Television Henry VI, Part 2

henry (peter benson) surveys destruction in wake of jack cade rebellion. note charred , rubbish strewn set, has darkened considerably since 1 henry vi, yellow, bright blue , red predominated

inspired notion political intrigues behind wars of roses seemed playground squabbles, howell , production designer oliver bayldon staged 4 plays in single set resembling children s adventure playground. however, little attempt made @ realism. example, bayldon did not disguise parquet flooring ( stops set literally representing [...] reminds in modern television studio ), , in 4 productions, title of play displayed within set (on banners in 1 henry vi , 2 henry vi (where visible throughout entire first scene), on shroud in 3 henry vi, , written on chalkboard richard himself in richard iii). many critics felt these set design choices lent production air of brechtian verfremdungseffekt. stanley wells wrote of set intended invite viewer accept play s artificiality of language , action, michael hattaway describes anti-illusionist, susan willis argues set allows productions reach theatrically toward modern world , ronald knowles writes major aspect of set subliminal suggestion of childlike anarchy, role-playing, rivalry, game , vandalism, if culture precariously balanced on shaky foundations of atavistic aggression , power-mad possession. 4 plays progressed, set decayed , became more , more dilapidated social order became more fractious. in same vein, costumes became more , more monotone plays went on - first part of henry sixt features brightly coloured costumes distinguish various combatants 1 another, tragedy of richard iii, fights in coloured dark costumes, little differentiate 1 army another. element of verfremdungseffekt in production use of doubling, particularly use of actors david burke , trevor peacock. burke plays both henry s closest advisor , loyal servant, gloucester, , after gloucester s death, plays jack cade s right-hand man, dick butcher. peacock plays cade himself, having appeared in first part of henry sixt lord talbot, representative of chivalry. both actors play complete inversions of previous characters, re-creating both authentically elizabethan theatrical practice , breachtian political commentary. graham holderness saw howell s non-naturalistic production of reaction bbc s adaptation of henriad in seasons 1 , two, had been directed david giles in traditional , straightforward manner favoured series producer cedric messina; messina saw history plays conventionally orthodox tudor historiography, , [david giles] employed dramatic techniques allow ideology free , unhampered passage spectator, jane howell takes more complex view of first tetralogy as, simultaneously, serious attempt @ historical interpretation, , drama peculiarly modern relevance , contemporary application. plays, director, not dramatisation of elizabethan world picture sustained interrogation of residual , emergent ideologies in changing society [...] awareness of multiplicity of potential meanings in play required decisive , scrupulous avoidance of television or theatrical naturalism: methods of production should operate open plays out, rather close them recognisable familiarity of conventional shakespearean production.

howell s second part of henry sixt based on folio text rather quarto; however, departed text in number of places. example, numerous lines cut every scene. of more notable omissions include; in act 1, scene 1, both of gloucester s references bedford absent (ll. 82–83, 95–96), reference suffolk s demands paid escorting margaret france (ll. 131–133), , york s allusion althaea , calydon in closing soliloquy (ll.231–235). absent in act 2, scene 1 gloucester s question winchester priesthood grown peremptory?tantaene animis caelestibus irae? (ll.23–24), lines 173–180, winchester taunts gloucester eleanor s arrest , gloucester calls off duel. york s outline of edward iii s 7 sons absent act 2, scene 2 (ll.10–17), salisbury s reference owen glendower (l.41). suffolk s accusation gloucester involved in necromancy eleanor omitted act 3, scene 1 (ll.47–53), gloucester s outline of how dealt criminals during time protector (ll.128–132). absent 3.1 comments winchester, suffolk , margaret after gloucester accuses them of conspiring bring him down (ll.172–185), , york s references how fought alongside cade in ireland (ll.360–370). in act 4, scene 1, references walter whitmore s name gualtier absent (ll.38–39). entirety of act 4, scene 5 (a brief scene showing scales , gough on patrol @ tower of london) absent. in act 5, scene 1, of dialogue between clifford , warwick absent (ll.200–210).

however, there additions text, noticeably lines contention, such in act 1, scene 1, 2 lines added salisbury s vow support york if can prove legitimate heir crown. between lines 197 , 198 added reverence of mine age , neville s name/is of no little force if command. in act 1, scene 3, 2 lines added conversation between margaret , thump between lines 31 , 32, thump mistakes word usurper usurer , corrected margaret. example found in act 2, scene 1, extended conversation between gloucester , winchester in gloucester says winchester born in bastardy included. other changes include transferral of lines characters other speak them in folio text. notable of these 1.3.211 gloucester s line law, , duke gloucester s doom given henry. additionally, in act 1, scene 4, during conjuration, there no separate spirit in scene; spirit s dialogue spoken through jourdayne, , lines folio omitted. also, later in scene, buckingham reads prophecies, not york. in act 4, scene 1, second half of line 139 ( pompey great, , suffolk dies pirates ) spoken lieutenant, not suffolk.

another notable stylistic technique soliloquies of york in act 1, scene 1 , act 3, scene 1, of eleanor , hum in act 1, scene 2, , york s asides in act 1, scene 1 , act 3, scene 1 delivered direct camera, dick butcher s comments in act 4, scene 2, cade delivers speech masses. worth noting character of george plantagenet introduced prior battle of st albans, whereas in text, not introduced until 3 henry vi, act 2, scene 2. additionally, buckingham killed onscreen whereas in play, fate unknown, revealed in opening lines of 3 henry vi have been killed edward.

in 1964, austrian channel orf 2 presented adaptation of trilogy leopold lindtberg under title heinrich vi. cast list production has been lost. in 1969, german channel zdf presented filmed version of first part of peter palitzsch s 1967 two-part adaptation of trilogy in stuttgart, heinrich vi: der krieg der rosen 1. second part, eduard iv: der krieg der rosen 2, screened in 1971.