Finished: Henry VI Part I (Shakespeare) I'm really enjoying reading these Shakespeare histories! Of course, I had to draw myself a little genealogy chart to keep track of who begot who, who succeeded who, etcetera, etcetera. :-) In Henry VI Part I, the play opens with the death of Henry V and all the kinsmen descend to begin fighting over who will be the prominent regent in the baby King Henry VI's rule. The war continues between England and France, and somewhere along the line, suddenly Henry VI is a youth who is now ruling. I guess the years pass. :-) Anyway, the most moving part of the play to me is when the previously undefeated warrior, Talbot of England, is left to battle his last battle with France with his own son by his side. The exchanges between them are heartbreaking, as Talbot wants his young son to flee home, but his son refuses to besmirch the family name, and his father's great warrior name, by leaving the battle like a coward. So, die together they do. Sigh. Meanwhile, a war of roses is brewing between Richard of York (who has claims to the throne through his father Edmund of Langley, King Edward III's 5th son) and the Duke of Somerset (a Beaufort who has claims to the thrown through his father John of Gaunt, King Edward III's 3rd son). I believe that sets the scene for Parts II and III to come. At the end of the book, La Pole, the Earl of Suffolk, convinces Henry that he should marry Margaret of Anjou, the young princess of France, to unite the countries. This coincides with the church of England declaring that the war should cease and the King of France should be a Viceroy under Henry as King of both England and France. We'll see how that holds up. :-)