The Great Shakespearean Challenge: Day 17

     30 out of 1194 pages read

     Two days ago, I finished reading King Henry the Sixth Part One, and all in all, I was pleasantly surprised.

     At first it was a tough read, as it was difficult to keep track of the various lords and dukes and their differing storylines. But as I became more familiar with the names and as the storylines began to converge, the play grew more interesting. By the time I got to act III or IV, I was completely sucked in.


     My favorite part of the play is act IV. It is in this act that we see the relationship between Lord Talbot and his son, John.

     Renowned commander of the English army, Lord Talbot is both fearsome and honorable. The French fear him so much that they run at the very sound of his name, but Talbot does not let this go to his head. He knows that without his men backing him up, he is only a "shadow of himself," thus revealing his humility.

     His son, John Talbot, is (if you'll allow me to use this awful cliche) a chip off the old block. In fact, John is so brave, so honorable, so self-sacrificing, that these qualities SPOILER ALERT! lead him to a noble, but premature, death.

     In Act IV, things are looking very bad for the English army. The French have them trapped, and the Duke of Somerset and the Duke of York are too busy arguing to bring Lord Talbot the reinforcements that he so desperately needs. Talbot knows he most likely will not make it out of this battle alive and, when he sees John, he tells his beloved son to flee the battlefield so that John will be able to perpetuate the family name and avenge his father's death. John, however, will have none of this.

     The tenderness between father and son in these scenes is heartbreaking. The situation itself is emotional enough, but Shakespeare's use of rhyme adds an entirely new dimension to the conversation.

Here is one of my favorite parts:

Lord Talbot: Shall all thy mother's hopes lie in one tomb?

John Talbot: Ay, rather than I'll shame my mother's womb.

Lord Talbot: Upon my blessing, I command thee go.

John Talbot: To fight I will, but not to flee the foe.

                                                                 (Act IV, scene v)

     There is just something so tragically poetic about the way John rhymes his own words with his father's. Perhaps it is symbolic of how John strives to be a great man like his father, and how he will follow his father even if it leads to his demise. His words echoes his father, just as his actions echo his father's actions. Both men urge the other to leave the battle, but both refuse to leave, as both would rather die than shame the Talbot name.

     Lord Talbot is easily my favorite character, and I am very sad that SPOILER ALERT! he dies alongside John in battle and therefore will not be making any appearances in parts two or three of King Henry VI. Unless, of course, someone pulls a Hamlet and starts seeing ghosts. But I kind of doubt that.

    Seeing that this post is getting lengthy, I'll end it here with the sincere suggestion that you read this play. I still have much more I want to say about part one of King Henry VI, so be ready for more posts on this particular topic.