15:38 Henry VI, part 1

Day 15 of 38:38
Henry VI, part 1

It's only fair to confess to you that I love the Henry VI plays. I'm sure re-reading them, I will be able to see their weaknesses, but it won't matter, nothing can shake them from my heart. Most people will never see these plays. I have seen them three times. First, a one evening conflation of them at the New Jersey Shakespeare Theatre, starring a remarkable performance by Ryan Farley as the asexual Henry VI. (What was even more remarkable was the year before I saw him give a randy and energetic performance as one of Tamora's sons in Titus Andronicus at the Shakespeare Theatre here in Washington -- you could not find two more different roles!) Then I saw each of the three parts in their entirety as part of the RSC Histories Cycle. And I am currently two plays through seeing them at the American Shakespeare Center (part III won't be performed until Spring 2011).

There are many reasons I love these plays. Richard III was one of my favorite Shakespeare plays long before I knew of the Henry VI's, and I love that these plays tell you what happened before. I love that the two best characters in R3, Richard and Margaret, appear in H6, and we learn how they became who they are. I love the blood and cruelty in part three. I love the rose picking scene in part one. I love Suffolk and Margaret in part two.

And I had better also warn you that I think Margaret is Shakespeare's greatest creation. She is in four plays. She starts as a flirty young girl and goes through hell and becomes an old hag. Her journey is amazing, her arc like no one else's. Anytime someone accuses Shakespeare of not writing good parts for women, I can immediately point to Margaret. She is strong, she is bold, she is brave. She speaks her mind, even when the men around her clearly don't want to hear it. She wields body power as a woman, and verbal power as well, being quite smart. She is a force of nature.

Those of you who have never read these plays before, I'm so excited for you to see where Shakespeare takes this character, and for you to find out who she was before Richard III.

Two things I notice on re-reading this play. One, you can tell it is an early work, as the verse isn't as polished. This is evident to me because I noticed tons of expanded -ed endings on words in order to make up the ten syllables. It seems like it isn't coming as naturally.

Two, it reminds me of Antony and Cleopatra in the way that there are lots of short scenes. On the one hand, there is a lot of plot randomness in all these many scenes (well, maybe that's not "on the one hand" as it's kind of what is delightful about the play); on the other hand, I found the play really moved as I read it.

One more thing -- Talbot is to Henry VI as Hotspur is to Henry IV

Finally, Yay Margaret!

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Favorite Female Character:
Joan of Arc (and Margaret)
Favorite Male Character:
Talbot "Then broke I from the officers that led me / And with my nails digged stones out of the ground / To hurl at the beholders of my shame. " A.k.a. "I'm a badass."

Laugh out loud:
Winchester Rome shall remedy this.
Gloucester Roam thither then.
Yes, Shakespeare's favorite joke.

"That's what she said!":

How insulting:
Gloucester Thou art a most pernicious usurer
Froward by nature, enemy to peace,
Lascivious, wanton, more than well beseems
A man of thy profession and degree.

Shakey loves his meta:

Oh, misogyny:
Suffolk She's beautiful, and therefore to be wooed.
She is a woman, therefore to be won.

Boys are silly:
Suffolk Fond man, remember that thou hast a wife!

Favorite Moment/Line:
My favorite moment is near the very end of the play, when Suffolk woos Margaret. He asks her if she has anything to send the king, and uses this question as an excuse to kiss her. She responds
That for thyself; I will not so presume
To send such peevish tokens to a king.

I also love the final lines of the play:
Suffolk Thus Suffolk hath prevailed, and thus he goes
As did the youthful Paris once to Greece,
With hope to find the like event in love,
But prosper better than the Trojan did.
Margaret shall now be queen and rule the king;
But I will rule both her, the king, and realm.