Henry VI Part 1 Act 1, Scene 2 Summary & Analysis

In the French city of Orleance, the Dauphin Charles is celebrating. He and his allies Alanson and Reignier have gained control over all of the most important towns in France; Talbot is in prison; and the English troops, led by “mad-brained” Salisbury, are exhausted from hunger. Though the English are trying to retake Orleance, Charles decides that he will rush the city, insisting that he would rather die in battle than run away. Charles, Alanson, and Reignier head into battle, and an “alarum” (a call to arms) sounds from offstage.

As Charles celebrates the recent French victory, he also explicitly articulates the play’s view of courage: that it is better to die for one’s country than to save oneself. The use of “alarums” throughout the play helps to suggest the passage of time, to allude to offstage fighting, and to mimic theatrically the chaos and intensity of war.

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When Charles returns, he is amazed, having been beaten by the seemingly paltry English forces. Alanson complains that the English soldiers are like “Samsons and Goliases,” and begrudgingly acknowledges the courage they have shown in battle, led by a “desperate” Salisbury.

It is important to spot the influence of Shakespeare’s English patriotism in his depiction of Charles’s allies; when Alanson refers to the English as “Goliases” (a nod to the biblical Goliath), it is in part the play’s way of making French soldiers a mouthpiece for an almost mythological vision of English strength.

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The Bastard of Orleance enters, telling Charles that he brings with him a “holy maid”: Joan la Pucelle. Allegedly, this young woman has been sent a vision from heaven, instructing her on how to lead the French to victory and drive the English out of France. Charles agrees to meet with Pucelle, but first he wants her to prove her visionary powers. To test Pucelle, Charles has Reignier pretend to be the Dauphin, hoping to discern whether or not this “fair maid” can be fooled. Right away, Joan sees through the trick, exclaiming that the Reignier is not actually the Dauphin and demanding to see the real Charles.

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Joan la Pucelle, also known as Joan of Arc, was a real historical figure, known for her ability to transcend gender norms, her skillful leadership of France’s military during the Hundred Years’ War, and her claim to have been inspired by visions from the Virgin Mary. In this scene, Pucelle does appear to have some sort of otherworldly abilities, as evidenced by her ability to see through Charles and Reignier’s trick.

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Impressed, Charles sends the other lords out of the room, wanting to speak to Pucelle alone. Pucelle explains that she is a poor shepherd’s daughter. One day, while Pucelle was tending to her family’s lambs, the Virgin Mary appeared to her and told her it was her duty to free France from the English. In the vision, Mary promised Pucelle victory, insisting that she would help in the fight. Mary also made Pucelle beautiful, though Pucelle was unattractive in her youth.

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Right away, the play sets up the possibility of attraction between Pucelle and Charles, emphasizing Pucelle’s beauty and depicting what could be a public conversation about military strategy as a more intimate tête-à-tête. Indeed, even Shakespeare’s decision to refer to Joan as “la Pucelle” (French for “the maid”) helps to constantly place Pucelle’s gender at the fore of her portrayal.

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To back up her story, Pucelle invites Charles to ask her any question, or to try her skill in combat (“thou shalt find,” Pucelle promises, “that I exceed my sex”). Charles, declaring that he fears no woman, challenges Pucelle to a swordfight. Pucelle is triumphant, crediting “Christ’s mother” for her success.

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The script has already conflated femininity with weakness—so the fact that Charles loses so quickly to Pucelle speaks not only to her special abilities but to his military failings (at least as seen through England’s eyes).

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Amazed, Charles confesses his attraction for Pucelle and asks her to be his lover. Pucelle refuses, insisting that her mission is too “sacred” for her to be distracted by romance. Still, Pucelle hints that once the English have been defeated, she might entertain Charles’s advances. Charles swears that he will remain in “prostate thrall” to Pucelle until she is ready for him.

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Again, the play feminizes Charles, suggesting that he is in “prostrate thrall” to Pucelle—meaning that he is both worshipful of and vulnerable to her. It is also telling that Pucelle insists on sexual purity here, in sharp contrast to the promiscuous way that the play will later depict Pucelle. In fact, the inconsistency in Pucelle’s characterization is one of the key factors that allows scholars to argue many different writers contributed to Henry VI Part 1.

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Quotes

Reignier and Alanson re-enter, and Pucelle advises them not to give up on Orleance. Swayed by Pucelle’s advice, Charles agrees to “fight it out.” Reignier remarks that if Pucelle successfully leads the French to victory at Orleance, her legacy will be immortalized in history forever. Pucelle insists that it is finally France’s time for glory—with Henry V’s death, she declares, the time of England’s dominance must end.

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Pucelle’s legacy as a defender of France lives on to this day—suggesting that Charles would more than make good on his promise to commemorate the young women’s heroism. Here and elsewhere, the script often plays with its references to history, using its audience’s hindsight—the play was written around 150 years after the events it depicts—as a kind of dramatic foreshadowing.

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Henry VI Part 1: Act 1, Scene 2 Summary & Analysis