Carolyn See

  •

  Gore Vidal

  Act 1 Scene 1

  1.1 Location: Westminster Abbey, London

  1.1 Dead march solemn piece of music accompanying a funeral; probably played with a muffled drum

  1 Hung … black some scholars believe that the projecting roof or canopy over the Elizabethan stage (the heavens) was conventionally draped with black for the performance of a tragedy

  2 Comets these were thought to presage

  2 change and were often deemed to be evil omens

  2 states circumstances/ruling bodies

  3 Brandish flourish/shine, flash

  3 crystal tresses clear, gleaming strands (of hair—i.e. the comets’ tails)

  4 scourge punish, whip

  4 revolting rebellious

  4 stars thought to influence human destiny

  5 consented unto conspired in

  6 too … long Henry died when he was thirty-five, after a nine-year reign

  9 Virtue merit/grace/power

  10 his its

  12 replete with full of

  15 What … say? i.e. I have not words to express it

  16 He … conquerèd he never raised his arm (i.e. sword) without conquering the enemy

  17 in blood i.e. by declaring war against the French

  18 revive live again

  19 wooden plays on the sense of “unfeeling, lifeless”

  22 car chariot (to which captives were traditionally bound, to be paraded through the streets by the victors)

  23 of mishap of evil influence, that bring misfortune

  24 plotted schemed/mapped out

  25 subtle-witted crafty, clever

  27 verses spells, incantations

  27 contrived plotted

  28 King of Kings name for Christ, used especially during descriptions of

  29 judgement day (Revelation 19:16)

  30 dreadful awe-inspiring, causing dread and fear

  31 Lord of hosts frequent biblical name for God

  32 prosperous successful, fortunate

  33 prayed i.e. for Henry’s downfall; puns on “preyed”

  34 thread of life in classical mythology, the three Fates spun, measured out, and cut the thread of a person’s life

  35 effeminate prince weak, unmanly ruler

  36 overawe i.e. repress and control

  37 Protector surrogate ruler of the realm, while the new king was too young to reign; Henry VI was a baby when Henry V died

  38 lookest expect

  41 the flesh worldly, material pleasures/sexual pursuits

  44 jars discords, conflicts

  47 avail not are of no use or advantage

  48 await for expect, anticipate

  49 at … suck babies are suckled only by their mother’s tears

  50 nourish nurse

  52 invocate invoke, summon

  53 broils turmoil, conflict

  54 adverse planets planets of unfavorable influences

  56 star … Caesar according to Roman tradition, the great ruler’s soul was turned into a star

  59 discomfiture overthrow, utter defeat?

  60 Champaigne Compiègne (not Champagne)

  64 burst his lead break out of the leaden inner lining of the wooden coffin

  67 yield the ghost die

  69 want lack

  71 several separate, divisive

  72 field battle

  72 dispatched prepared, organized

  73 of about

  77 guileful deceitful, devious

  79 new-begot newly created

  80 flower-de-luces fleur-de-lis, or lily of France; after Edward III claimed his right to the French throne, the flower was incorporated into the English royal coat of arms

  80 arms coat of arms

  81 coat coat of arms

  82 wanting to lacking for

  83 her i.e. England’s

  83 tides picks up on tidings

  84 Regent ruler in the king’s absence

  85 steelèd coat armor

  88 intermissive coming at intervals

  89 mischance misfortune

  90 quite entirely

  91 petty small, insignificant

  92 dauphin title of the French king’s eldest son, heir to the throne

  93 Bastard illegitimate son of Charles, Duke of Orléans

  97 fly flee (Gloucester shifts the sense to “rush upon in attack”)

  97 reproach shame, disgrace

  100 forwardness readiness, preparedness

  104 bedew i.e. wet with tears

  105 dismal disastrous, ominous

  105 fight i.e. the battle of Patay, which, historically, took place after the siege of Orléans that is depicted in the following two scenes

  109 circumstance details

  110 tenth of August historically, 18 June (1429)

  110 dreadful frightening, inspiring dread and awe

  112 full scarce barely

  114 round encompassèd completely surrounded

  115 enrank draw up in battle ranks

  116 wanted lacked

  116 pikes stakes bound with iron and sharpened at either end, set in the ground to protect archers from enemy cavalry

  118 confusedly in a disorderly manner

  121 above human thought beyond human belief

  123 stand resist

  126 agazed on amazed by, gaping at

  128 A To

  128 amain forcefully

  129 bowels innards, intestines

  130 sealed up finished

  131 Falstaff historically “Fastolf”; not the character who features in 1 and 2 Henry IV and is declared dead in Henry V

  133 With on

  135 wrack wreck, ruin

  136 Enclosèd surrounded

  137 Walloon inhabitant of a region that is now part of southern Belgium

  137 grace favor

  142 pomp luxury, splendor

  144 dastard foemen cowardly enemies

  149 hale haul, drag

  151 change exchange

  154 keep celebrate

  154 Saint George’s feast 23 April, feast day of the patron saint of England

  154 withal with

  159 supply reinforcements, relief

  160 hardly with difficulty

  163 quell crush, overcome

  167 Tower Tower of London, which housed the royal armory

  170 Eltham royal palace nine miles southeast of London, on the road to Canterbury

  171 Being as I am

  171 special governor guardian

  175 Jack-out-of-office a knave who has been dismissed from his post

  177 sit … stern control the ship of state, i.e. assume the government

  177 public weal the commonwealth, the state

  Act 1 Scene 2

  1.2 Location: the French camp, near Orléans, a town on the River Loire, south of Paris

  1.2 flourish trumpet fanfare accompanying a person in authority

  1.2 Drum drummers

  1 Mars … moving the exact orbit of the planet Mars (a source of uncertainty to Elizabethan astronomers); Mars was also the Roman god of war

  3 Late recently

  5 moment importance

  7 Otherwhiles at times

  9 want lack

  9 porridge vegetable stew

  9 bull-beeves bull-beef, joints of beef

  10 dieted fed

  11 provender animal feed, fodder

  13 raise put an end to

  14 wont used, were accustomed

  16 fretting impatience, bad temper

  16 spend his gall wear out his bitterness

  18 alarum call to arms

  19 forlorn in imminent danger of death

  23 dastards cowards

  25 homicide murderer

  27 lions are hungry for the prey

  28 hungry a transferred epithet; the

  29 Froissart Jean Froissart, fourteenth-century French author who chronicled contemporary conflicts between France and England

  30 all … Rowlands like the two knights in the twelfth-century poem La Chanson de Roland (The Song of Roland), who embody Christian virtue, heroism, and true friendship

  33 Samsons and Goliases biblical characters famed for great strength; Samson appears in Judges 14, and Goliath (Golias), the giant killed by David, in 1 Samuel 17

  34 skirmish do battle, fight

  34 one … ten one (English) man for every ten (French)

  35 raw-boned skeleton-like, excessively lean or gaunt

  35 rascals lean, inferior deer in a herd

  37 hare-brained slaves reckless villains

  38 eager fierce, hungry for violence

  40 forsake give up, leave

  41 gimmers gimmals, mechanical connecting links, used especially for transmitting motion

  41 device mechanism

  42 still continually

  44 consent agreement (to your suggestion to leave this town)