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Act 2, Scene 2
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Henry VI Part 1, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Individualism vs. Nationalism
Gender and Politics
Courage vs. Cowardice
Religion, Power, and Manipulation
Impulse and History
Summary
Analysis
The Countess of Auvergne enters, confessing to the audience in an aside that she plans to capture Talbot (so as to avenge all the French soldiers he has killed). Then the messenger arrives with Talbot in tow. At first, the Countess insists that this well-mannered, unimposing man cannot possibly be the infamous Talbot. But when Talbot insists that it is really him, the Countess turns on him, announcing that she will imprison Talbot and chain his arms and legs.
By having the Countess deliver an aside about her plan to entrap Talbot, Shakespeare draws a stylistic parallel between this Frenchwoman’s treachery against the English and the English nobility’s treachery against each other—also revealed in asides.
Active
Themes
To the Countess’s surprise, Talbot laughs this off, informing her that “I am but shadow of myself”; if his full self were here, Talbot warns, it would be so impressive that the Countess’s house could not contain him. This confuses the Countess, so Talbot clarifies by blowing on a horn: suddenly, a group of soldiers appears. Talbot introduces the troops as his “sinews, arms, and strength,” asserting that with help from this troop, he can raze any French town to the ground.
In this essential exchange, Talbot—the most valiant soldier in England—reveals that his strength exists not in his individuality but in his ability to work alongside a group. And while other English leaders are trying to tear each other down, Talbot sees his countrymen as his “sinews, arms, and strength,” finding enough power in this nationalist collective to take down the French. True greatness, the play thus suggests, lies not in personal ego but in the ability give oneself over to a larger whole.
Active
Themes
Humbled, the Countess apologizes, acknowledging that she has misjudged Talbot. Talbot gracefully accepts this apology, requesting only that the Countess will serve food and wine to him and the rest of his soldiers. The Countess agrees to host Talbot, saying she is “honored to feast so great a warrior” in her home.
