Synopsis Henry VI, Part 3

t. brown engraving of death of earl of warwick john adam houston, works of shakespeare: imperial edition, edited charles knight (1870)

the play begins 2 henry vi left off, victorious yorkists (york, edward, richard, warwick, montague [i.e. salisbury] , norfolk) pursuing henry , margaret battlefield in wake of first battle of st albans. upon reaching parliamentary chambers in london, york seats himself in throne, , confrontation ensues between supporters , henry s. threatened violence warwick, has brought part of army him, king reaches agreement york allow him remain king until death, @ time throne permanently pass house of york , descendants. disgusted decision, disinherit king s son, prince edward, king s supporters, led wife, margaret, abandon him, , margaret declares war on yorkists, supported clifford, determined exact revenge death of father @ hands of york during battle of st albans.

margaret attacks york s castle @ wakefield, , yorkists lose ensuing battle. during conflict, clifford murders york s twelve-year-old son, rutland. margaret , clifford capture , taunt york himself; forcing him stand on molehill, give him handkerchief covered rutland s blood wipe brow, , place paper crown on head, before stabbing him death. after battle, edward , richard lament york s death, warwick brings news own army has been defeated margaret s @ second battle of st albans, , king has returned london, where, under pressure margaret, has revoked agreement york. however, george plantagenet, richard , edward s brother, has vowed join cause, having been encouraged sister, duchess of burgundy. additionally, warwick has been joined in conflict own younger brother, montague.

the yorkists regroup, , @ battle of towton, clifford killed , yorkists victorious. following battle, edward proclaimed king, george proclaimed duke of clarence , richard, duke of gloucester, although complains edward ominous dukedom. king edward , george leave court, , richard reveals audience ambition rise power , take throne brother, although yet unsure how go it.

after towton, warwick goes france secure edward hand of louis xi s sister-in-law, lady bona, ensuring peace between 2 nations uniting in marriage 2 monarchies. warwick arrives @ french court find margaret, prince edward , earl of oxford have come louis seek aid in conflict in england. louis agree supply margaret troops, warwick intervenes, , convinces louis in interests support edward , approve marriage. in england, however, widowed lady grey (elizabeth woodville) has come king edward requesting late husband s lands returned her. edward captivated beauty , promises return husband s lands if become mistress, lady grey refuses. 2 banter , edward decides that, besides being beautiful, clever , virtuous, , decides marry against advice of both george , richard. upon hearing of this, feeling has been made fool despite service house of york, warwick denounces edward, , switches allegiance lancastrians, promising daughter anne s hand in marriage prince edward sign of loyalty. shortly thereafter, george , montague defect lancastrians. warwick invades england french troops, , edward taken prisoner while heavily pregnant lady grey (now queen elizabeth) flees sanctuary. henry restored throne, , appoints warwick , george lords protector.

soon thereafter, however, edward rescued richard, hastings , stanley. news of escape reaches henry s court, , young earl of richmond sent exile in france safety. richmond descendant of john of gaunt, uncle of richard ii , son of edward iii, , therefore potential lancastrian heir should happen henry , son; hence need protect him. meanwhile, edward reorganises forces, , confronts warwick s army. @ battle of barnet, george betrays warwick, , rejoins yorkists. throws warwick s forces disarray, , yorkists win battle, during both warwick , montague killed. oxford , duke of somerset assume command of lancastrian forces, , join second battalion newly arrived france led margaret , prince edward. meanwhile, henry sits on molehill york on , laments problems. met father has killed son, , son has killed father, representing horrors of civil war. henry captured 2 gamekeepers loyal edward, , imprisoned in tower of london, while edward goes meet lancastrian/french force. in subsequent battle of tewkesbury yorkists rout lancastrians, capturing margaret, prince edward, somerset , oxford. somerset sentenced death, oxford life imprisonment, margaret banished, , prince edward stabbed death 3 plantagenet brothers, fly rage after refuses recognise house of york legitimate royal family. @ point, richard goes london kill henry. @ richard s arrival @ tower, 2 argue, , in rage richard stabs henry. dying breath, henry prophesies richard s future villainy , chaos engulf country. @ court, edward reunited queen , meets infant son, born in sanctuary. edward orders celebrations begin, believing civil wars on , lasting peace @ hand. unaware, however, of richard s scheming , desire power @ cost.