O piteous spectacle! O bloody times!
Whiles lions war and battle for their dens,
Poor harmless lambs abide their enmity.
Weep, wretched man, I'll aid thee tear for tear;
And let our hearts and eyes, like civil war,
Be blind with tears, and break o'ercharged with grief.
In the last play, we watched the fall of the noble Humphrey of Gloucester, as manipulators and contestors pushed the weak Henry VI around. Now, the Wars of the Roses are in full swing, and we’ll see the actions of battlefields, captive kings and daring escapes, murdered children, inconstant friends and family, and a growing sense of the ugly cost of civil war. Our manipulators will grow bolder and more vengeful while our kings grow foolish and soft in their choices. Even the resolution of the play, with the current victory of the House of York, leaves the future uncertain and full of potential conflict.
Henry VI seems to sink further and further from the heroic bravery of his father in this play, and more and more into helpless reflection over his plight. He philosophizes heavily about the cost of the war, but at the same time, he can do nothing to grapple with the conflict, at first being sidelined by his wife and eventually abdicating all responsibility for reigning. He has no agency, and what influence he has, he willingly releases as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, he’s surrounded by people who are happy to take advantage of his hesitancy and who will manipulate the field for their own advantage. Notable is Margaret, his vicious queen, who delights in vengeance against every perceived wrong, but ultimately finds herself with everything she loves torn away from her. What’s most gripping is that her deepest moment of pain is strikingly parallel to an earlier scene in which she gloats over the body of her enemy, demonstrating that her ruthlessness has only brought her more pain and that violence begets violence. It’s intense and vivid in a heartbreaking way.
Similarly, there are those who happily swap sides at any moment of conflict or perceived advantage, such as the changable Clarence. Loyalty is as uncertain in this play as peace, and the doors are opened for the rise of the most Machiavellian and wicked ruler of all as we’ll see in the next play. It’s dark, and we can’t help but watch it all with Henry VI and wonder at the brutality and pain. Is there any hope?
In the midst of this darkness, notice the moment when Henry sees young Richmond, suggesting to us that there is always a possibility of restoration and reunification, even if the path to find it is long and painful.
If secret powers
Suggest but truth to my divining thoughts,
This pretty lad will prove our country's bliss.
His looks are full of peaceful majesty,
His head by nature framed to wear a crown,
His hand to wield a sceptre, and himself
Likely in time to bless a regal throne.
Make much of him, my lords, for this is he
Must help you more than you are hurt by me.
Enjoy the journey! Check out my video notes or conversation with Martin over the play, and keep an eye on Patreon: we’ll be putting up some fun activities soon for March Madness!
