Henry VI, Part 1

Rabkin starts his second chapter by summarizing that Shakespeare’s art includes a world whose principles are never in doubt, but it is never as simple as one expects. Henry V is another one of Shakespeare’s controversial plays. There have been many different ways of looking at the controversy, but Rabkin argues that they are all wrong. Rabkin states that “Shakespeare created a work whose ultimate power is precisely the fact that it points in two opposite directions” and ultimately, Shakespeare…

majesty, this seat of Mars, / This other Eden, demi-paradise... / This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England / Is now leased out--I die pronouncing it-- / Like to a tenement or pelting farm" (Bevington, 2014)(2.1.40-60). Even though this part of speech initially begins with Gaunt pertaining to the glory of ‘mother’ England that was God-given with all her natural characteristics, he then reversed the imagery and spoke of the embarrassment that had been brought to…

extent by the reflection that they fail to see the opposite. In Henry V, by William Shakespeare, the Chorus describes Henry as the mirror of all Christian kings whom his men follow. Is Henry the reflection or the opposite of a Christian king? At first, Henry might seem like the true reflection of a Christian king based upon his moral and sincere actions. However, not all his acts are as virtuous as they appear and just as a mirror, Henry carries several flaws. Thus, Henry’s illusional actions…

Hundred Years’ War. The warring between the two countries was almost stopped when King Henry V had several consecutive victories, leading to his ability to forced Charles VI to name Henry V as the successor for the throne. This was to be the end of conflict until Henry V died in 1422 a few months before Charles VI did. The two deaths led to a disagreement of who was to inherit the throne. It was expected that Henry VI, the infant son was to become king and the court advisors were going to rule…

ultimate ruler (god) and the Kings of Land over who had power. Besides conflicts with each other and god, there were still women's rights issues. Both Saint Joan, and King Henry V are similar in which they both lack the rights of women. They disrespect women in the sense of itemizing, name calling, and stereotyping. In scene 1 from Saint Joan: A Chronicle Play In Six Scenes And An Epilogue by George Bernard Shaw, the scene shows that there is little to no trust in women during the 14th century.…

of William. There was constantly rebellion in the lands of Normandy during William’s youth. In late 1046, opponents of William came together in a rebellion led by Guy of Burgundy. Consequently, William was forced to flee and seek refuge with King Henry I of France. However, when William returned, he and…

The Hundred Years War that started in 1337 was actually series of wars (Saunders, Turnbull 125). One of the main contributing factors to the war was when the last French king, Charles IV, died in 1328, leaving no direct heir to the throne (Allmad 1). Edward III, the King of England, claimed the French throne because his mother, Isabelle, was Charles’ sister…

Mr. Donahue, Amongst the many remarkable figures in history, Joan of Arc is one of the most incredible. A simple maid, born in the farmlands of France during the Hundred Years war. Who was called, by God, to bring peace and unity her broken nation at a very young age. Joan then endured persecution and imprisonment from the enemy, always acting on God’s will and not her own. As Joan herself put it, “What I do, I do by commandment.” A very pious girl, Joan started hearing the voices of Saints and…

The Heroine of Medieval France How strong is your desire for wealth and power? If you ask the monarchs back in the medieval years, they would have probably told you “So strong it causes a war between nations”. History has proven their bid for power and wealth. In a specific case, the Hundred Years War was a battle of ownership for the French throne between the English and the French. But the more specific reasons were the ambition of French monarchy to expand their land, which contradicts…

Mary Tudor was the only child of King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. She was born at the Palace of Placentia in Greenwich, England on February 18, 1516. Mary was alienated from her father after he annulled his marriage with Catherine because of her failure to birth a son. When the annulment was official, Mary was considered illegitimate and deprived of her status to the throne. By the time King Henry VII died, Edward VI took the throne. He was only 9 years old at the time, but died at age…