Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

SHEPHERD

in 1 Henry the Sixth — Nashe, Thomas; Marlowe, Christopher; Shakespeare, William; Anonymous

Metadata

Play1 Henry the Sixth
AuthorNashe, Thomas; Marlowe, Christopher; Shakespeare, William; Anonymous
Year (catalogued)1623
First performance1590
Decade1620s
GenreHistory
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyDerby's (Strange's) Men
Speech prefix(es)Shep.
Words201
Characters1023
Typicality0.61 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA11954.20
BritDrama no.919
ClusterCluster 10 — Mourners, mothers & doleful voices

Important excerpts

No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).

Full speech

Ah Joan, this kills thy Father's heart outright, Have I sought every Country far and near, And now it is my chance to find thee out, Must I behold thy timeless cruel death: Ah Joan, sweet daughter Joan, I'll die with thee. Out, out: My Lords, and please you, it's not so I did beget her, all the Parish knows: Her Mother lives yet, can testify She was the first fruit of my Bach'ler-ship. Fie Joan, that thou wilt be so obstacle: God knows, thou art a collop of my flesh, And for thy sake have I shed many a tear: Deny me not, I prithee, gentle Joan. It's true, I gave a Noble to the Priest, The morn that I was wedded to her mother. Kneel down and take my blessing, good my Girl. Wilt thou not stoop? Now cursed be the time Of thy nativity: I would the Milk Thy mother gave thee when thou suckest her breast, Had been a little Ratsbane for thy sake. Or else, when thou didst keep my Lambs afield, I wish some ravenous Wolf had eaten thee. Dost thou deny thy Father, cursed Drab? Oh burn her, burn her, hanging is too good.

Plot summary

Plot — 1 Henry the Sixth
King Henry Vis dead, and England's French lands are lost. After a military setback, the French accept the offered aid of Joan Pucelle , who claims supernatural powers from the Virgin Mary; but they also release Talbot in an exchange of prisoners. With Joan 's help the French recapture the occupied town of Orleans, but the English take it back in a night attack led by Talbot. The Countess of Auvergne invites Talbot to visit her. intending treachery, but he second-guesses her and brings soldiers with him. In England, feuds brew between Gloucester and Winchester, and between Richard Plantagenet and the Duke of Somerset, whose supporters show their allegiance by picking different coloured roses. Richard , who has been deprived of his titles through the attainder of his father, learns from the imprisoned and dying Mortimer that he has a claim to the throne . King Henry restores him to his inheritance, creating him Duke of York. Joan takes Rouen by a ruse , but Talbot recaptures it the same day; she then persuades England's ally Burgundy to join the French. After King Henry's coronation in Paris, York is left in command of Prance, but personal tension between him and Somerset means that troop reinforcements arrive late; in consequence, Talbot is defeated, surviving only long enough to learn that his son has perished in battle. Joan conjures devils, but they will not help her: she is captured by York and burned at the stake. The French and English agree a peace which will entail King Henry making a diplomatic marriage, but this is pre-empted when Suffolk captures Margaret and (having fallen in love with her but being alr eady married) plans to install her as Queen of England . Henry agrees to marry her, and Suffolk goes to France to mili the arrangements.