Henry VI Part 1 Politics Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Act.Scene.Line)

Quote #1

BEDFORD
King Henry the Fifth, too famous to live long.
England ne'er lost a king of so much worth. (1.1.6-7)

Ouch. This is not a good way for a play to begin, with the death of a great hero. King Henry V conquered France for England, cut a kingly figure in spite of his youth, and was a great orator to boot. No wonder Bedford is so sad about his death. King Henry VI, who this play is about, has a lot to live up to.

Quote #2

WARWICK
And here I prophesy: this brawl today,
Grown to this faction in the Temple garden,
Shall send, between the red rose and the white,
A thousand souls to death and deadly night. (2.4.125-128)

When you're right, you're right. And unfortunately, Warwick is right here. In the play, the red and white roses symbolize the houses of Lancaster and York (more on this over in the "Symbols" section). The fact that Richard (about to be made Duke of York) and the others have been arguing about them points to the fact that soon there will be a bloody civil war between the two. It may not be obvious yet, it's totally coming.

Quote #3

PLANTAGENET
I dare say
This quarrel will drink blood another day. (2.4.134-135)

After the quarrel that involves choosing sides by plucking roses, Richard predicts that the quarrel will cause more trouble, maybe even bloodshed, some other day. Quarrels between nobles cause a huge number of deaths in Henry VI, and that's just the beginning—the civil war that follows after this play's timescale ends will cause even more.