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114-677: Founded as the Emeryville Shakespeare Company, the company began performances with Hamlet, performing several shows at scattered churches and venues around the East Bay. It became established 1974 in John Hinkel Park in Berkeley, with productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream with Deborist Benjamin as Peaseblossom, following her role as Celia in the premier production of As You Like It , and The Tempest (with Rolf Saxon ). It

228-527: A community tour of the same production that fall. The production got some searing reviews and drew a strong response from many longtime patrons, but ten years later it is cited as a powerful production that allowed actors to speak their truth. In 2017, Ting directed the first production of Cal Shakes' New Classics Initiative, the West Coast premiere of black odyssey , by Oakland native Marcus Gardley , directed by Eric Ting. This reimagining of Homer’s Odyssey as

342-659: A critical time is at hand, Bedford immediately prepares himself to head to France and take command of the army, Gloucester remains in charge in England, and Exeter sets out to prepare young Henry for his forthcoming coronation . Meanwhile, in Orléans, the English army is laying siege to Charles' forces. Inside the city, the Bastard of Orléans approaches Charles and tells him of a young woman who claims to have seen visions and knows how to defeat

456-491: A hollow heart. ( to others ) See here, my friends and loving countrymen, This token serveth for a flag of truce Betwixt ourselves and all our followers. So help me God as I dissemble not. WINCHESTER So help me God. ( aside ) As I intend it not. Act 2, Scene 4 is perhaps the most important scene in the play in terms of language, as it is in this scene where Richard introduces the notion of what he calls "dumb significants," something that carries resonance throughout

570-466: A line that echoes Burgundy's, Henry queries what it is that has prompted him to agree to Suffolk's suggestion: "Whether it be through force of your report,/My noble lord of Suffolk, or for that/My tender youth was never yet attaint/With any passion of inflaming love, I cannot tell" (5.6.79–83). Here, again, the power of language is shown to be so strong as to be confused with a natural phenomenon. Language can also be employed aggressively. For example, after

684-655: A matter of hours, the French retake and then lose the city of Rouen . After the battle, Bedford dies, and Talbot assumes direct command of the army. The Dauphin is horrified at the loss of Rouen, but Joan tells him not to worry. She then persuades the powerful Duke of Burgundy , who had been fighting for the English, to switch sides, and join the French. Meanwhile, Henry arrives in Paris and upon learning of Burgundy's betrayal, he sends Talbot to speak with him. Henry then pleads for Richard and Somerset to put aside their conflict, and, unaware of

798-508: A now lost play). If Nashe's comment is accepted as evidence that the play seen by Henslowe was 1 Henry VI , to have been on stage as a new play in March 1592, it must have been written in 1591. There is a separate question concerning the date of composition, however. Due to the publication in March 1594 of a quarto version of 2 Henry VI (under the title The First part of the Contention betwixt

912-676: A partnership with Write to Read, a juvenile hall literacy program run by the Alameda County Library, holding writing workshops based on Hamlet: Blood in the Brain . In 2007, actor and Cal Shakes Associate Artist Andy Murray began to teach workshops and extended residencies using Shakespeare to develop the public speaking, leadership, and cooperation skills of the juvenile hall residents. In 2007, Cal Shakes commissioned San Francisco playwright Octavio Solis to adapt The Pastures of Heaven , an early novel of interconnected stories about farm life in

1026-548: A performance in the John Hinkel Park amphitheater. The camps have continued, in one form or another, to this day, going under several different names (Camp, Conservatory, Summer Theater Programs). In 2009, the camps were offered to ages 8–18 in two- and five-week increments, with locations in Lafayette, Oakland, Orinda, and El Cerrito. Participants study acting, physical comedy, stage combat , movement, improvisation, and text, and

1140-413: A playwright. Some regard Henry VI, Part 1 as the weakest of Shakespeare's plays . Along with Titus Andronicus , it is generally considered one of the strongest candidates for evidence that Shakespeare collaborated with other dramatists early in his career. The English The French Other The play begins with the funeral of Henry V , who has died unexpectedly in his prime. As his brothers,

1254-513: A possible discrepancy between her words and her actions; "These women are shrewd tempters with their tongues" (1.2.123). Another example occurs when Henry forces Winchester and Gloucester to put aside their animosity and shake hands. Their public words here stand in diametric opposition to their private intentions; WINCHESTER Well, Duke of Gloucester, I will yield to thee Love for thy love, and hand for hand I give. He takes Gloucester's hand GLOUCESTER ( aside ) Ay, but I fear me with

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1368-606: A reference in Thomas Nashe's Piers Penniless his Supplication to the Devil (entered into the Stationers' Register on 8 August 1592), which supports the theory that Harey Vj is 1 Henry VI . Nashe praises a play that features Lord Talbot: "How would it have joyed brave Talbot (the terror of the French), to think that after he had lain two hundred years in his tomb, he should triumph again on

1482-508: A sequel, it means that 1 Henry VI must have been written last, i.e., Shakespeare only conceived of the use of the roses while writing 3 Henry VI and then incorporated the idea into his prequel. Eliot Slater comes to the same conclusion in his statistical examination of the vocabulary of all three Henry VI plays, where he argues that 1 Henry VI was written either immediately before or immediately after 3 Henry VI , hence it must have been written last. Likewise, Gary Taylor, in his analysis of

1596-521: A sneak attack on the city, and gain a foothold within the walls, causing the French leaders to flee. Back in England, a petty quarrel between Richard Plantagenet and the Duke of Somerset has expanded to involve the whole court . Richard and Somerset ask their fellow nobles to pledge allegiance to one of them, and as such the lords select either red or white roses to indicate the side they are on. Richard then goes to see his uncle, Edmund Mortimer, imprisoned in

1710-578: A tongue?" (5.4.21–24). Later, Joan's words, so successful during the play in convincing others to support her, explicitly fail to save her life, as she is told by Warwick, "Strumpet, thy words condemn thy brat and thee./Use no entreaty, for it is in vain" (5.5.84–85). Language as a system is also shown to be open to manipulation. Words can be employed for deceptive purposes, as the representative function of language gives way to deceit. For example, shortly after Charles has accepted Joan as his new commander, Alençon calls into question her sincerity, thus suggesting

1824-410: A two-part play, and due to their success, a prequel was created. Obviously, the title of The Contention , where it is referred to as The First Part is a large part of this theory, but various critics have offered further pieces of evidence to suggest 1 Henry VI was not the first play written in the trilogy. R.B. McKerrow , for example, argues that "if 2 Henry VI was originally written to continue

1938-537: Is a "patchwork in which Shakespeare collaborated with inferior dramatists." On the other hand, Michael Taylor believes that Shakespeare almost certainly wrote the entire play, as does J. J. M. Tobin, who, in his essay in Henry VI: Critical Essays (2001), argues the similarities to Nashe do not reveal the hand of Nashe at work in the composition of the play, but instead reveal Shakespeare imitating Nashe. More recently, in 2005, Paul J. Vincent has re-examined

2052-636: Is badass. One of the most thrilling shows of the summer by far, a heartstoppingly relevant interpretation of Homer’s “The Odyssey,” the production that opened Saturday in Orinda is every bit as emotionally compelling as it is smart and wildly inventive.” – Karen D’Souza, Bay Area News Group black odyssey garnered 11 nominations and seven Theatre Bay Area Awards, including: Outstanding Production, Outstanding Ensemble, Outstanding Male Actor (Aldo Billingslea), Outstanding Female Actor (Margo Hall), Outstanding Direction (Eric Ting), Outstanding Costume Design (Dede Ayite), and

2166-573: Is found when Sir Thomas Gargrave is injured by the artillery strike at Orléans (1.5). In the play, he dies immediately, and the rest of the scene focuses on the death of the more senior soldier Salisbury. Likewise, in Hall, Gargrave dies immediately after the attack. In Holinshed, however, Gargrave takes two days to die (as he did in reality). The semi-comic scene where the French leaders are forced to flee Orléans half-dressed (dramatised in 2.1) also seems based on an incident reported only in Hall. When discussing

2280-459: Is highly unlikely that Shakespeare wrote alone, and, throughout his introduction and commentary, he refers to the writer not as Shakespeare but as 'the dramatists'. He also suggests that the play should be more properly called Harry VI, by Shakespeare, Nashe and others . Burns' predecessor however, Andrew S. Cairncross, editor of the play for the Arden Shakespeare 2nd series in 1962, ascribes

2394-567: Is not recorded in either Hall or Holinshed. However, a very similar such incident is recorded in Hall, where he reports of the capture of Cornhill Castle in Cornhill-on-Tweed by the English in 1441. On the other hand, some aspects of the play are unique to Holinshed. For example, in the opening scene, as word arrives in England of the rebellion in France, Exeter says to his fellow peers, "Remember, Lords, your oaths to Henry sworn:/Either to quell

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2508-601: Is set during the lifetime of King Henry VI of England . Henry VI, Part 1 deals with the loss of England's French territories and the political machinations leading up to the Wars of the Roses , as the English political system is torn apart by personal squabbles and petty jealousy . Henry VI, Part 2 deals with the King's inability to quell the bickering of his nobles and the inevitability of armed conflict and Henry VI, Part 3 deals with

2622-601: Is shown to be so powerful as to act on Burgundy the same way Nature itself would act, to the point where he is unsure if he has been persuaded by a natural occurrence or by Joan's words. Language is thus presented as capable of transforming ideology . As Joan finishes her speech, Burgundy again attests to the power of her language, "I am vanquish'd. These haughty words of hers/Have battered me like roaring canon-shot,/And made me almost yield upon my knees" (3.3.78–80). Later, something similar happens with Henry, who agrees to marry Margaret merely because of Suffolk's description of her. In

2736-654: Is the Diary of Philip Henslowe , which records a performance of a play by Lord Strange's Men called Harey Vj (i.e. Henry VI ) on 3 March 1592 at the Rose Theatre in Southwark. Henslowe refers to the play as "ne" (which most critics take to mean "new", although it could be an abbreviation for the Newington Butts theatre , which Henslow may have owned ) and mentions that it had fifteen performances and earned £3.16s.8d, meaning it

2850-529: Is transforming the regional arts landscape through his singular creativity and artistry in theater. In 2015, Jonathan Moscone stepped down as Artistic Director after 15 years. His final production was Charles Ludham 's The Mystery of Irma Vep in August/September of the same year . Eric Ting was chosen as its new Artistic Director joining in the fall of 2015. His first production was 2016's Othello , produced with minimal sets and costumes in service of

2964-411: Is unlikely to be either of them. Additionally, as Gary Taylor points out, Henslowe tended to identify sequels, but not first parts, to which he referred by the general title. As such, " Harey Vj could not be a Part Two or Part Three but could easily be a Part One ." The only other option is that Harey Vj is a now lost play. That Harey Vj is not a lost play, however, seems to be confirmed by

3078-693: The Canaanite army led by Sisera , which had suppressed the Israelites for over twenty years. No such comparison is found in Hall. Another piece of information unique to Holinshed occurs when the Master Gunner mentions that the English have taken control of some of the suburbs of Orléans (1.4.2). Holinshed reports that the English captured several of the suburbs on the other side of the Loire , something not found in Hall. The most important evidence for dating 1 Henry VI

3192-636: The Dukes of Bedford and Gloucester , and his uncle, the Duke of Exeter , lament his passing and express doubt as to whether his son (the as yet uncrowned heir apparent Henry VI ) is capable of running the country in such tumultuous times, word arrives of military setbacks in France. A rebellion , led by the Dauphin Charles , is gaining momentum, and several major towns have already been lost. Additionally, Lord Talbot , Constable of France, has been captured. Realising

3306-525: The New Oxford Shakespeare, 1 Henry VI was specifically credited as being written by "Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Nashe, and Anonymous, adapted by William Shakespeare". In opposition, Brian Vickers and Darren Freebury-Jones have argued in favor of Thomas Kyd as Nashe's co-author. The very functioning of language itself is literally a theme in the play, with particular emphasis placed on its ability to represent by means of signs ( semiosis ),

3420-488: The Norton Shakespeare of 1997 and again in 2008, both 2 Henry VI and 3 Henry VI precede 1 Henry VI . Ultimately, the question of the order of composition remains unanswered, and the only thing that critics can agree on is that all three plays (in whatever order) were written by early 1592 at the latest. The text of the play was not published until the 1623 First Folio , under the title The first part of Henry

3534-458: The Tower of London . Mortimer tells Richard the history of their family's conflict with the king's family—how they helped Henry Bolingbroke seize power from Richard II , but were then shoved into the background; and how Henry V had Richard's father ( Richard of Conisburgh ) executed and his family stripped of all its lands and monies. Mortimer also tells Richard that he himself is the rightful heir to

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3648-597: The canon and a more central role in Shakespearean criticism. According to F. P. Wilson, for example, "There is no certain evidence that any dramatist before the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 dared to put upon the public stage a play based upon English history [...] so far as we know, Shakespeare was the first." However, not all critics agree with Wilson here. For example, Michael Taylor argues that there were at least thirty-nine history plays prior to 1592, including

3762-484: The 2nd series of the Arden Shakespeare (1957, 1962 and 1964). E.A.J. Honigmann also agrees, in his "early start" theory of 1982 (which argues that Shakespeare's first play was Titus Andronicus , which Honigmann posits was written in 1586). Likewise, Michael Hattaway, in both his 1990 New Cambridge Shakespeare edition of 1 Henry VI and his 1991 edition of 2 Henry VI , argues that the evidence suggests 1 Henry VI

3876-595: The Berkeley Shakespeare Festival held productions at John Hinkel Park in North Berkeley. After 1975, the name changed and the fest started a schedule of four plays per ivalyear that continues to this day, although more non-Shakespeare plays are now on the bill. Dakin Matthews was Artistic Director from 1983–1987, with Michael Addison taking over as A.D. in 1987 and holding the position till 1995. In 1991,

3990-480: The Countess of Auvergne is wondering about Talbot and says to her servant, "Great is the rumour of this dreadful knight ,/And his achievements of no less account./Fain would mine eyes be witness with mine ears,/To give their censure of these rare reports" (2.3.7–10). Like Charles, Auvergne has been astonished with the 'high terms' bestowed on Talbot, and now she wishes to see if the report and the reality conflate. Later in

4104-623: The Creative Specialties award to Marcus Gardley for his adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey. In 2018, Ting directed The War of the Roses , a supercut of William Shakespeare's minor tetralogy ( Henry VI parts 1, 2, and 3 and Richard III ), co-adapted by Ting and resident dramaturg Philippa Kelly. In 2019, he directed The Good Person of Schezwan , written by Bertolt Brecht, translated by Wendy Arons, adapted by Tony Kushner. In 1979, Berkeley Shakespeare Festival began Summer with Shakespeare programs, six-week camps for ages 14–18, culminating with

4218-672: The Dauphin utterly,/Or bring him in obedience to your yoke" (1.1.162–164). Only in Holinshed is it reported that on his deathbed, Henry V elicited vows from Bedford, Gloucester and Exeter that they would never willingly surrender France, and would never allow the Dauphin to become king. Another piece of information unique to Holinshed is seen when Charles compares Joan to the Old Testament prophetess Deborah (1.2.105). According to Judges 4 and 5, Deborah masterminded Barak 's surprise victory against

4332-581: The English reclaim Orléans, and a soldier chases the half-dressed French leaders from the city, declaring "The cry of 'Talbot' serves me for a sword,/For I have loaden me with many spoils,/Using no other weapon but his name" (2.1.81–83). A similar notion is found when the Countess of Auvergne meets Talbot, and muses, "Is this the Talbot so much feared abroad/That with his name the mothers still their babes" (2.3.15–16). Here words (specifically Talbot's name) literally become weapons, and are used directly to strike fear into

4446-496: The English retaking of Le Mans in 1428, Hall writes, "The French, suddenly taken, were so amazed in so much that some of them, being not out of their beds, got up in their shirts." Another incident involving Gloucester and Winchester is also unique to Hall. During their debate in Act 3, Scene 1, Gloucester accuses Winchester of attempting to have him assassinated on London Bridge . Hall mentions this assassination attempt, explaining that it

4560-535: The English terms, under which Charles is to be a viceroy to Henry and reluctantly agree, but only with the intention of breaking their oath at a later date and expelling the English from France. Meanwhile, the Earl of Suffolk has captured a young French princess, Margaret of Anjou , whom he intends to marry to Henry in order that he can dominate the king through her. Travelling back to England, he attempts to persuade Henry to marry Margaret. Gloucester advises Henry against

4674-507: The English to " Samsons and Goliases " (I.ii.33). The word 'Golias', Sheehan argues, is unusual insofar as all bibles in Shakespeare's day spelt the name 'Goliath'; it was only in much older editions of the Bible that it was spelt 'Golias'. Sheehan concludes that the use of the arcane spelling is more indicative of Nashe, who was prone to using older spellings of certain words, than Shakespeare, who

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4788-405: The English. Charles summons the woman, Joan la Pucelle (i.e. Joan of Arc ). To test her resolve, he challenges her to single combat . Upon her victory, he immediately places her in command of the army. Outside the city, the newly arrived Bedford negotiates the release of Talbot, but immediately, Joan launches an attack. The French forces win, forcing the English back, but Talbot and Bedford engineer

4902-570: The NEA's Shakespeare in American Communities initiative to expand its residency program and Student Discovery Matinee activities. The theater now offers classroom residencies, after school programs, and home school programs throughout the Bay Area. In 2003, Cal Shakes launched New Works/New Communities (NW/NC) with the aim of engaging marginalized communities while creating new works of theater based on

5016-648: The NW/NC program developed King of Shadows , an adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa that took place in San Francisco, with gay urban youth at its center. Cal Shakes partnered with MFA students at American Conservatory Theater and community organizations such as Larkin Street Youth Services, Guerrero House, and LYRIC (Lavender Youth Recreation and Information Center) for discussions, workshops, and field trips. In 2005 Cal Shakes began

5130-500: The New Classics Initiative is to explore what it means to be a classical theater in the 21st century, and to allow living writers with the same vision and scope of Shakespeare to expand the classical canon and by extension, what is thought of as universal. Piloted in 2017 with Marcus Gardley's black odyssey and officially launched with 2018's Quixote Nuevo by Octavio Solis , the New Classics Initiative continues in 2019 with

5244-726: The Salinas Valley by John Steinbeck . The project partnered Cal Shakes with Word for Word Performing Arts Company for a series of development workshops; community partners include the National Steinbeck Center and Alisal Center for Fine Arts, both located in Salinas. The adapted work is the first play specifically commissioned for California Shakespeare's Main Stage, and had its world premiere in June 2010, directed by Jonathan Moscone. The aim of

5358-596: The Sixt . When it came to be called Part 1 is unclear, although most critics tend to assume it was the invention of the First Folio editors, John Heminges and Henry Condell , as there are no references to the play under the title Part 1 , or any derivative thereof, prior to 1623. Some critics argue that the Henry VI trilogy were the first plays based on recent English history, and, as such, they deserve an elevated position in

5472-545: The Student Discovery Matinee experience. That same year, Berkeley’s Malcolm X Arts Magnet Elementary School and Pinole Valley High School hosted playwright Karen Hartman in Cal Shakes residencies; Hartman taught creative writing and storytelling in both residencies, and each one culminated in a presentation of the students’ works directed by Jonathan Moscone. In 2007, Cal Shakes received the first of several grants from

5586-573: The Talbots – often stichomythic – shapes a kind of noble flyting match, a competition as to who can out- oblige the other." Similarly, Alexander Leggatt argues that the passages are a perfect blend of form and content : "The relentless click-click of the rhymes reinforces the point that for John Talbot, all arguments are arguments for death; as every other line ending is countered by a rhyme, so every argument Talbot gives John to flee becomes an argument for staying." Taylor and Leggatt are here arguing that

5700-473: The Temple Garden scene (2.4), in which the rival factions identify themselves through the selection of red and white roses, may have been a later addition. Scenes 4.5 to 4.7 include a series of rhyming couplets between Talbot and his son (4.5.15–4.7.50), which, while unusual to modern ears, apparently had "an electric effect upon early audiences." Traditionally, these lines have often been pinpointed as one of

5814-530: The Three Parts of King Henry VI , in which he argued that the large number of classical allusions in the play was more characteristic of Nashe, Peele, or Greene than of early Shakespeare. Malone also argued that the language itself indicated someone other than Shakespeare. This view was dominant until 1929, when Peter Alexander challenged it. Since then, scholars have remained divided on the issue. In 1944, E. M. W. Tillyard argued that Shakespeare most likely wrote

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5928-650: The Tower of London, Gloucester champions the power of real action over the power of threatening words: "I will not answer thee with words but blows" (1.3.69). Similarly, after the French capture Rouen and refuse to meet the English army in the battlefield, Bedford asserts, "O let no words, but deeds, revenge this treason " (3.2.48). Another example of the failure of language is found when Suffolk finds himself lost for words whilst attempting to woo Margaret: "Fain would I woo her, yet I dare not speak./I'll call for pen and ink and write my mind./Fie, de la Pole, disable not thyself!/Hast not

6042-785: The Two Noble and Illustre Families of Lancaster and York (1548). Also, as with most of Shakespeare's chronicle histories, Raphael Holinshed 's Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland (1577; 2nd edition 1587) was also consulted. Holinshed based much of his Wars of the Roses information in the Chronicles on Hall's information in Union of the Two Noble and Illustre Families , even to the point of reproducing large portions of it verbatim. However, there are enough differences between Hall and Holinshed to establish that Shakespeare must have consulted both of them. For example, Shakespeare must have used Hall for

6156-595: The amount of violence as indicative of Shakespeare's artistic immaturity and inability to handle his chronicle sources, especially when compared to the more nuanced and far less violent second historical tetralogy ( Richard II , 1 Henry IV , 2 Henry IV and Henry V ). For example, critics such as E. M. W. Tillyard, Irving Ribner and A. P. Rossiter have all claimed that the play violates neoclassical precepts of drama , which dictate that violence and battle should never be shown mimetically on stage, but should always be reported diegetically in dialogue. This view

6270-429: The authorship of 1 Henry VI , argues that the many discrepancies between 1 Henry VI and 2 Henry VI (such as the lack of reference to Talbot) coupled with similarities in the vocabulary , phraseology , and tropes of 1 Henry VI and 3 Henry VI , suggest 1 Henry VI was probably written last. One argument against this theory is that 1 Henry VI is the weakest of the trilogy, and therefore, logic would suggest it

6384-807: The camps still culminate in a Shakespeare performance by each age group. Also in 1979, the festival began holding fall classes, a training program in all facets of classical theater including voice and movement, period style, scansion, stage combat, and other production aspects. Also offered was an introduction to classical drama in both its literary and theatrical aspects. Fall and spring classes for youth and adults were offered as recently as spring of 2009. California Shakespeare Theater also presents Student Discovery Matinees, afternoon performances of Shakespeare productions for school groups that include pre-show activities geared toward youth. In 2001, they began teaching pre- and post–show workshops wherein Cal Shakes teaching artists visit classrooms in order to enrich and support

6498-486: The case that 2 Henry VI probably preceded 1 Henry VI . Similarly, Randall Martin, in his 2001 Oxford Shakespeare edition of 3 Henry VI , argues that 1 Henry VI was almost certainly written last. In his 2003 Oxford edition of 1 Henry VI , Michael Taylor agrees with Martin. Additionally, it is worth noting that in the Oxford Shakespeare: Complete Works of 1986 and the 2nd edition of 2005, and in

6612-552: The city of Berkeley, in dedication to the Boy Scouts of America 's work during World War I . John Gregg, a local professor in landscaping, had helped with the design of the park before it was donated to the city. The amphitheater was built in 1934 and designed by Vernon Dean and funded by the Civil Works Administration . The amphitheater was used in the 1940s for community gatherings, music, and dance productions. It

6726-554: The classics. Hamlet: Blood in the Brain was the first major NW/NC project, partnering Cal Shakes with playwright Naomi Iizuka and San Francisco's Campo Santo, resident theater company at Intersection for the Arts to relocate Shakespeare's Hamlet to the 1980s-era drug-ravaged streets of East Oakland. The two-year process (2004–2006) included interviews with former drug lords and Shakespearean scholars; writing workshops in schools, juvenile halls, and churches; and Q&A panels attended by

6840-542: The company officially changed its name, again, to California Shakespeare Theater, or Cal Shakes. In 2009, Susie Falk was named Managing Director, following the departure of Debbie Chinn. In late 2009, Moscone was chosen by the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (SDCF) as the inaugural recipient of the Zelda Fichandler Award. The award was created to recognize an outstanding director or choreographer who

6954-538: The conflict between Richard and Somerset leads them to second guess one another, and neither of them send any, both blaming the other for the mix-up. The English army is subsequently destroyed, and both Talbot and his son are killed. After the battle, Joan 's visions desert her, and she is captured by Richard and burned at the stake . At the same time, urged on by Pope Eugenius IV and the Holy Roman Emperor, Sigismund , Henry sues for peace . The French listen to

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7068-429: The death of Salisbury, when Talbot first hears about Joan, he contemptuously refers to her and Charles as "Puzel or pussel, dolphin or dogfish " (1.5.85). 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. Similarly,

7182-496: The death of good King Henrie the Sixt, with the Whole Contention betweene the two Houses, Lancaster and Yorke ), neither of which refer to 1 Henry VI , some critics have argued that 2 Henry VI and 3 Henry VI were written prior to 1 Henry VI . This theory was first suggested by E.K. Chambers in 1923 and revised by John Dover Wilson in 1952. The theory is that The Contention and True Tragedy were originally conceived as

7296-462: The enemy. However although words are occasionally shown to be powerful and deeply persuasive, they also often fail in their signifying role, exposed as incapable of adequately representing reality. This idea is introduced by Gloucester at Henry V's funeral, where he laments that words cannot encompass the life of such a great king: "What should I say? His deeds exceed all speech" (1.1.15). Later, when Gloucester and Winchester confront one another outside

7410-546: The entire play to Shakespeare, as does Lawrence V. Ryan in his 1967 Signet Classic Shakespeare edition, and Michael Hattaway in his New Cambridge Shakespeare edition of 1990. In his 1952 edition of the play, Dover Wilson, on the other hand, argued that the play was almost entirely written by others, and that Shakespeare actually had little to do with its composition. Speaking during a 1952 radio presentation of The Contention and True Tragedy, which he produced, Dover Wilson argued that he had not included 1 Henry VI because it

7524-571: The entire play; in 1952, John Dover Wilson claimed Shakespeare wrote little of it. In perhaps the most exhaustive analysis of the debate, the 1995 article, "Shakespeare and Others: The Authorship of Henry the Sixth, Part One ", Gary Taylor suggests that approximately 18.7% of the play (3,846 out of 20,515 words) was written by Shakespeare. Taylor argues that Nashe almost certainly wrote all of Act 1, but he attributes to Shakespeare 2.4, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4., 4.5, 4.6, and 4.7 through line 32. Taylor also suggests that

7638-436: The fact that 1 Henry VI is the weakest of the trilogy has nothing to do with when it may have been written, but instead concerns only how it was written. As this implies, there is no critical consensus on this issue. Samuel Johnson , writing in his 1765 edition of The Plays of William Shakespeare , pre-empted the debate and argued that the plays were written in sequence: "It is apparent that [ 2 Henry VI ] begins where

7752-441: The festival built its current performance venue, the 545-seat Bruns Memorial Amphitheater in the Orinda hills, and changed its name to California Shakespeare Festival. In 1995, actor Joe Vincent took over the theater's artistic direction, serving till 1999. Mr. Vincent added the production of non-Shakespearean plays to the repertoire, including Euripides ’ Medea ,in 1997, and Molière ’s Scapin , in 1998. In 2000, Jonathan Moscone

7866-499: The first 32 lines of scene 7). In 2007, Vincent's authorship findings, especially with regard to Nashe's authorship of Act 1, were supported overall by Brian Vickers, who agrees with the theory of co-authorship and differs only slightly over the extent of Shakespeare's contribution to the play. In 2016, Oxford University Press announced that it would credit Christopher Marlowe as co-author alongside Shakespeare for all three Henry VI plays in its New Oxford Shakespeare series. In

7980-413: The first part, it seems utterly incomprehensible that it should contain no allusion to the prowess of Talbot." McKerrow also comments on the lack of reference to the symbolic use of roses in 2 Henry VI , whereas in 1 Henry VI and 3 Henry VI , they are mentioned numerous times. McKerrow concludes that this suggests 1 Henry VI was written closer to 3 Henry VI , and as we know 3 Henry VI was definitely

8094-452: The first to bring English history before the audience of a public playhouse, but he was certainly the first to treat it in the manner of a mature historian rather than in the manner of a worshipper of historical, political and religious myth." Another issue often discussed amongst critics is the quality of the play. Along with 3 Henry VI , 1 Henry VI has traditionally been seen as one of Shakespeare's weakest works, with critics often citing

8208-455: The former ends, and continues the series of transactions, of which it presupposes the first part already written. This is a sufficient proof that the second and third parts were not written without dependence on the first." Numerous more recent scholars continue to uphold Johnson's argument. E. M. W. Tillyard , for example, writing in 1944, believes the plays were written in order, as does Andrew S. Cairncross in his editions of all three plays for

8322-423: The horrors of that conflict. Although the Henry VI trilogy may not have been written in chronological order, the three plays are often grouped together with Richard III to form a tetralogy covering the entire Wars of the Roses saga, from the death of Henry V in 1422 to the rise to power of Henry VII in 1485. It was the success of this sequence of plays that firmly established Shakespeare's reputation as

8436-437: The implications of his actions, he chooses a red rose, symbolically aligning himself with Somerset and alienating Richard. Prior to returning to England, in an effort to secure peace between Somerset and Richard, Henry places Richard in command of the infantry and Somerset in command of the cavalry . Meanwhile, Talbot approaches Bordeaux , but the French army swings around and traps him. Talbot sends word for reinforcements, but

8550-543: The journey of an African American soldier returning from deployment in Afghanistan to his home in Oakland broke Cal Shakes single ticket sales records, garnered seven Theatre Bay Area Awards, and was hailed as one of CalShakes' best productions ever. “Oakland playwright Marcus Gardley smashes together Homer and black folklore, East Bay references, aching tragedy and gospel music in a white hot musical fable that’s as brilliant as it

8664-505: The late son of George and Sue Bruns. The amphitheater was designed by architect Eugene Angell. John Hinkel Park John Hinkel Park is an urban park located in the North Berkeley neighborhood of Berkeley, California , U.S.. It has been listed by the city as a Berkeley Landmark since April 2, 2001, and it contains a historical plaque since 2003. In 1919, Ada and John Hinkel donated 7 acres (2.8 ha) of hillside land to

8778-792: The least of which concerns the authorship of the play. A number of Shakespeare's early plays have been examined for signs of co-authorship ( The Taming of the Shrew , The Contention [i.e., 2 Henry VI ], and True Tragedy [i.e., 3 Henry VI ], for example), but, along with Titus Andronicus , 1 Henry VI stands as the most likely to have been a collaboration between Shakespeare and at least one other dramatist whose identity remains unknown. Thomas Nashe, Robert Greene, George Peele , Christopher Marlowe and Thomas Kyd are common proposals. The belief that Shakespeare may have written very little of 1 Henry VI first came from Edmond Malone in his 1790 edition of Shakespeare's plays, which included A Dissertation on

8892-581: The line, "You are as ignorant as the astronomers are in the true movings of Mars, which to this day, they never could attain to." The problem with this theory however, as Michael Hattaway has pointed out, is that there is no reason as to why Nashe could not simply be paraphrasing a play he had no involvement in—a common practice in Elizabethan literature . Shakespeare and Marlowe, for example, often paraphrased each other's plays. Nasheeb Sheehan offers more evidence, again suggestive of Nashe, when Alençon compares

9006-418: The marriage, as Margaret's family is not rich and the marriage would not be advantageous to his position as king. But Henry is taken in by Suffolk's description of Margaret's beauty, and he agrees to the proposal. Suffolk then heads back to France to bring Margaret to England as Gloucester worryingly ponders what the future may hold. Shakespeare's primary source for 1 Henry VI was Edward Hall 's The Union of

9120-475: The most obviously non-Shakespearean sections of the play. Roger Warren, for instance, argues that these scenes are written in a language "so banal they must be non-Shakespearean." Other than Taylor, however, several other critics also disagree with Warren's assessment of the quality of the language, arguing that the passages are more complex and accomplished than has hitherto been allowed for. Michael Taylor, for example, argues that "the rhyming dialogue between

9234-435: The one used by Dover Wilson in 1952, is that 1 Henry VI is significantly weaker than the other two plays not because it was written first but because it was co-authored and may have been Shakespeare's first attempt to collaborate with other writers. As such, all of the play's problems can be attributed to its co-authors rather than Shakespeare himself, who may have had a relatively limited hand in its composition. In this sense,

9348-408: The other hand, Michael Taylor suggests "it is not difficult to construct an imaginary scenario that has a harassed author calling on friends and colleagues to help him construct an unexpectedly commissioned piece in a hurry." Another argument that challenges the co-authorship idea is that the basic theory of co-authorship was originally hypothesized in the 18th and 19th centuries due to a distaste for

9462-408: The passages are more accomplished than most critics tend to give them credit for, thus offering a counter-argument to the theory that they are so poorly written, they could not possibly be by Shakespeare. In this sense, his failure to use couplets elsewhere in a tragic passage can thus be attributed to an aesthetic choice on his part, rather than offered as evidence of co-authorship. Other scenes in

9576-470: The past rekindle a patriotic fervour that has been lost in "the puerility of an insipid present," and that such plays "provide a rare exercise of virtue in reproof to these degenerate effeminate days of ours." Similarly, in An Apology for Actors (1612), Heywood writes, "So bewitching a thing is lively and well-spirited action, that it hath power to new mould the hearts of the spectators, and fashion them to

9690-477: The play and not simply vulgar distractions for the illiterate. In Piers Penniless (1592), Nashe praised the didactic element of drama that depicted battle and martial action, arguing that such plays were a good way of teaching both history and military tactics to the masses; in such plays "our forefather's valiant acts (that have lain long buried in rusty brass and worm-eaten books) are revived." Nashe also argued that plays that depict glorious national causes from

9804-461: The play fits so well into Shakespeare's overall style, with an intricate integration of form and content, that it was most likely written by him alone. Another aspect of the debate is the actual likelihood of Shakespeare collaborating at all. Some critics, such as Hattaway and Cairncross, argue that it is unlikely that a young, up-and-coming dramatist trying to make a name for himself would have collaborated with other authors so early in his career. On

9918-525: The play have also been identified as offering possible evidence of co-authorship. For example, the opening lines of Act 1, Scene 2 have been argued to show clear evidence of Nashe's hand. The scene begins with Charles proclaiming, " Mars his true moving – even as in the heavens/So in the earth – to this day is not known" (I.ii.1–2). Some critics believe that this statement is paraphrased in Nashe's later pamphlet Have with You to Saffron-Walden (1596), which contains

10032-549: The play, the persuasive power of language becomes important for Joan, as she uses it as a subterfuge to sneak into Rouen, telling her men, "Be wary how you place your words;/Talk like the vulgar sort of market men/That come to gather money for their corn" (3.2.3.5). Later, she uses language to persuade Burgundy to join with the Dauphin against the English. As Burgundy realises he is succumbing to her rhetoric , he muses to himself, "Either she hath bewitched me with her words,/Or nature makes me suddenly relent" (3.3.58–59). Here, language

10146-409: The power of language to sway, the aggressive potential of language, the failure of language to adequately describe reality and the manipulation of language so as to hide the truth. The persuasive power of language is first alluded to by Charles, who tells Joan after she has assured him she can end the siege of Orléans, "Thou hast astonished me with thy high terms" (1.2.93). This sense is repeated when

10260-716: The public. It culminated in a sold-out, eight-week run of the play directed by Moscone at Intersection for the Arts . In 2010, the Advanced Drama Department at Oakland Technical High School revisited Hamlet: Blood in the Brain , choosing the play as their entry in the American High School Theatre Festival, which they won. The Oakland Tech students then performed their production at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August 2010. From 2005-2007,

10374-477: The question in light of recent research into the Elizabethan theatre, concluding that 1 Henry VI is Shakespeare's partial revision of a play by Nashe (Act 1) and an unknown playwright (Acts 2–5) and that it was the original, non-Shakespearean, play that was first performed on 3 March 1592. Shakespeare's work in the play, which was most likely composed in 1594, can be found in Act 2 (scene 4) and Act 4 (scenes 2–5 and

10488-496: The scene where Gloucester is attempting to gain access to the Tower, and Woodville tells him that the order not to admit anyone came from Winchester. Dismayed, Gloucester refers to Winchester as "that haughty prelate ,/Whom Henry, our late sovereign, ne're could brook" (1.3.23–24). Only in Hall is there any indication that Henry V had a problem with Winchester. In Holinshed, there is nothing to suggest any disagreement or conflict between them. Another example of Shakespeare's use of Hall

10602-498: The shape of any noble and notable attempt." More recently, Michael Goldman has argued that battle scenes are vital to the overall movement and purpose of the play; "the sweep of athletic bodies across the stage is used not only to provide an exciting spectacle but to focus and clarify, to render dramatic, the entire unwieldy chronicle." Questions of originality and quality, however, are not the only critical disagreement 1 Henry VI has provoked. Numerous other issues divide critics, not

10716-440: The stage, and have his bones new embalmed with the tears of ten thousand spectators (at least), who in the tragedian that represents his person imagine they behold him fresh bleeding." It is thought that Nashe is here referring to Harey Vj , i.e. 1 Henry VI , as there is no other candidate for a play featuring Talbot from this time period (although again, there is the slight possibility that both Henslowe and Nashe are referring to

10830-539: The throne, and that when he dies, Richard will be the true heir, not Henry. Amazed at these revelations, Richard determines to attain his birthright, and vows to have his family's dukedom restored. After Mortimer dies, Richard presents his petition to the recently crowned Henry, who agrees to reinstate the Plantagenet's title, making Richard 3rd Duke of York . Henry then leaves for France, accompanied by Gloucester, Exeter, Winchester, Richard and Somerset. In France, within

10944-440: The treatment of Joan. Critics were uncomfortable attributing such a harsh depiction to Shakespeare, so they embraced the co-authorship theory to "clear his name", suggesting that he could not have been responsible for the merciless characterization. Harvard University English literature professor Herschel Baker noted in his introduction to Henry VI for The Riverside Shakespeare (1974; p. 587) how appalled William Warburton

11058-501: The trilogy. During his debate with Somerset, Richard points out to the lords who are unwilling to openly support either of them, "Since you are tongue tied and loath to speak,/In dumb significants proclaim your thoughts."(ll.25–26) The dumb significants he refers to are roses—a red rose to join Somerset, a white rose to join Richard. As such, the roses essentially function as symbols , replacing

11172-462: The two famous Houses of Yorke and Lancaster, with the death of the good Duke Humphrey: And the banishment and death of the Duke of Suffolke, and the Tragicall end of the proud Cardinal of Winchester, with the notable Rebellion of Jack Cade: and the Duke of Yorke's first claim unto the crowne ) and an octavo version of 3 Henry VI in 1595 (under the title The True Tragedie of Richard Duke of Yorke, and

11286-461: The two-part Christopher Marlowe play Tamburlaine (1587), Thomas Lodge 's The Wounds of Civil War (1588), the anonymous The Troublesome Reign of King John (1588), Edmund Ironside (1590 – also anonymous), Robert Green 's Selimus (1591) and another anonymous play, The True Tragedy of Richard III (1591). Paola Pugliatti however argues that the case may be somewhere between Wilson and Taylor's argument: "Shakespeare may not have been

11400-411: The use of the word 'dolphin' to describe the Dauphin carries negative and mocking connotations, as does the use of the word 'dogfish', a member of the shark family considered dishonourable scavengers, preying on anything and anyone. Again, Talbot is showing his contempt for Charles' position by exposing it to mockery with some simple word play. Other examples of words employed aggressively are seen when

11514-486: The very need for language. Once all the lords select their roses, these symbolize the houses they represent. Henry chooses a red rose—totally unaware of the implications of his actions, as he does not understand the power the "dumb significants" have. He places his trust in a more literal type of language, and thus selects a rose in what he thinks is a meaningless gesture—but that does in fact have profound implications. Henry's mistake results directly from his failure to grasp

11628-555: The world premiere of House of Joy by Madhuri Shekar. Future NCI productions will reimagine classic Western drama through a diversity of form and content, cultural and gender perspectives, and adaptation and reinvention. Cal Shakes mount performances at the Bruns Memorial Amphitheater in Siesta Valley just outside Orinda, California. The space was funded by a capital campaign led by Clarence Woodard and named in memory of

11742-576: Was also the performance space for the Berkeley Shakespeare Festival from 1971 until 1991. The park also contains picnic tables and a playground. It once contained a redwood clubhouse (1918–2015), which was burned down in a fire. The park was renovated in 2022. Henry VI, Part 1 Henry VI, Part 1 , often referred to as 1 Henry VI , is a history play by William Shakespeare —possibly in collaboration with Thomas Nashe and others—believed to have been written in 1591. It

11856-476: Was appointed its Artistic Director. In his first season at Cal Shakes, Moscone directed a production of Tom Stoppard 's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead ; the company continued to produce one non-Shakespeare play a year until 2005, when its productions of The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby , Parts One & Two ( Charles Dickens , adapted by David Edgar ) began a tradition of two Shakespeare plays and two non-Shakespeare plays each season. In 2003,

11970-406: Was based on traditional notions of the distinction between high and low art, a distinction based partly upon Philip Sidney 's An Apology for Poetry (1579). Based on the work of Horace , Sidney criticised Thomas Norton and Thomas Sackville 's Gorboduc (1561) for showing too many battles and being too violent when it would have been more artistic to verbally represent such scenes. The belief

12084-447: Was by the depiction of Joan, and that Edmond Malone sought in "Dissertation on the Three Parts of Henry VI" (1787) to prove Shakespeare had no hand its authorship. As with the question of the order in which the trilogy was written, twentieth century editors and scholars remain staunchly divided on the question of authorship. Edward Burns, for example, in his 2000 edition of the play for the Arden Shakespeare 3rd series, suggests that it

12198-414: Was extremely successful. Harey Vj is usually accepted as being 1 Henry VI for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it is unlikely to have been either 2 Henry VI or 3 Henry VI , as they were published in 1594 and 1595, respectively, with the titles under which they would have originally been performed, so as to ensure higher sales. As neither of them appear under the title Harey Vj , the play seen by Henslowe

12312-545: Was founded by a group of amateurs who wanted the enjoyment and experience of acting and production: no one was paid, and the plays were free. The company produced several more plays in 1974–1975, including Pantagleize by Michel de Ghelderode during the winter, All's Well That Ends Well in the spring, and summer productions of Twelfth Night with Sigrid Wurschmidt, and a transfer of the Berkeley High School production of As You Like It . From 1971 until 1991,

12426-414: Was less likely to do so. However, evidence of Shakespeare's authorship has also been found within the play. For example, Samuel Johnson argued that the play was more competently written than King John , Richard II , 1 Henry IV , 2 Henry IV and Henry V , and, therefore, not attributing it to Shakespeare based on quality made little sense. A similar point is made by Lawrence V. Ryan, who suggests that

12540-454: Was only "for the vulgar, who are better delighted with that which pleaseth the eye, than contenteth the ear." Based upon these theories, 1 Henry VI , with its numerous on-stage skirmishes and multiple scenes of violence and murder, was considered a coarse play with little to recommend it to the intelligentsia . On the other hand, however, writers like Thomas Heywood and Thomas Nashe praised battle scenes in general as often being intrinsic to

12654-519: Was supposed to have taken place at the Southwark end of the bridge in an effort to prevent Gloucester from joining Henry V in Eltham Palace . In Holinshed however, there is no reference to any such incident. Another incident possibly taken from Hall is found in Act 3, Scene 2, where Joan and the French soldiers disguise themselves as peasants and sneak into Rouen. This is not an historical event, and it

12768-510: Was that any play that showed violence was crude, appealing only to the ignorant masses, and was therefore low art. On the other hand, any play that elevated itself above such direct representation of violence and instead relied on the writer's ability to verbalise and his skill for diegesis, was considered artistically superior and, therefore, high art. Writing in 1605, Ben Jonson commented in The Masque of Blackness that showing battles on stage

12882-465: Was written first. In his 2001 introduction to Henry VI: Critical Essays , Thomas A. Pendleton makes a similar argument, as does Roger Warren in his 2003 edition of 2 Henry VI for the Oxford Shakespeare . On the other hand, Edward Burns, in his 2000 Arden Shakespeare 3rd series edition of 1 Henry VI , and Ronald Knowles, in his 1999 Arden Shakespeare 3rd series edition of 2 Henry VI , make

12996-426: Was written first. This argument suggests that Shakespeare could only have created such a weak play if it was his first attempt to turn his chronicle sources into drama. In essence, he was unsure of his way, and as such, 1 Henry VI was a trial-run of sorts, making way for the more accomplished 2 Henry VI and 3 Henry VI . Emrys Jones is one notable critic who supports this view. The standard rebuke to this theory, and

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