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King Henry VI
Henry is the king of England. Crowned at a young age when his popular warrior father died, Henry had a Protector, Gloucester, to take care of the kingdom until he was old enough to rule. Prophecies at the time of Henry’s coronation declared that Henry VI would lose all the land in France that his father Henry V won, and in this play all the lands are indeed lost. Henry is a weak king who proves unable to assert his power, and his weakness allows his nobles and his wife to plot against each other and against him.
Read an in-depth analysis of King Henry VI.
Gloucester
Lord Protector of the Realm. Gloucester once presided over matters of state until the king was of age to rule. Now that Henry has been crowned, Gloucester’s role is in question, though the king retains him as a beloved advisor. Gloucester has a long-standing rivalry with Winchester, who envies his power. Margaret also dislikes him and, with others, accuses him of seeking to seize the Crown. However, the “good duke Humphrey” is a genuinely honorable man who sticks up for the common people. He is tragically murdered in his bed.
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Somerset
Somerset and York first disagreed in Henry VI, Part 1 over a point of law, causing all their followers to align themselves behind one or the other through wearing the emblem of the white or red rose. Somerset is associated with the red rose, which symbolizes the house of Lancaster. He still hates York, but he also schemes against Gloucester.
Buckingham
Another lord of the court, Buckingham joins Somerset, Suffolk, Winchester, and Margaret to plot against Gloucester. Later, he serves as a messenger and fights on the side of the king.
Winchester
An impious and power-hungry cardinal, also referred to in the play as Beaufort. He and Gloucester have a long-standing dislike of each other. Winchester suspects Gloucester of wanting the throne for himself, though Winchester himself is guilty of that crime. When it is revealed that Gloucester was murdered, Winchester falls ill and dies miserably and without absolution.
York
A duke who believes he is heir to the throne of England. He is a careful plotter who waits patiently until Henry is weak and can easily be ousted. Already involved in a long-running dispute with Somerset, York allies with Warwick and Salisbury against the other lords of the court. He believes that his claim to the throne is stronger than the current king’s, since he is heir to the third son of Edward III, whereas Henry is heir to Edward’s fourth son. This belief motivates his every action in the play.
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Suffolk
A lord of the court, Suffolk convinced the king to marry Margaret, a woman he captured in France and wooed for the king, since he was himself already married. Suffolk is infatuated with Margaret and hopes to influence Henry through her. Margaret and he plot together against each of the lords. Yet Suffolk is banished when the commoners demand he be punished for the wrongful death of Gloucester, and he is beheaded by pirates at sea.
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Salisbury
A lord of the court, Salisbury supports York as the true king.
Warwick
A lord of the court, and son of the earl of Salisbury, Warwick joins his father in supporting York as the true king.
Margaret
A French noblewoman, Margaret was captured during the French wars by Suffolk, who wooed her for Henry since he was already married. In exchange for Margaret, the French are allowed to keep two pivotal regions, which causes tension at court. Margaret had imagined that Henry would be just like Suffolk, so she is disappointed in the king’s weakness and religiosity. She plots against Gloucester and gradually gains more power. She is devastated when Suffolk is exiled, for she had begun an affair with him.
Read an in-depth analysis of Margaret.
Duchess
Gloucester’s wife. The Duchess is very ambitious and wants Gloucester to desire the throne as much as she does. She hires practitioners of the occult to help her find out about the future of Henry’s kingdom so she can figure out how to position herself to gain the most power. When she is caught, she is banished after being led through the streets of London. Her fall spells the end for Gloucester.
Hume
The Duchess hires Hume to bring conjurers to her house to help her talk to the spirit world. Hume has also been bribed by Winchester to encourage the Duchess to try the occult, which was illegal at the time. Winchester hopes she will be caught, and Gloucester may topple also.
Peter
An armorer’s apprentice, Peter brings a claim to the court reporting that his master, Horner, called York is the true heir to the throne. Gloucester decides the case by commanding that the two men engage in single combat. Peter is terrified but kills Horner, who shows up drunk.
Horner
The court armorer. His apprentice accuses him of treason, and Gloucester decides the case by commanding the two men to fight. Horner shows up to the fight drunk and is killed, confessing his treason with his dying breath.
Marjorie Jordan
A witch. The Duchess hires her to help raise a spirit to answer questions about the future of the king and his court.
Roger Bolingbroke
A conjurer. The Duchess hires him to help raise a spirit to answer questions about the future of the king and his court.
Simpcox
A poor man who pretends to have been blind since birth. He claims that his sight is restored by a miracle, but Gloucester sees through his lie and has him publicly beaten.
Jack Cade
A fierce rebel warrior hired by York to raise a ruckus in England while he is away. Cade pretends to be a Yorkist claimant to the throne. If the public response positively to his claim, York plans to return from Ireland and make his move. Cade is very successful, inspiring the common people to rise up and take London. His troops eventually betray him when promised the king’s forgiveness for their violence, and Cade flees. Later, starving in the countryside, he steals from Alexander Iden’s garden. They come to blows, and Iden kills Cade.
Captain
Leader of the ship that captures Suffolk at sea. The Captain orders Suffolk be put to death after enumerating the bad things he has done in the English court.
Whitmore
One of the Captain’s men, Whitmore kills Suffolk.
Rebels
Common people led by Jack Cade.
Butcher
One of Jack Cade’s men. He rapes a Sergeant’s wife, but when the Sergeant reports it to Cade, Cade orders the Butcher to kill the Sergeant as well, showing his bloodthirsty nature.
Weaver
Another of Jack Cade’s men.
Stafford
Stafford and his brother are two nobles of the court who come to challenge Jack Cade. When the commoners refuse to lay down their arms, their armies fight. Stafford and his brother die, and their bodies are dragged behind Cade’s horse to London.
Lord Saye
Jack Cade and his men search out Lord Saye and kill him. They blame him for having lost Normandy to the French, as well as for having set up grammar schools and printing presses throughout the kingdom.
Sergeant
The Butcher rapes the Sergeant’s wife, but when the latter complains to Jack Cade, he is put to death.
Clifford
A lord of the court, Clifford helps convince Jack Cade’s troops to lay down their arms. Later, Clifford is called on to judge York when he makes his claim to the throne. In battle, York kills Clifford.
Young Clifford
Clifford’s son. He finds his father’s dead body on the battlefield and swears vengeance against all Yorkists.
Alexander Iden
A landholding noble. He prefers to stay on his property rather than come to London and deal in the intrigues of the court. Seemingly kinder than the other nobles, Iden has no desire to fight with Jack Cade, who appears in his garden and insults him. But he is forced to fight and kills the starving Cade.
Edward
York’s son. He is brought in to testify on his father’s behalf after York marches his army back from Ireland. Edward will be the next king of England.
Richard
York’s son. He is brought in to testify on his father’s behalf after York marches his army back from Ireland. Richard will become Richard III, the subject for Shakespeare’s play of the same name, and one of the most bloodthirsty and depraved kings in English history.
