 Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
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Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
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Table of Contents Themes Major Theme The main theme of the play is the English war in France, after the death of the hero - King Henry V. The leader of the English is the noble warrior Talbot, opposed in France by the witch, Joan of Arc and betrayed at home by the strife of English factions. This theme is represented by the heroic struggles of Talbot, who is finally overcome, surrounded as he is by danger on either side of him. The young King Henry VI loses the territories won by Henry V. His youth, inexperience and his lack of strength all conspire to this end. Minor Theme The internal disunity and dissension found in the ranks of the English nobility forms the minor theme of the play. It is represented by the animosity between Gloucester and Winchester, the quarrel between Somerset and York and the selfish intrigues of Suffolk. These events have consequences for the fate of peace within the nation itself as well as its success against France. Mood The opening funeral oration sets the Mood for the rest of the play, indicating that the emphasis will be upon an ideal of heroic conduct. The play presents a complex image of personal worth that continuously recalls the social meaning of heroic greatness. It shows the fields of France with their last vestiges of medieval chivalry; the English court, with its peculiar blend of gentility and intrigue and finally the threat of civil war. Each episode is didactically purposeful and contains a particular lesson about politics and ethics. The Mood is serious and intense throughout, breaking up now and then for a temporary respite in the form of bawdy comedy. Table of Contents | |
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