Sunday, February 20, 2011

3 Henry 6: Act 5, Scenes 6 and 7

316.

GAH! this play is insane. it's so insane that i went to my show today, spent time with my family from out of town, and still spent all day thinking about it. why does Shakespeare have to do this to me? i am really hoping my boyfriend and i will get to see this play at ASC on March 13! fingers crossed that it will fit into our road trip plans. i feel like i am finally at the point where i can read the plays and struggle less with what the heck is going on so i can focus more on imagining the play happening on stage. it's much more exciting, of course, to do that. like when we read a novel, we don't want to work so hard to understand what's happening that we can't imagine the characters in action. right? so to all of you who are still struggling with Shakespeare, i say please keep trying! give it some time, and it will all pay off. seriously. i'm about to start reading Titus Andronicus on wednesday. try reading along!


the end is here. get ready:
act 5, scene 6
   (Henry, Gloucester, and a Lieutenant guarding Henry)
Henry: oh, my good Lord... wait, i shouldn't say 'good' because you are far from it.
Gloucester: leave us, Lieutenant. (he does.)
Henry: and so the shepherd leaves his flock to be gobbled up by the wolves. why are you here, Gloucester? to kill me?
Gloucester: do you think i'm an executioner?
Henry: you're a persecutor. you persecute the innocent, which makes you an executioner. here's what i think: your mother hoped for a sweet baby, but got a deformed lump instead, with teeth already grown in so you could bite the world as soon as you were born.
Gloucester: shut up. (he stabs Henry.)
Henry: God forgive my sins and yours too. (he dies.)
Gloucester: go to hell. (stabs him again.)
Gloucester: i have no brother. (see quote below.)

act 5, scene 7
   (Edward, Elizabeth, and the York supporters. Edward on the throne.)
Edward: i am king once again because we have killed our enemies! come here, wife, and let me kiss my son.
(to his son.) this crown will one day be yours, and i hope you will keep it in peace.
Gloucester: grrr.
Edward: love my queen, brothers! and love my son too! (Clarence and Gloucester kiss the prince.)
Gloucester: but to tell the truth, i kiss him as a kiss from Judas.
Clarence: what will you do with Margaret?
Edward: send her off to France. let's party! 'for here i hope begins our lasting joy.'


i can't. BELIEVE. Henry. is dead. i'm in mourning. for real. i might wear black tomorrow. in fact, i will commit to that right now. i am going to wear black tomorrow in remembrance of Henry 6 who i love so much. damn that Richard of Gloucester. i've been reading about Henry for the past month and a half. and now he's gone. i can't wait for Richard to bight the dust in Richard III. he so deserves it. it was cool to finally see Henry stand up for himself, albeit a little too late. and now poor Margaret is left all alone. my next play is Titus Andronicus, but i can't wait to read Richard III to come back to this storyline and see all these York jerks get what's coming to them.

i loved this play. lOvEd LOVED this play. i thought the histories were supposed to be boring. but these plays were far from it!

quote of the day:
'i have no brother, i am like no brother;
and this word "love," which graybeards call divine,
be resident in men like one another
and not in me. i am myself alone.
Clarence, beware. thou keep'st me from the light;
but i will sort a pitchy day for thee;
for i will buzz abroad such prophecies
that Edward shall be fearful of his life,
and then, to purge his fear, i'll be thy death.'
   -Gloucester; act 5, scene 6

for tomorrow: 'A Lover's Complaint' background info and Lines 1-70
Tuesday: Lines 71-329
Wednesday: Titus Andronicus background info

4 plays, 3 poems down. 34 plays, 2 poems, and 154 sonnets to go.

-rebecca may (Lancaster for LIFE!)

3 comments:

  1. Richard III! Richard III! Really, they're meant to be read together. Last month I wasn't going to jump right into Richard III after the Henry plays, but I'm so glad I did. Titus Andronicus is memorable chiefly because it is SO BAD, but Richard III will set you on fire. Titus will still be there to torment you after you've enjoyed the tetralogy in all its glory.

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  2. Ooh! TITUS ANDRONICUS. Love it! (Of course, you would expect that from me.)

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  3. Jaime, I'm thinking about it. Ive read Richard III before and loved it. I'm also obsessed with Al Pacino's 'Looking for Richard'. It's so good. Will decide by Wednesday!

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