Henry VI Part 3 Fate and Free Will Quotes

Henry's in prison, and there's a war going on for his power, so he stops to talk to a young boy. Wait, what? Henry's encounter with Richmond seems far-fetched and out of place in some ways. Now, Richmond's eventual crowning is not news to the audience; they have the advantage of historical hindsight, and they know exactly where the play is headed. Still, this passage is interesting for a couple of reasons. First, the play's (and Henry's) foreknowledge suggests that events might be unfolding according to providential design.

Again, Edward uses "fortune" as his guide. He tells his men it's not up to him whether he repays them and becomes king; it's down to fate. That might sound like a cop-out, but Shakespeare's audience believed in the divine right of kings. That is, they believed that God chose the king, and a king's reign carried out God's plans. We wouldn't be surprised if Edward actually believed that, too.

Everything Henry tells Richard comes true, and Shakespeare's audience knew it: they would have seen Richard's reign as a dark and evil period. So, Henry's prophecy is creepy to Richard, but it also serves a larger purpose—it helps the audience understand that what is happening, and who will rule, may all be part of a larger cosmic design.