Previous
Act 4, Scene 7
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
At Henry VI’s court in Paris, Henry is reading letters from the Pope, the Holy Roman Emperor, and the Earl of Armagnac. All the letters urge Henry to make peace with France, emphasizing that those who share the same Christian faith should not spill each other’s blood. Gloucester urges Henry to forge a truce with France, suggesting that the easiest way to do so is by marrying the Earl of Armagnac’s daughter (since Armagnac is close to Charles and willing to have his daughter betrothed to Henry). Henry agrees to go through with the marriage.
It is surprising that Henry VI now emphasizes how England and France share a Catholic faith, given how much the two countries have previously used religion to demean and delegitimize each other. For example, the French label Talbot as a “fiend of hell,” while Talbot consistently asserts that Pucelle is a “witch” or a “sorceress.” Henry VI’s emphasis here on a common religion thus underscores that even ostensibly shared beliefs can be weaponized to separate nationalist ends.
Active
Themes
Winchester enters, now dressed in cardinal’s robes; in an aside, Exeter recalls Henry V’s warning that if Winchester were ever made a cardinal, he would make “his cap coequal with the crown.” Henry heads out to meet his new fiancée, while Gloucester celebrates the giant dowry the Earl of Armagnac’s daughter will bring with her. After everyone is gone, Winchester reveals that he paid “his Holiness” (the Pope) in order to be made cardinal. Now, with the Pope by his side, Winchester is confident that he can triumph over Gloucester.
Active
Themes
