Henry VI, Part III: Analysis of Major Characters
"Henry VI, Part III" delves into the tumultuous events surrounding the Wars of the Roses, portraying a range of complex characters whose ambitions and moralities shape the course of English history. King Henry VI is depicted as a gentle and ineffective ruler, deeply religious but ill-equipped to navigate the treachery and conflict surrounding his reign. His wife, Queen Margaret, contrasts sharply with him; she is a formidable and ruthless leader, driven by anger and a desire for power, ultimately leading to her downfall amidst the chaos of war. Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, embodies a character caught between noble intentions and the destructive nature of ambition, as his initial agreement to let Henry rule devolves into further conflict.
Edward, Earl of March, represents the moral ambiguity of leadership, as he climbs to power through dishonest means, mirroring the failings of both Henry and Margaret. Richard, Duke of Gloucester, stands out as the embodiment of ruthless ambition, reveling in his capacity for evil as he seeks the throne at any cost. Finally, Edward, Prince of Wales, reflects the tension between the ideals of nobility and the harsh realities of war, showcasing the impact of lineage and parental influence on character. Together, these characters illustrate the intricate dynamics of power, loyalty, and betrayal in a time of civil strife.
Henry VI, Part III: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: William Shakespeare
First published: 1595
Genre: Play
Locale: Various locations in England and France
Plot: Historical
Time: 1455–1471
King Henry VI, the helpless and ineffective king of England. A deeply religious man, he is gentle and contemplative, completely incapable of understanding or dealing with treachery. As the play opens, Henry tries to bring a peaceful end to the civil war, but there is no common ground to unite Richard on one side and Margaret on the other. He persuades Richard Plantagenet to let him continue to rule but makes Richard his heir instead of his own son. As killing leads to revenge and more killing, Henry protests eloquently, but he has no power to influence the actions of others. In the midst of battle, Henry wishes for a calm, pastoral life, but he can never find it. After his forces, under Queen Margaret's command, lose at the battle of Towton, he is imprisoned in the Tower of London; later, he is murdered there by Richard, the son of Richard Plantagenet.
Queen Margaret, the ruthless and intelligent wife of Henry, effectively the leader of England's armies. Angered that Henry has disinherited her son Edward in favor of Richard Plantagenet, she arranges for the murder of Richard's son, Rutland. When Richard is captured by her forces at Wakefield, she tortures him with a mock coronation, tells him that she has had his son killed, and then helps stab Richard to death. Although a brave and decisive leader— quite unlike her husband, who has no heart for killing—Margaret loses the battle at Towton. Another loss at Tewkesbury seals her fate. There, she is taken prisoner by Edward, Richard's son, and watches as her own son Edward is killed. Her final speech is an eloquent lamentation.
Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York. Although he has defeated the king at St. Albans, he agrees, in an attempt to end the bitter civil war, that Henry may continue to rule until his death if he will agree to pass the throne to Richard or his son. Richard's son, the Duke of Gloucester and also called Richard, is unhappy with the new terms, as is Margaret, Henry's wife. Civil war soon breaks out again. York is captured by Margaret's forces and stabbed to death by the queen, who has also had Richard's son Rutland killed.
Edward, Earl of March, a son of Richard Plantagenet and later King Edward IV. Although he becomes king, his dishonesty and selfish ambition make him as unsuitable for the role as Henry's gentleness makes him. He states clearly that he would break any oath if it would help him acquire power, and he breaks an arranged marriage to the sister of the French king in order to marry his mistress, setting England and France at war. When his forces encounter Margaret's at Tewkesbury, he captures her and helps kill her son, viciously satisfying his own lust for revenge instead of taking steps to reunify his divided country.
Richard, Duke of Gloucester, another son of Richard Plantagenet. Bloodthirsty and ambitious—and aware and proud of his evil nature—he is an admirer of Machiavelli and of Judas Iscariot. In the opening scene, he displays the head of the Duke of Somerset, defeated in battle, on his sword. Near the end of the play, while Henry is imprisoned in the Tower of London, Richard murders him with the same sword and swears to use his full capacity for evil to gain the throne.
Edward, Prince of Wales, the son of King Henry and Queen Margaret. More his mother's son than his father's, he is decisive and bold. He joins with his mother to oppose Richard Plantagenet, and he criticizes his father for his ineffectiveness. In the battle of Tewkesbury, he is captured and killed by Richard's son Edward.