Henry VI

'Off with the crown; and, with the crown, his head; And, whilst we breathe, take time to do him dead' The battle-stained soldiers of the House of York, triumphant over their enemies, throw a decapitated head on to the floor of parliament and see their chance to seize power from King Henry. The Queen is so angered by her husband's weakness that she declares war. As violent conflict rages throughout England, political and family ties break down, and, amidst the chaos, the hunchback Richard becomes a growing menace. Shakespeare's third drama of the Wars of the Roses plays out the bloody cycle of civil war and its tragic consequences. General Introduction by Stanley Wells Edited by Norman Sanders with an introduction by Gillian Day 'It exposes the dark heart of civil war.' Michael Pennington