Henry VI, Part 1

by Shakespeare

First published 1623

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3.6(10,155)

After Henry V’s death, the English position in France begins to collapse while the young Henry VI inherits a crown governed by competing nobles. Joan of Arc inspires the French recovery, and English commanders struggle to preserve territories won during the previous reign.

The military crisis is matched by growing factionalism at home, including the rivalry that will harden into the conflict between Lancaster and York. Shakespeare compresses campaigns, personalities and political disputes into a drama about the fragility of conquest, the dangers of divided command and the weakening authority surrounding a child king.