The three early history plays known by the rather uninspiring titles Henry VI Parts One, Two, and Three are now among Shakespeare's lesser known works, but they earned him spectacular public success as an emerging London playwright in the 1590s. Much of their dramatic appeal lies in physical action conveyed through visual stagecraft, as well as intense emotions expressed through actors' suffering bodies. Their imaginative scope is also vast in terms of numbers of characters and variety of human relationships. This roster includes more substantial and experimental women's roles – above all Joan la Pucelle (Joan of Arc) and Queen Margaret – than the minor female parts in …
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Citation: Martin, Randall. "Henry VI, Parts One, Two & Three". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 10 May 2005; last revised 10 February 2020. [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=4804, accessed 24 November 2024.]
