 Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
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Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
Table of Contents SCENE Summaries and Notes Act I, SCENE 1 The play opens with allusions to the battle of St. Albans in 1455 which historically marks the beginning of the War of Roses or the fight for the crown between the house of Lancaster as represented by Henry VI and that of Mortimer as represented by the Duke of York. As Act I starts, the Duke of York is in Parliament after the victory at St. Albans and ready to accede to the throne. Alarums are heard and the Duke of York enters along with his sons, Richard and Edward, as well as his retinue: Norfolk, Falconbridge, Warwick and soldiers with white roses in their hats that reveal their loyalties. Warwick explains how the King had escaped their hands, and York replies that while they followed the horsemen of the north, the king had left his men secretly and ran away. The great Lord of Northumberland, who can never accept defeat, cheered the tired army. Edward and Falconbridge reveal their achievements in the battle by slaying respectively the Duke of Buckingham and the Earl of Wiltshire. Yet the greatest coup of all is when his son Richard throws down the head of the Duke of Somerset. He says of all his sons, Richard has done him the most good by killing the man he wanted to. Richard says he hopes to shake the head of King Henry one day and Warwick vows that only after removing King Henry from the throne and seeing York seated in the throne shall he give up the fight. He urges York to possess the throne and let it not be for Henry's heirs. Upon hearing these comforting words of Warwick, York requests that he help him when the king arrives so that he can take possession of his right to the crown. Warwick daringly says that neither the King nor his well wishers will dare to oppose him and inspires Richard to claim the English crown, which he does by sitting on the throne. When a flourish is heard, the King enters along with Clifford, Northumberland, Westmoreland, Exeter and others with red roses in their hats. The King sees York sitting on his throne and exclaims how impertinent he is. A few threats are made by the King's men about the impudence of such an act as well as the relatives they have killed but the King pacifies them and tells them to be patient. He warns them that the whole city favors York and they have troops of soldiers at their back. The King says that he doesn't wish to make a shambles of Parliament. He appeals humbly to the Duke of York to descend his throne and kneel for mercy at his feet since he is their King. When Exeter points out to York that that the latter should be ashamed for forgetting the fact that King Henry had made him the Duke of York, and that York's father was a traitor to the crown, York coolly replies that the earldom was his inheritance and that Henry had usurped what was his rightful position. Warwick says that Exeter was also now a traitor in following the usurping of Henry. Warwick proclaims that Richard, the Duke of York is the rightful king and that Henry is actually the Duke of Lancaster. King Henry attempts to defend his position as king, turning to the historical legacy of his father, Henry V, but in doing so he realizes that his title is tenuous since his father had taken it by conquest, or as he says in an aside, "I know not what to say, my title's weak." After further discussion about whom has entitlement to the crown, Exeter joins the conversation and says that the King's title is weak and York is the true King. He decamps to York's side and Henry is shocked and fears that all his supporters will abandon him. Yet Clifford proclaims that he will fight in defense of Henry whether his title is right or wrong. He vows never to kneel down before York, who has killed his father. Warwick and York urge Henry to resign his crown, and Warwick threatens to fill the house with armed men and write up his title with usurping blood. Very humbly, King Henry requests that Warwick let him reign as king for this lifetime and that he will pass the crown to the Duke after Henry dies. Table of Contents | |
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