Shakespeare's Kings JOHN JULIUS NORWICH VIKING Table of Contents List of Illustrations xvii Family Trees xx Maps xxiii Royal Emblems xxv Introduction i 1. Edward III and the Black Prince [1337-1377] Murder of Edward II • Fate of Gaveston • Succession of Edward III • His dominions • Death of Charles IV • Edward's claim to France • French counter-claim • Feudality and vassalage • Hundred Years War begins 15 Opening of Edward III • Acts I and II 18 Edward's invasion • Battle of Sluys 21 Sluys in Edward III 23 Truce of Esplechin • Second invasion, 1346 • Battle of Crecy 25 Crecy in Edward III 30 Siege of Calais 33 Battle of Poitiers 36 Calais and Poitiers in Edward III • End of play 39 Last years of Edward's reign • Black Prince at Bordeaux • Najera • Sickness and death of Prince • Death of Edward 44 2. The Young Richard [ 13 77— 13 81 ] Children of Edward III • Question of succession • Richard's coronation 51 Richard's birth • His mother, the Fair Maid of Kent • His father, the Black Prince • His uncle, John of Gaunt • Destruction of Gaunt's palace by mob after trial of Wycliffe • Peace between Gaunt and Londoners made by Richard on accession 54 IX SHAKESPEARE S KINGS Papal schism, England siding with Urban VI • Beginnings and causes of Peasants' Revolt • March on London 58 Rebels advance • Their depredations • Confrontations at Mile End and Smithfield 61 Aftermath of Revolt 65 3. Favourites and Appellants [1381-1388] Marriage • Life at court • Food • Clothes • Portraits 69 Arrogance and irresponsibility • Favourites • Mowbray, de Vere, Burley • John of Gaunt • The Norwich Crusade 73 Larimer incident • Scottish expedition • Departure of John of Gaunt for Spain 77 • • -. -...-. Trouble with Parliament over Suffolk • Deputation by Gloucester and Bishop of Ely • Appointment of Commission • Progress to North • Judges find Commission illegal • Return to London 80 Gloucester, Arundel, Warwick defy King • Agreement at Westminster -King's bad faith • De Vere marches on London • Radcot Bridge • Appellants issue ultimatum- 84 'Merciless' Parliament • Executions • King's promise • Attempts to save his personal reputation 87 4. The King's Revenge [1388-1398] Richard assumes personal responsibility for government • John of Gaunt • Results of his Spanish expedition • His return • Attempts to have Edward II canonized 95 Quarrel with Londoners • Risings in Cheshire • Death of Queen • First Irish expedition • Return of body of de Vere • Remarriage of John of Gaunt 97 Richard's marriage to Isabelle of France • Her coronation • January 1397 Parliament at Westminster • Haxey petition • Westminster Hall 100 Richard moves against Gloucester, Arundel, Warwick • Their condemnation at September Parliament ••• Sentences • New dukedoms • Shrewsbury Parliament • Bolingbroke accuses Mowbray 102 TABLE OF CONTENTS 5. The Triumph of Bolingbroke [1398-1400] Opening of Richard II • Lists at Coventry • Sentences of exile • Expensive pardons and forced loans 111 Death of John of Gaunt • Shakespeare's portrait of him • Confiscation of his estates • Increase of Richard's megalomania • His departure for Ireland 115 Bolingbroke lands at Ravenscar • Submission of royalists • Richard returns from Ireland • His capture 117 Deposition and accession • Henry's claim • Coronation • Recriminations 121 Shakespeare's interpretation • Richard sent to Pontefract • Plot to reinstate him • His fate • Henry's reaction 124 6. King Henry IV Part I [1400-1403] King Henry IV • His background and early travels • His problems: Parliament, France, Scotland, Wales - Scottish campaign • Glendower's rebellion, Welsh campaign • Visit of Manuel Palaeologus • Return of Queen IsabeOe to France 131 Marriage to Joan of Brittany • Shakespeare's i Henry IV • Capture of Mortimer by Glendower • Second Welsh campaign • Homildon Hill • Quarrel with Hotspur over prisoners • Shakespeare's treatment • Character of Hotspur 135 Falstaff/Oldcastle • Hal's riotous living • His military record • Percy rebellion • Battle of Shrewsbury 139 Shakespeare's version of the rebellion and the preparations for the battle 144 Shakespeare's battle 146 7. King Henry IV Part II [ 1403 -1413 ] Problems with Parliament • The French make trouble • New campaign against Glendower deflected against Northumberland • Rebellion of Earl Marshal and Archbishop of York • Their arrest • Fifth invasion of Wales • The King sickens 151 The King's sickness • Growing responsibilities of Prince of Wales • Tight-fistedness of Parliament • The French attack Bordeaux • Fall of Harlech ends Glendower's rebellion • King's health declines 155 Difficulty of Prince's position • Burgundian and Orleans factions in France • Prince sends army to Burgundy under Arundel • Henry rallies, dismisses Beauforts • Prince leaves for Midlands • King sends army under Clarence to XI SHAKESPEARE S KINGS help Armagnacs • Fiasco • Prince partly to blame,'raises militia, which he brings to London 158 King's final seizure and death • His tomb 161 The play • What Shakespeare makes of King Henry • Compression of events • Sickness • Affair of Chief Justice • Treatment of Northumberland and of John of Lancaster • Crown and pillow incident • Act V 163 8. Harfleur and Agincourt [1413-1415] Henry V • His coronation • The Lollards • Case of Sir John Oldcastle • St Giles's Fields 173 Henry's claim to throne of France • Beaufort's mission • Huge and unfulfillable demands 178 Preparations for war • The Southampton plot • The fleet sails • The siege of Harfleur 180 The march to Agincourt 184 The battle • The massacre of prisoners • Losses on each side • Celebrations in London • Henry's gloom 185 9. The End of the Adventure [1415—1422] Death of Dauphin • Dorset's defeat at Valmont • French siege of Harfleur • Battle of the Seine • Visit of Emperor Sigjsmund to England • Alliance at Canterbury • Abortive conference in Calais 193 Preparations for new expedition • Capture of Caen and other cities • Another death of a Dauphin • Queen Isabella proclaims herself Regent, John the Fearless as Governor of France • Murder of Armagnac • Queen and Duke enter Paris, Dauphin flees • Siege and capture of Rouen 195 Meeting at Meulan with Queen and Duke • Capture of Pontoise • Meeting on bridge at Montereau • Murder of John the Fearless • Treaty of Troyes • Henry marries Katherine • Capture of Sens and Melun • Henry hangs Scots mercenaries • Other cruelties • Entry into Paris • Return to England 198 Defeat and death of Clarence at Beauge • Henry's last campaign • His inhumanity increases • Sickness and death • His tomb • Fate of Katherine 200 Xll TABLE OF CONTENTS 10. King Henry V [1414-1420] Chronological limitation of play • Assistance of Chorus in dating • Tennis balls incident, true or false? • Southampton plot • Sanity of Charles VI 207 Fluellen • Harfleur • Princess Katherine • Agincourt 211 Return to London • Reconciliation between French and English • Courtship and marriage 216 11. King Henry VI: His Childhood and Youth [1422—1445] Henry's birth • Bedford, Gloucester, Beaufort • Hopelessness of the war • England's steady loss of support in France • Coronation 221 Joan of Arc • Death of Salisbury • Battle of the Herrings • Capture of Joan of Arc • Her burning • Henry's coronation in Paris • Peace of Arras between France and Burgundy • Death of Bedford 223 Character of Henry VI • Release of Charles of Orleans • Fall of Duke Humphrey • Rise of Suffolk ; Margaret of Anjou • Her marriage to Henry 227 12. King Henry VI Part I [1422-1453] Authorship • Fidelity to truth • Sources • Telescoping of time • Falstaff • Joan of Arc • Death of Salisbury • Introduction of Talbot • His fight with Joan 235 Act II • Unhistorical recovery of Orleans • Countess of Auvergne • Temple Garden scene • York's visit to the dying Mortimer 240 Act III • Beaufort—Gloucester feud • Building-up of Richard of York • Joan's capture of Rouen • Confused chronology • Talbot made Earl 242 Act IV • Henry's French coronation • His division of the army in France • Death ofTalbots • Act V • Exeter's surprise at Beaufort as Cardinal • Henry's projected marriage •• Scenes with the Pucelle • Appearance of Margaret of Anjou • Peace 245 13. King Henry VI: The Gathering Storm [1445-1455] Charles VII makes good use of truce • Arrest and death of Duke Humphrey • Death of Cardinal Beaufort • Suffolk assumes power • Richard of York appointed to Ireland • French war resumes under Somerset • English defeat at Formigny • Imprisonment of Suffolk • His death 253 Xlll SHAKESPEARE'S KINGS Jack Cade's rebellion • York's return from Ireland • His first march on London • Somerset's claim to throne • Increasing York-Somerset hostility • York's second march on London • King promises Somerset's arrest • His breach of faith 257 Henry's illness and insanity • Birth of his son • Arrest of Somerset • York appointed Protector • Appoints Salisbury Chancellor • Henry recovers • York, Salisbury, Warwick withdraw to north • York's third march on London • First battle of St Albans 262 14. King Henry VI Part II [1441-14S$] Anjou and Maine • Confusion over Warwicks • Shakespeare extends Protectorate • Kingdom torn apart by factions 269 Eleanor Cobham • Her penance • Duke Humphrey's death 272 Blackening of Duke of York • Humphrey not murdered • No affair between Queen and Suffolk • Circumstances of death of Cardinal Beaufort • Suffolk's death • Cade's rebellion 274 York's return from Ireland • Telescoping time • York's behaviour at Blackheath • His children • St Albans 278 15. The Wars of the Roses [1455-1475] Shakespeare's telescoping • Richard of York claims the