Henry VI Part 1 Character Analysis

Lord Talbot

The valiant Lord Talbot (later the Earl of Shrewsbury) is the hero of Henry VI Part 1 and the personification of the play’s brand of English nationalism. Though audiences first hear of Talbot when he… read analysis of Lord Talbot

King Henry VI

King Henry VI is the son of King Henry V and is the ruler of England during the final battles of the Hundred Years’ War with France; he is also the cousin of the Dauphin… read analysis of King Henry VI

Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York

Richard Plantagenet is Edmund Mortimer’s nephew and the primary antagonist of the Duke of Somerset. When Somerset insults Plantagenet during a legal argument, Plantagenet is newly motivated to learn his family’s troubled history… read analysis of Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York

Duke of Somerset

The Duke of Somerset is an English nobleman in the court of Henry VI, and the primary antagonist of Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York. After Somerset and Plantagenet get in a legal argument… read analysis of Duke of Somerset

Joan la Pucelle

Joan la Pucelle, better known as Joan of Arc, is an advisor to the Dauphin Charles and the primary antagonist of King Henry VI and Lord Talbot. The daughter of a poor shepherd in… read analysis of Joan la Pucelle

Dauphin Charles

The Dauphin Charles is the ruler of France, though King Henry VI contests this title, believing that France should be a protectorate of England (and therefore that Henry himself is France’s rightful king). In Henry… read analysis of Dauphin Charles

Duke of Gloucester

The Duke of Gloucester is Henry VI’s uncle and brother to Henry V and the Duke of Bedford. Upon Henry V’s death, the Duke of Gloucester is named as Lord Protector of England… read analysis of Duke of Gloucester

Duke of Bedford

The Duke of Bedford is Henry VI’s uncle and the Duke of Gloucester’s brother; when the play begins, the Duke of Bedford is also acting as the Regent of France. In his capacity… read analysis of Duke of Bedford

Bishop of Winchester

The Bishop of Winchester is Henry’s VI’s great-uncle and the brother of the Duke of Exeter. Though Winchester frequently uses his status in the church to claim spiritual and moral purity, his asides… read analysis of Bishop of Winchester

Duke of Exeter

The Duke of Exeter is Henry V’s uncle, Henry VI’s great-uncle, and the Bishop of Winchester’s brother. More than perhaps any other character in the play, Exeter correctly predicts that the fractiousness… read analysis of Duke of Exeter

Henry V

Henry V is Henry VI’s father and the former king of England. When the play begins, Henry V has just died, causing some of his courtiers to blame French “conjurers and sorcerers” (in reality… read analysis of Henry V

Edmund Mortimer

Edmund Mortimer is Richard Plantagenet’s uncle and an enemy of Henry V and the entire House of Lancaster (meaning all of Henry V’s descendants). When King Henry IV (Henry V’s father) deposed Richard II… read analysis of Edmund Mortimer

John Talbot

John Talbot is Lord Talbot’s adolescent son. When Talbot is victorious at Orleance and Roan, he sends for John, wanting to mentor his son in battle techniques. But by the time John arrives to… read analysis of John Talbot

Margaret

Margaret of Anjou is Reignier, Duke of Anjou’s daughter and the object of affection for both Suffolk and King Henry VI. When Suffolk first encounters Margaret, he is taken aback by her “gorgeous… read analysis of Margaret

Reignier, Duke of Anjou

Reignier, Duke of Anjou is one of the Dauphin Charles’s primary allies; he is also Margaret’s father (and therefore King Henry VI’s eventual father-in-law). Though Reignier held a number of fancy titles, including… read analysis of Reignier, Duke of Anjou

Duke of Burgundy

At the beginning of Henry VI Part 1, the Duke of Burgundy is one of King Henry VI’s generals, working alongside Lord Talbot and the Duke of Bedford to wrest control over Orleance… read analysis of Duke of Burgundy

Duke of Alanson

The Duke of Alanson is one of the Dauphin Charles’s main advisors during the last decade of France’s Hundred Years’ War against the English. During the battles at Orleance, Roan, and Bordeaux, Alanson works… read analysis of Duke of Alanson

Bastard of Orleance

The Bastard of Orleance is one of the French courtiers who joins forces with the Dauphin Charles; the Bastard is also the first person to introduce Charles to Joan la Pucelle. The Bastard… read analysis of Bastard of Orleance

Sir John Fastolf

Sir John Fastolf is a soldier in the English army. In a pivotal moment during the battle for Orleance, Fastolf flees the field, leading to Talbot’s capture. Fastolf then repeats this pattern at the… read analysis of Sir John Fastolf

Sir William Lucy

William Lucy is an English nobleman and one of the most vocal advocates for unity among Henry VI’s courtiers. When Lord Talbot finds himself outnumbered in Bordeaux, Lucy tries desperately to convince York and… read analysis of Sir William Lucy

William de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk

The Earl of Suffolk is one of Somerset’s most ardent supporters against Plantagenet (as can be seen in the red rose that Suffolk always wears); he is also the person who introduces King Henry… read analysis of William de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk

Earl of Warwick

The Earl of Warwick is an ally of Richard Plantagenet. In addition to wearing a white rose (Plantagenet’s symbol), Warwick successfully advocates to King Henry VI that Plantagenet should be made Duke of York… read analysis of Earl of Warwick

Earl of Salisbury

After Lord Talbot is captured at Orleance, the Earl of Salisbury is left as the last English general still fighting in France. Though the French see Salisbury as “mad-brained” and “desperate” (because of his decision… read analysis of Earl of Salisbury

Countess of Auvergne

The Countess of Auvergne is a prominent Frenchwoman who tries to entrap Talbot as a way of hampering the English in their invasion of France. Initially, the Countess invites Talbot to her home as a… read analysis of Countess of Auvergne

Shepherd

The shepherd, who appears just as Joan la Pucelle is about to be burned at the stake by the English, is Pucelle’s father. At first, the shepherd longs to be reconciled with his daughter, ignoring… read analysis of Shepherd

The Mayor of London

The Mayor of London is the person who tries to keep the peace as Winchester and Gloucester’s squabble spreads through the city. After Gloucester and Winchester’s servants take up weapons against each other, the… read analysis of The Mayor of London

Vernon

Vernon, alongside Warwick and the lawyer, is one of the men who initially sides with Richard Plantagenet in his debate against Somerset. To signal his allegiance to Plantagenet, Vernon always wears a white… read analysis of Vernon

Basset

Basset is one of Somerset’s supporters; to that end, he always wears a red rose. When Basset notices that a courtier named Vernon is wearing a white rose, signaling Vernon’s allegiance to Richard… read analysis of Basset

Master Gunner

The Master Gunner is in charge of operating the “ordnance” (canons) used to defend Orleance, France against the English attack. After three days of watching the English soldiers outside his city’s walls, the Master Gunner… read analysis of Master Gunner

Master Gunner’s Boy

The Master Gunner’s Boy (referred to as simply as “Boy” in the script) is the young son and apprentice to the Master Gunner of Orleance, France. When his father tasks him with watching over the… read analysis of Master Gunner’s Boy

Minor Characters

Lawyer

The lawyer is one of the men in the rose garden when Somerset and Plantagenet first pluck the flowers that begin their feud. The lawyer believes that Plantagenet has a better legal argument, so he eventually plucks a white rose, signaling his allegiance to Plantagenet.

Henry VI Part 1 Characters