A number of editors and commentators now believe that the FIRST PART of HENRY VI probably postdates the SECOND & THIRD PARTS and that the writing of the FIRST PART was collaborative. That Shakespeare may have overseen the whole composition was perhaps the reason for its inclusion in the First Folio. In any case, F is the sole authority for this play. Print house copy appears to have been the (collaborative) foul papers.
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FOLIO’s subdivisions of ACTS & SCENES are incomplete (and somewhat incoherent). These are indicated by the prefix F. Other subdivisions are those established by Edward Capell in 1767–8.
ACTS along X axis (not all in FOLIO):
F Act 1 : line 1
F Act 2 : line 674
F Act 3 : line 1201
F Act 4 : line 1743
Act 5 : line 2333
SCENE-divisions (not all in FOLIO):
F 1.1: line 1
1.2: line 192
1.3: line 359
1.4: line 463
1.5: line 587
1.6: line 639
F 2.1: line 674
2.2: line 771
2.3: line 835
2.4: line 926
2.5: line 1069
F 3.1: line 1201
F 3.2: line 1421
F 3.3: line 1583
F 3.4: line 1689
F 4.1: line 1743
4.2: line 1948
4.3: line 2008
4.4: line 2064
4.5: line 2112
4.6: line 2169
4.7: line 2230
5.1: line 2333
5.2: line 2398
5.3: line 2425
5.4: line 2640
5.5: line 2819
FINIS @ line 2832
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Entrances & exits of Characters
According to their order of appearance.
• (1,35) reads “enters at line 1, exits at line 35″.
• (3020 [rip 3051], 3131)
reads “enters at line 3020, dies at line 3051, corpse exits at line 3131).
• (1469, [rip] 1558)
reads “enters at line 1469, dies and exits on line 1558”.
• (rip 2247,2331)
reads “corpse is carried onstage at line 2247, and carried out at line 2331”.
• ([1081] 1119,1144)
reads “character is likely present from line 1081 though actual entrance is indicated at line 1119, at which point character moves to foreground until his exit at line 1144”.
• Conversely, (1136,1258 [1319])
reads “character enters at line 1136 and exits at line 1258 though he probably merely “retires” (i.e. remains onstage — in the background) until line 1319”.
• PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS are capitalized.
Bedford
(4,178) (683,719) (771,834) (1469, [rip] 1558)
GLOSTER
(5,182) (359,459) (1202,1404) (1690,1720) (1744,1925) (2334,2385) (2821,2925)
Exeter
(5,185) (1202,1420) (1690,1720) (1745,1947) (2334,2385) (2821,2925)
WARWICK
(6,191) (926,1068) (1202,1404) (1691,1720) (1744,1933) (2640,2818)
BISHOP (later “CARDINAL”) OF WINCHESTER
(6,191) (391,459) (1202,1404) (1690,1720) (1744,1925) (2362,2397) (2732,2818)
SOMERSET
(7,191) (926,1046) (1203,1404) (1690,1720) (1744,1925) (2064,2112)
CHARLES (DOLPHIN and later “KING OF FRANCE”)
(193,215) (218,356) (587,588) (639,673) (733,764) (1442,1462) (1472,1510) (1551,1552) (1585,1688) (2264,2331) (2399,2424) (2757,2818)
REIGNIER (Duke of Anjou)
(193,215) (218,356) (639,673) (721,764) (1442,1462) (1472,1510) (2400,2424) (2570,2630) (2757,2818)
JOAN de PUCELLE
(264,356) (588,589) (594,613) (639,673) (733,764) (1422,1441) (1451,1462) (1471,1510) (1551,1552) (1585,1688) (2265,2331) (2400,2424) (2425,2459) (2461,2478) (2640,2731)
TALBOT
(487,586) (587,588) (590,637) (683,719) (771,834) (846,925) (1463) (1471,1540) (1559,1583) (1692,1720) (1745,1925) (1948,2007) (2113,2168) (2170,2228) (2230 [rip 2263],2331) +
DUKE OF BURGUNDY
(683,719) (771,834) (1471,1540) (1559,1583) (1621,1688) (2264,2331) (2399,2424) (2460,2461)
RICHARD PLANTAGENET (later “DUKE OF YORK”)
(926,1068) (1103,1200) (1203,1404) (1691,1720) (1744,1933) (2008,2056) (2460,2478) (2640,2818)
SUFFOLK
(927,1044) (1203,1404) (1691,1720) (1744,1925) (2479,2639) (2820,2931)
Vernon
(926,1068) (1691,1742) (1826,1933)
Mortimer
(1069 [rip 1185],1192)
KING HENRY
(1202,1404) (1690,1720) (1744,1925) (2334,2385) (2820,2923)
Sir John Falstaff
(1541,1550) (1754,1793)
Basset
(1691,1742) (1826,1925)
Sir William Lucy
(2026,2063) (2074,2112) (2284,2331)
YOUNG TALBOT
(2113,2168) (2169,2228) ([rip] 2247,2331)
Margaret
(2479,2630)
___________
The play has three PLOTS.
• Plot #1 THE WAR WITH FRANCE.
The English forces are
BEDFORD
TALBOT
YOUNG TALBOT
Sir WILLIAM LUCY
BURGUNDY (until 1583)
The French Forces are:
CHARLES
REIGNIER
ANJOU
JOAN de PUCELLE:
BURGUNDY (from line 1621)
• Plot #2 WINCHESTER VS GLOSTER
GLOSTER, lord Protector of the realm, stands in opposition to the influence of Bishop WINCHESTER on young king Henry.
• Plot #3 YORK VS LANCASTER
The initial purpose of RICHARD PLANTAGENET (in 2.4) is to regain (with the help of WARWICK) his lost Dukedom of York. In this venture, he is opposed by SOMERSET & SUFFOLK. In 2.4, all those who side with RICHARD are asked to pick a “white rose” and those who side with SOMERSET a “red rose”. So that the white rose will hereafter be associated with YORK and the red with LANCASTER (hence the “WAR of the ROSES”).
The YORKISTS are:
RICHARD
WARWICK
MORTIMER
VERNON.
The LANCASTRIANS are:
SUFFOLK
SOMERSET
BASSET
&
WINCHESTER (since Suffolk, Somerset and Winch. are all three of the BEAUFORT family)
(In 2 HENRY VI, the Lancastrians will be be joined by KING HENRY and QUEEN MARGARET)
In this play, Richard does regain his Dukedom (3.1). But he also learns — through his dying uncle MORTIMER (5.1) — of York’s claim to the throne of England, which will be the subject of the two other plays (2Hvi & 3Hvi). What is of particular interest to this play, though, is that it is the refusal of SOMERSET & YORK (plot #3) to unite their forces that will lead to the death of TALBOT and the loss of England’s French territories (plot #1). While WINCHESTER’s association to the Lancaster faction — even as York’s royal claim cannot but benefit from the Protector’s downfall — effectively isolates and weakens GLOSTER (plot #2).
___________
Between FRENCH & ENGLISH forces:
Battle for Orleans (216,217) (540,638) (719,722)
Battle for Rouen (1462,1469) (1541,1559)
Battle for Bordeaux (2169,2246)
Battle forAnjou (2424,2479)
Riots involving Serving-men of GLOSTER & WINCHESTER:
At Tower of London (425,441)
At the Parliament (1281,1319)