Inside Shakespeare's mind Henry VI, Part -3 :

Finale to the trilogy

* Henry VI - A wiser king in the wrong place. He is hurried across the alarums of war and is finally killed by Richard at the Tower.

* Margaret - The Queen, brave but pitiless and at times, ruthless. York in his extremity calls her 'She wolf of France but worse than wolves of France. Dominant to the last until she is banished.

* Richard - Duke of York, after being reviled by Margaret, is captured at last at Wakefield and stabbed to death.

* Edward - York's eldest son, later Duke of Gloucester

* Richard - Another son of York who becomes King Richard III, a hunchback with a withered arm and handsome in face. He is murderous and spare no one who crosses his path.

* Earl of Warwick - Margaret snarls at him. The longest part in the play

* ?Lord Clifford - He is the young Clifford from Part 2, kills York's youngest son, Rutland. He stabs the helpless York to death.

Richard Burton as King Henry VI in Royal Shakespeare Company’s production.

Shakespeare may have realized how dreadful Part I and II may have been where he should have been factual on many instances but strayed away in order to attempt the incidents in the life of Henry VI. By the time he realized that focusing on so many characters, the II parts would have ended too sharply with absolutely no story value.

We must understand that Shakespeare was first a dramatist and next the playwright that he is and the stage is first love. Having done thus, he opted for Part III to make up the deficit. A good idea in his mind, for once.

Shakespeare makes amends especially towards directed who found the previous parts a bore for mounting because of character inconsistency and irregularities at history in certain places but then, Shakespeare was no historian but depended on books and literature.

Part III is beautiful and moves fast, almost at lightening speed with Magaret's dominance. Henry confesses that if he is allowed to reign undisturbed during his lifetime that he will make York his heir, early in the marque of kings which was a hopeless provision.

Synopsis

Lord Clifford who later was to kill York's son, is aided by Queen Margaret continues to fight on behalf of her son, Edward who is the Prince of Wales. Clifford kills York's youngest son, Rutland at the Battle of Wakefield, York is taken prisoner and stabbed to death by Clifford, humiliated in the presence of Margaret who mocks him. Avenging him are York's other three sons who defeat the Lancastrians at Towton and Clifford dies, thereby.

Richard - The ruthless queen gave him to dry his cheeks a napkin steeped in the harmless blood; Of sweet young Rutland by rough Clifford slain and after many scorns, many foul taints, they took his head and on the gates of York, they set the same and there it doth remain. The saddest spectacle that e'er I view'd' ....

- ACT. III Sce. II

Edward hears how Clifford according to Warwick:

Edward - Now breathe welord, good fortune bids us pause. And smooth the frown of war with peaceful looks. Some troops persue the bloody-minded Queen. That led Henry though he were a king. As doth a sail filled with fretting gust, command an argosy to stem the waves. But think you Lords, that Clifford fled with them.

Warwick - No, its impossible he should escape, for though before his face I speak the words. Your brother Richard marked him for the grave and where so'ver he's surely dead.

(Clifford groans and dies)

- ACT. II, Sce. V.

Soliloquizing about the peace of the country as a shepherd, King Henry is away from the battle. He listens to the terror of civil war symbolizing the laments of a son who kills his father and a father who kills his son.

The King escapes to the north while Edward ennoble his brother as the Duke of Clarence and Gloucester and leaves for London and the crown. Henry is captured and sent to the Tower. Warwick join Magaret because Edward decides to marry Lady Grey and it angers him. Together, they release Henry and captures Edward. But promptly Edward escapes and Henry is sent back for imprisonment. Later, Warwick is defeated and killed at Barnet:

Gloucester - I'll hear no more. Die, prophet, in the speech (stabs him). For this amongst the rest was I ordained.

King Henry - Ay, and for much more slaughter after this. O God, forgive my sins and pardon thee'.... Act. V, Sec VI.

Though Magaret has brought reinforcement from France is taken at Tewksbury where York's sons stab to death the Prince of Wales. Edward kills Henry in the Tower on his sanguinary way to the throne. Magaret is banished to France and Edward has the last laugh.

In performance

One feels the whole fury of civil war in Part - III which had recognition only in the 20th century to showcase its brilliance but the Irish dramatist, Sean O'Casey describes the trilogy as a farce with battles, castles, and marching armies along with kings, queens and knights. There are the esquires in robes today and tomorrow they will be garbed in armour with their screaming soldiers.

Then it becomes the right royal mess-up with the mighty men of valour and courage joining one king while ravaging the losing kings. When knights rush on their foes and the kings along with their knights flying from them.

So, this is all what Shakespeare expected from the final episode in his trilogy. Edward's last words went down to the Birmingham Repertory production of the 1952 where the satanic Richard of Gloucester swept into the first soliloquy of Richard III. He had barely spoken half dozen lines when the offstage noises of bells and cheering blurred his words. The lights dimmed and the curtain fell.

The child Henry who is Earl of Richmond who appears for a moment in a non-speaking part, is the future Henry VII and who will conquer Richard at Boseworth Field.

Henry VI is a fine example where actors can turn around and address the audience directly. Beside this, is the rapport between stage and audience mainly due to personalities of certain performers such as Richard Burton as the King.

Moving away from Henry VI to Henry V, take a look at the actor power in the opening chorus:-

'But pardon, gentles all.
The flat unraised spirits that
hath dared
On the unworthy scaffold to
bring forth
so great an object. Can this
cockpit hold
The very field of France? Or
may we cram
Within the wooden O the
very casques
That did afright the air at
Agincourt
O, pardon ...
Prologue
(Henry V 8-15)