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Intro
It’s 1422, and England has been attempting to conquer France for nearly a century. But after a successful slew of battles, King Henry V of England has just died, leaving his son Henry VI in charge. Seeing that Henry VI is young and inexperienced, England’s most prominent noblemen now fight amongst themselves to influence the adolescent king. The Duke of Gloucester, Henry V’s brother and the Lord Protector of the realm, thinks that he should be Henry VI’s primary adviser. But the scheming Bishop of Winchester hopes to use his church credentials to manipulate Henry and seize power.
During Henry V’s funeral procession, a messenger arrives, announcing that the English army has suffered heavy losses in the French cities of Roan, Paris, and Orleance. The citizens of France are now in open revolt, having crowned the Dauphin Charles as their king. Charles is also supported by several prominent French courtiers, including the Bastard of Orleance and Reignier, Duke of Anjou. And worst of all, Lord Talbot, England’s bravest soldier, has been captured by the French.
The scene changes to Orleance, France, where Charles is celebrating his victories with Reignier. Charles predicts that in one more battle, Orleance will be entirely under French control. But when the battle ends, the French are surprised to see that English forces have somehow triumphed despite their exhaustion. The Duke of Bedford, Henry VI’s Regent of France, also successfully negotiates Talbot’s release.
To bolster France’s defenses, the Bastard of Orleance introduces Charles to Joan la Pucelle, a “holy maid” who claims to have received visions from the Virgin Mary; though Pucelle is a poor shepherd’s daughter, she is confident that she can help France defeat the English. Charles tests Pucelle’s prophetic abilities by playing tricks on her and fighting her in one-on-one sword combat. When Pucelle bests Charles, he confesses his love for her and asks her to help lead the French military to victory.
Back in England, Gloucester arrives at Henry VI’s palace—only to learn that Winchester has ordered the guards to lock him out. The two men squabble, and their servants, eager to defend their respective masters, begin physically attacking each other. The fighting does not stop until the Mayor of London intervenes.
Now that Talbot has rejoined the English forces, he is eager to take revenge. But in his first battle for Orleance, Talbot is unsuccessful, losing to an army commanded by Pucelle (whom he calls a “witch” and a “high-minded strumpet”). Meanwhile, the French courtiers praise Pucelle, with Charles promising that he will make her France’s new patron saint.
Act 2 begins with Talbot planning, alongside his ally the Duke of Burgundy, about how he might be able to retake Orleance. In the middle of the night, Talbot’s forces attack, catching the French off guard and earning a surprise victory.
Over in England, Richard Plantagenet has just gotten in a legal debate with the Duke of Somerset. In a garden near the court, the two men continue their argument. Eventually, Plantagenet plucks a white rose from a rose bush, instructing all courtiers who side with him (including the Earl of Warwick) to do the same. Somerset and his allies (namely the Duke of Suffolk) respond by plucking red roses. Somerset then insults Plantagenet, reminding everyone that Plantagenet’s father was executed for treason.
Seeking to understand what happened with his father, Plantagenet goes to visit his uncle, Edmund Mortimer, who has been in prison since the time of Henry IV (Henry VI’s grandfather). Mortimer is now on the verge of death, but before he dies, he tells his nephew that Henry IV’s rise to power was illegal; instead, Mortimer insists, Plantagenet himself is the rightful king. In his dying breath, Mortimer urges Plantagenet to “redress” the wrongs his ancestors have suffered by quietly plotting against the throne.
Act 3 shifts the action back to Henry VI’s palace in London, where Winchester and Gloucester are continuing to fight with each other over who should have more power. This time, Henry VI puts a stop to it by begging for peace (“civil dissension is a viperous worm / that gnaws the bowels of the commonwealth”). Warwick arrives, pleading with Henry to restore Plantagenet’s ancestral titles. Henry agrees and knights Plantagenet as the new Duke of York.
Over in France, the fighting has moved to the city of Roan. Using disguises, Pucelle is successfully able to infiltrate the English forces at the city walls. Another battle ensues, and Bedford is killed. Though some of the more cowardly English soldiers (including the flighty Sir John Fastolf) run off, Talbot fights till the end. Talbot is ultimately victorious, marveling to Burgundy that they have lost and regained Roan in a single day.
Pucelle, undaunted, now convinces Charles that the clearest path to French victory is to get the Duke of Burgundy to change sides. With her words, Pucelle is able to “enchant” Burgundy, and Burgundy agrees to join the French forces.
Act 4 begins with Henry VI’s coronation in Paris. But the joyful celebration is quickly cut short when a messenger brings news of Burgundy’s betrayal. To make matters worse, Somerset and York are still at each other’s throats. Henry, angry that his subjects could start a fight over “so frivolous a cause,” puts a red rose on his shirt, arguing that this does not signal his support for Somerset because the two men should become allies. Still, York is upset that Henry now wears “the badge of Somerset.”
Talbot now goes to reconquer the city of Bordeaux, France. But upon arrival, Talbot finds himself gravely outnumbered by the French soldiers. When Talbot calls for reinforcement, York and Somerset dawdle rather than sending help, too engrossed in their own feud to come to Talbot’s aide.
Talbot’s young son John arrives in Bordeaux, eager to learn about military combat from his father. Dismayed, Talbot tries to send John away, telling his son that they are outflanked—and that this battle means certain death. But John, wanting to emulate his father’s bravery, insists that he will not flee, and the two agree to “die in pride” together.
Act 5 returns to Henry’s court, where the young king—urged on by Winchester, now a cardinal—agrees to begin peace negotiations with the French. In an aside, Winchester reveals that he became cardinal by bribing the Pope.
Meanwhile, the Duke of York leads a large army into France, successfully reestablishing English rule. Pucelle, desperate, calls on her “fiends” for help, but the evil spirits refuse to offer her any more guidance. York then has Pucelle burned at the stake as a witch.
Suffolk, traveling through the newly conquered France, meets a beautiful young woman named Margaret, and learns that she is Reignier’s daughter. Though Suffolk and Margaret are instantly attracted to each other, Suffolk is married. Determined to keep Margaret in his life, Suffolk arranges for Margaret to become Henry VI’s bride, against the wishes of Gloucester and Exeter.
Charles’s courtiers, worn out from battling the English, urge Charles to swear to loyalty to Henry VI. Reluctantly, Charles agrees to do so, though he secretly plans to break the fragile peace as soon as he can. Henry VI, enchanted by Suffolk’s tales of Margaret’s beauty, rushes off to meet his new bride, while Suffolk brags (in an aside) that he plans to sleep with Margaret and use her to manipulate Henry.
