Day Eleven

Henry VI, Part 1

2.5

SYNOPSIS

This scene begins with Mortimer, long jailed, lamenting his death and wishing to see his nephew, Plantagenet. When Plantagenet finally arrives, he asks Mortimer about his father's death, and Mortimer says the same thing that landed him in prison is what got Plantagenet's father executed. When H4 came into power, he got rid of his nephew, Richard, who would've been the next rightful heir to the throne (and really, Mortimer's family). In one moment we get the explanation of Mortimer's jailing and the death of Plantagenet's father.

Mortimer

They labored to plant the rightful heir,

I lost my liberty and they their lives.

Since he has no family of his own, Mortimer names Plantagenet his heir...

Thou art my heir.

...but warns him of how entrenched the house of Lancaster (the Henrys) is. After he dies, Plantagenet promises to keep this council a secret: "I will lock this council in my breast..." but then he promises more than just a burial for Mortimer: "...I myself / Will see his burial better than his life." Then he runs off to Parliament...

IMPRESSIONS

More than anything this scene feels more perfunctory than any of the others, a chapter that's setting up the major action that's about to get down...a bridge between this and that. We have injustice (rightful heirs murdered/imprisoned), we have revenge-seeking (Plantagenet running off), plus we have the death of Mortimer, not insignificant as he represents the legitimate line of royalty. It's an important scene and you can see all the many balls being juggled...

LINE OF THE DAY

When Plantagenet realizes his father was murdered to be silenced with the ultimate goal of snatching away the crown, he responds with a tempered grief, but an almost unrestrained need for revenge

Plantagenet

Thy grave admonishments prevail with me.

But yet methinks my father's execution

Was nothing less than bloody tyranny.

Ooh. Dramatic.

Day Ten

Henry VI, Part 1

2.4

SYNOPSIS

Plantagenet, Warwick, Somerset, Suffolk, and Vernon argue in the Temple Garden because they were too loud inside. Plantagenet is talking about his nobility, and I guess whether or not he deserves to be next in line? Plantagenet says that whomever supports him should take a white rose:

Plantagenet

Let him that is a true-born gentleman

And stands upon the honor of his birth,

if he suppose that I have pleaded truth,

From off this brier pluck a white rose with me.

Somerset says that whomever disagrees, like he does, should take a red one:

Somerset

Let him that is no coward nor no flatterer,

But dare maintain the party of the truth,

Pluck a red rose from off this thorn with me.

They get one supporter each before Vernon tells them to stop plucking roses until they know how many supporters they have. They both agree to the terms, then Vernon plucks a white rose:

Vernon

I pluck this pale and maiden blossom here,

Giving my verdict on the white rose side.

...and then some lawyer plucks a white rose, too:

Lawyer

In sign whereof I pluck a white rose too.

Which means Plantagenet wins! But what...?

Apparently, Plantagenet’s father was put to death by H5 for treason, though Plantagenet says his father’s treason was never proven. Somerset says his followers and those who believe Plantagenet’s father to be treasonous will wear red roses; Plantagenet says his followers will wear white roses. Warwick is under the impression that Plantagenet’s name will be restored, and will wear the white rose for him, but fears war, and death.

IMPRESSIONS

What the hell is going on here? I read this scene multiple times and it confounded and bored me. It wasn’t until I started to read the Spark Notes commentary (which, thankfully, is free), that I started to see what was going on. It’s a little embarrassing, but it totally helped.. As you can see, this is the birth of the “War of the Roses” which is interesting, and upon reading it a fourth time, the scene is actually pretty good, and I appreciate the writing now that it’s a little more clear to me.

...AND THEN SOME

Episode 322, the third season finale for the West Wing, entitled “Posse Comitatus,” features scenes from “The War of the Roses,” a performance of several consecutive Shakespeare plays, including the three Henry VI plays. They get little air time, but it’s interesting to note. I wonder if a War of the Roses sequence is ever produced...

LINE OF THE DAY

After the white roses have been cropped by Vernon and the lawyer, Plantagenet gets all up in Somerset’s grill:

Plantagenet

Now, Somerset, where is your argument?

To which Somerset replies, with the line of the day:

Somerset

Here in my scabbard, meditating that

Shall dye your white rose in a bloody red.

Snap!

Day Nine

Henry VI, Part 1

2.3

SYNOPSIS

The scene begins with the countess talking about her plan, thus immediately proving, explicitly, earlier paranoia.

Countess

The plot is laid.  If all things fall out right,

I shall as famous be...

When Talbot arrives, there is a bit of gamesmanship, when looking upon him for the first time says, "What? Is this the man?..Is this the scourge of France?...I thought I should have seen some Hercules..."  The Countess lays it on pretty thick, and when Talbot resists her BS, her porter returns with some keys, and tells Talbot, "If thou be he, then art thou prisoner."  They argue momentarily, then Talbot laughs at her threats, and as she is shocked, he winds his horn and calls for his soldiers.  She is immediately shamed into praising Talbot for his power.  He asks to stay for dinner.

IMPRESSIONS

Shit really hit the fan here.  Both suspicions I had at the end of the previous scene came to fruition in this scene!  It was a trap, and Talbot did have something up his sleeve.  Well, alright.  When the countess first springs the trap and arrests Talbot, I kept thinking about the earlier scene when Falstaff abandoned him, and he was captured.  Man, this guy is no good at evading capture.  I really like the word play, particularly with the word shadow, and it is the first major characteristic of the play that makes Henry VI, Part 1 feel like Shakespeare.

Countess

Long time thy shadow hath been thrall to me

Later, Talbot describes her opinion of his capabilities, that the real Talbot is...well, a shadow.

Talbot

...I am but shadow of myself

You are deceiv'd, my substance is not here

"What is his substance?" you ask.  Talbot "winds his horn," and in enter Talbot's shoulders, the real substance.  She does a quick, boss-Hogg like turnaround.  "Oh, you're so great, Talbot!  Got me!"

...AND THEN SOME

Just downloaded the Shakespeare App for my iPhone.  Contains all the plays and poetry, and includes a contested play (that is, severely contested): Double Falsehood, the text of which may or may not have been derived from a Shakespeare play co-authored with John Fletcher, and itself a derivation of Don Quixote...I think.  Anyhow, I read the remainder of the second act on my iPhone while cat-sat for some friends.  I'm very fond of it.

Day the Eighth

Henry VI, Part 1

2.2

SYNOPSIS

The next morning, after the French are in retreat, Talbot and a couple of others are kicking in Orleans.  Talbot asks for the body of Salisbury so he'll be buried there as a tribute and in honor of taking Orleans back (again):

Talbot

A tomb, wherein his corpse shall be interr'd:

Upon the which, that every one may read,

Shall be engraved the sack of Orleans

Boom goes the insult to injury.  Then a messenger from the Countess of Auvergne arrives asking for Talbot to pay her a visit because she's impressed with what she's heard of him (sexy, sexy time?):

Messenger

To visit her poor castle where she lies,

That she may boast she hath beheld the man

Whose glory fills the world with loud report.

He's filling the world with glory.  Mmm hmm.  Despite entreaties from his mates, Talbot's all about it:

Talbot

And therefore tell her I return great thanks,

And in submission will attend on her.

But then he says something quite odd, in secret to his captain:\

Talbot

Well then, alone, since there's no remedy,

I mean to prove this lady's courtesy.

Come hither, captain.

Whispers

You perceive my mind?

And the captain does.  What's that about?  Strange things are afoot.

IMPRESSIONS

Eh.  The only thing of interest here is the second half of the scene and the Countess's invitation and that secret little whispering Talbot did.  What are they planning?  I'm not certain of the significance of burying Salisbury in Orleans, either.  I mean, what if they lose Orleans again?

...AND THEN SOME

Most of my ...and-then-somes will probably be website links, and I'm considering offering up a favorite line to it.  For now, a link hath I!  Illustrations of Henry VI, Part 1 in performance.

Day Seven

Henry VI, Part 1
2.1

One week in, and going strong.

SYNOPSIS

As the French set a nightwatch, the English, led by Talbot plot to climb the walls and attack 'em, even busting out scaling ladders. They surprise the French. Reinforcements come in, half-prepared, half-not. Duaphin shows up and is all, “Joan?” Joan immediately turns Dauphin's blame to those that deserved it, Alencon and his men, and then pleads for the infighting to stop.

IMPRESSIONS

Well, it didn't take long. It's amazing how quickly goodwill can turn to ill. As Talbot and Co. climb over the walls and re-start the fight, rather than blame the watch or the guard when he finds out, Dauphin immediately assumes it's Joan's doing:

Talbot

Is this thy cunning, thou deceitful dame?

I mean he was just giving her the kingdom not two pages ago—highest praise and sainthood and all that. Now, she's a treacherous bitch. Nice one, Dauphin. How very kingly. Then Joan has to utter a bit of dialogue that seems to encapsulate the larger struggle of women whom, longer after proving their merit, find themselves at the bitter end of whimsical distrust:

Joan

Sleeping or waking, must I still prevail

Or will you blame and lay the fault on me?

Right on, sister. But, is she a feminist character? Or is she a cheap characterization? She behaves man-ish, dresses like one, and talks crazy (not unusual in Shakespeare, but perhaps unusual in his Histories?). But acting like a man isn't feminist. The Dauphin runs pretty hot and cold with her, so I am a little wary, knowing what we know about her already, if she's being set up to be disliked.

...AND THEN SOME

Nothing today, although I have been reading bits and parts of Contested Will by James Shapiro, where it is pretty clear to the author that this play was written by "Shakespeare."  Maybe two or three playwrights, and perhaps touched up by our man.  Their names elude me at the moment, but I will post them later.

Day Six

Henry VI, Part I

1.5—1.6

The final two scenes of the first act are so short, I decided to combine them for this blog entry.

SYNOPSIS

1.5

The French and English are in full-out war. Joan of Arc leads the French and pushes the English back, much to Talbot's chagrin/surprise:

Talbot

Where is my strength, my valor, and my force?

Our English Troops retire; I cannot stay them;

A woman clad in armor chaseth them.

The English are driven back and lose Orleans to the French.

1.6

Upon the walls of Orleans, Joan, Charles (Duaphin), and others gather after Joan's resounding victory. The Dauphin heaps praise where praise is due:

Dauphin

'Tis Joan, not we, by whom the day is won;

I think he proposes immediately thereafter, I'm not sure; my “English” isn't what it should be.  It's vague enough so it could be a proposal.

Dauphin

For which I will divide my crown with her

He spends the rest of the scene talking about the praise she has earned, the tributes he will make to her: a pyramid, ashes once she passes (awkward, morbid) will be stored in a precious urn, she will be the saint of France rather than Saint Denis:

Dauphin

No longer on Saint Denis will we cry,

But Joan la Pucelle shall be France's saint.

IMPRESSIONS

1.5

A super-short scene but important as it shows us first hand the greatness of Joan of Arc. She even goes head-to-head with Talbot. In fact, she taunts him once he realizes he cannot defeat her

Talbot

My breast I'll burst with straining of my courage

Joan

Talbot, farewell. Thy hour is not yet come (ouch, Talbot, you are the plaything here)

O'ertake me if thou canst! I scorn thy strength. (Talbot just got played, and Joan is B.A.).

1.6

Another remarkably short scene, I am left to wonder how some editions managed to make eight scenes out of this one act. This is a two-page victory scene where we get to see how astonished the French are for their victory, and how grateful they are for Joan's intervention.

...AND THEN SOME

Doing some Joan/Shakespeare Google searches, I found the Open Source Shakespeare, as it says, An Experiment in Literary Technology.  It has the text of every play and poem, with a concordance and advanced searches.  You can spend hours (I haven't...yet), and I was pleased to see their first act had six scenes also, so vindication.  There's a character list!  An alphabetical character list that, when you select one of the names, you get a list of every bit of dialogue in order of occurrence with a contextual link.  Amazing.

Day Five

Henry VI, Part 1

1.4

SYNOPSIS

Back to France. We begin with the master gunner of Orleans talking to his boy about a trap he's set. French "espials" or spies are aware of the English as they spy on the French from a certain tower through some grate.

Gunner: A piece of ordinance 'gainst it I have placed

But then the gunner gets sleepy as has the boy watch. Then we get Talbot and it turns out he was ransomed for “Lord Ponton de Santrailles” whom Bedford had captured. Talbot talks about “the treacherous Falstaff” whom he with his “bare fists” he “would execute.” Talbot had been held and paraded in public but he broke free and apparently they were afraid of his reputation, which was, to say the least, supernatural, and his ugliness which may have been due to his enprisonment

Talbot:

My grisly countenance made others fly;

none durst come near for fear of sudden deaht.

In iron walls they deemed me not secure;

so great fear of my name 'mongst them were spread

that they supposed I could rend bars of steel

When Talbot and Sailsbury and Gargreve attempt to spy and shoot upon the French, Salisbury and Gargreve themselves are hurt...due to the gunner's trap, probably the boy who entered a few moments before with a “linstock.”

A messenger arrives not longer after and tells Talbot of Dauphin and Joan la Pucelle, “a holy prophetess.” Talbot accepts their advancement as a challenge:

Talbot:

Your hearts I'll stamp out with my horse's heels

And make a quagmire of your mingled brains.

IMPRESSIONS

It is starting to get interesting in terms of war, things are happening. Good to see Talbot has escaped, and now Joan and Dauphin and their army is making themselves known. Another short scene, but full of development and creates impetus for Talbot—revenge for Salisbury and Gargreve.

...AND THEN SOME

In my edition of the play (Complete Works, Volume 1, edited by David Bevington), when Talbot makes fun of Joan (“Pucelle or pussel”), the footnote reads: pussel drab, slut. Reading the wiki page, there is a note about this: “In French, 'puzel' means slut, and 'pussel' is a variation of 'pucelle' (meaning virgin), but with an added negative connotation. These two words, 'puzel' and 'pussel', are both puns on Joan's name (Pucelle), thus showing Talbot's utter contempt for her.” The footnote then references a book and discusses the “multiple connotations of Joan's name, which may also include 'pizzle', an Elizabethan word for the penis."  This is an interesting complication of an already complicated character: Virgin/Whore/Penis.

Day Four

Henry VI, Part I

1.3

SYNOPSIS

Gloucester returns to the Tower of London where he is immediately refused entry. Eventually Woodgate comes and tells Gloucester he cannot be allowed to enter on Winchester's orders. Gloucester and his men (in blue) try to force their way in, battle with Winchester's men (in a tawny color), because Winchester refuses to acknowledge Gloucester's role as protector. Essentially Gloucester is King, pro-tem, and Winchester is a traitor. When the mayor shows up, W accuses G of trying to usurp the kingdom, they fight again, then challenge each other to fight even more.

G: Cardinal...we shall meet, and break our minds at large.

W: Gloucester, we'll meet to thy cost, be sure

thy heart-blood I will have for this day's work.

IMPRESSIONS

Well, okay, this part was pretty boring, but I think it was necessary/important to establish, perhaps, the disunion the English were experiencing post H5's death. Thankfully, whichever Shakespeare wrote however much of this segment, he kept it brief.

...AND THEN SOME

From the beginning, it seems, the full authorship of this play has been in contention. “...definitely a collaboration between Shakespeare and at least one, but probably more, other dramatists whose identities remain unknown, although Thomas Nashe, Robert Greene, George Peele, and Christopher Marlowe are common proposals.”   The questioning of the authorship first occurred around 1790, and in 1995 Gary Taylor surmised that our man only wrote about 20% of the play.

Day Three

Henry VI, Part I

1.2

SYNOPSIS

The second scene begins in France this time with the Dauphin and a couple of others talking about the capture of Talbot and the rudderless English.  The main takeaway from scene 1.2 occurs when the Bastard of Orleans comes in, and introduces "a hold maid..." Joan who possesses I believe powers of prophecy.  Dauphin tries to trick her into believing Reignier is the Dauphin, but she sees through it pretty quickly.  "Reignier, is 't thou that thinkest to beguile me?"  She talks a big game and Dauphin challenges her to a duel.

Charles: Then come, i' God's name!  I fear no woman.

Joan: And while I live, I'll ne'er fly from a man.

That's some proto-feminist stuff right there.  Sort of.  At any rate, they duel, and she wins, and the victory she attributes to Jesus' mom.  The Dauphin is impressed and allows her to fight for him.  But she has also won his heart.  Awww.  I think, but she's mostly in the mood to fight.  Maybe after the war?

IMPRESSIONS

Man, this is a pretty great play.  I flew through the rest of the first act in half an hour or so cat-sitting for a friend (summaries to come...of the scenes, not the cat-sitting).  The dialogue is snappy, clever, the action is quick-paced...the plot is advancing; there is some romance—weird, aggresso-romance, but romance nonetheless.   Harold Bloom attributes whatever good he finds in this play to later revisions by our man S which, I suppose, makes sense; what doesn't make sense is how poorly regarded this play is.  It isn't as remotely boring as I always assumed it would be, and I particularly like the idea of this sequence, this War of the Roses bit that unfolds over six or seven plays.  Anyhow, HB's sort of stodgy, know-it-all manner is wearing on me and I've only read a few pages of his book (I hadn't read much of his other books).  The characters are well-rendered.  Joan, in particular, is a pretty standout character, a strong woman (albeit she is "strong" by virtue of acting manish...and outperforming men at their own game), and, after Joan defeats the Dauphin, she attributes that strength to another woman:

Joan: Christ's mother helps me, else I were too weak.
Dauphin: Whoe'er helps thee, 'tis thou that must help me.

Is he asking an obviously skilled warrior to help with the war on the English?  Yes.  And no, as his next line asserts the other way she can help:

Dauphin: impatiently I burn with thy desire;
                  My heart and hands thou hast at once subdued...

to which she coolly replies: I must not yield to any rites of love,
                                                  for my profession's sacred from above.

Well played, Joan.  Well played.

...AND THEN SOME

I browsed a few other collections at the bookstore today after I finished reading the first act, and I noticed something strange.  Two collections, including my own, have six scenes in the first act; a couple of others, have eight scenes.  The text appears to be the same, and blogging about it now, I cannot recall where the additional divisions occurred...something to research for later.  I've also learned that is virtually impossible to find a filmed version of this play, at least one that is commercially available; eBay had a copy...on VHS.  I found this on youtube:

The only problem with this is that it omits much of the dialogue.  It skips quickly through the play, omitting entire pages, so I decided I wouldn't watch it until I finish the play.

Day Two

Henry VI, Part I

1.1

SYNOPSIS
Essentially, it's a funeral procession at Westminster for the passing of Henry V, attended by Glouchester, Bedford, Exeter, Winchester.  They immediately begin myth-making, saying things like H5's “arms spread wider than dragon's wings,” then they try to understand why he died (um..war?).  Exeter blames “the planets” for it, and says, “...shall we think the subtle-witted French...by magic verses have contrived his end.”  Right, magic killed him.  Winchester, a Bishop, holds H5 in holy regard and says H5 fought on behalf of God: “king blest of the King of kings...battles of the Lord of hosts he fought...prayers made him so prosperous.”  Gloucester thinks H5 was punished by God because the English holymen didn't pray enough.  “Had not churchmen prayed, his thread of life had not so soon decayed.”

Henry VI is a baby, obviously incapable of ruling, so Gloucester is named protector... and will “command the Prince and realm.”  Gloucester then accuses Winchester himself not praying enough: “ne'er throughout the year to church thou go'st except it be to pray against thy foes”

Bedford calls for H5's ghost “thy ghost I invocate: prosper this realm, keep it from from civil broils,” etc.

Several messengers enter to relate deaths/losses to French in France, doubly awful as H5 had won them in the first place. Among the items revealed is this: during battle, John Falstaff runs away leaving Talbot to be taken hostage.

IMPRESSIONS
The first scene was surprisingly easy to read and follow along. It's interesting the contradictory views toward supernatural elements: Exeter fears French magic and blames it for H5's death, while Bedford later calls upon H5 himself to return as a ghost and bless England. I wonder why Shakespeare started at Henry VI, it's like George Lucas starting with Part IV. Did Shakespeare plan to go back and write about Henry IV? The play starts with H5's death, so I think it was intentional, as in, “I'll whet their appetites with this, go back and tell it later.” You are thrown in right in the middle of something, so you're surrounded by plot, you're surrounded by conflict and conflicting ideas and the story is self-propulsive. I'm looking forward to more.

...AND THEN SOME
It took me a while to find a stand-alone copy of Henry VI, Part I (I mean "four bookstores" while), so I eventually caved and bought a collection with all the Henry VI plays (there are two more parts) in addition to four comedies, an unlikely collection to say the least. After reading the first scene, I perused Harold Bloom's Invention of the Human, and he only dedicates about five or six pages to all three Henry VI's, and it's little wonder: he does not like it. He mentions an earlier, inferior version of Hamlet and is inclined to believe that this play was written by the same author (not necessarily our man), in which he finds some solace, but he is as inclined to relegate it to Shakespeare's Juvenilia, which still boggles my mind as it is well-written and in iambic pentameter as far as I can tell.  After reading the first scene, I am disinclined to agree with his assessment of its inferiority, but I'll hold off real judgment for now.

Day One

I've long wanted to read more Shakespeare than I have.  The task always seemed daunting and I often wondered where to begin: Hamlet?  King Lear?  Comedies?  Histories?  I'd read Romeo & Juliet and Julius Caesar in high school, enjoyed movie adaptations throughout my life, particularly Baz Luhrmann's and Kurosawa's, but how do you get through it all?  Eventually, I decided to take the challenge of consuming Shakespeare the way I consume music: that is, chronologically.  If I like an album from an artist I've never heard...I go back to the beginning.  The same goes for a new genre.  Reggae?  Let's go back to the 50s and start listening from there.  So, why wouldn't I take the same care with Shakespeare, the most influential dead white man of the last 400 years?

The exact chronology of Shakespeare's work is impossible to determine as his works were not officially published until his buddies decided to get together and publish his work in the first folio seven years after his death.  Records of performances indicate little else than the fact of the performance and are hardly reliable.  Better scholars than myself have created various chronologies, none of which is any more correct than any other, so I'm gonna go with Wikipedia's list which is good enough; plus they have a ton of citations and notes and research already done, so I just have to sit back and read.

First on the dock: Henry VI, Part I.  Here we go.