Henry VI, Part 3 - Characters

Characters

Of the King's Party

  • King Henry VI – King of England
  • Queen Margaret – Queen to Henry VI
  • Edward, Prince of Wales – their son
  • Lord Clifford – military commander
  • Duke of Exeter
  • Duke of Somerset (a conflation of Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset and Edmund Beaufort, 4th Duke of Somerset, his younger brother)
  • Earl of Northumberland
  • Earl of Westmorland
  • Earl of Oxford
  • Henry, Earl of Richmond (non-speaking role)
  • Somerville – messenger

Of the Duke of York's Party

  • Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York – asserts he should be King
  • Edward Plantagenet, Earl of March – later King Edward IV; York's eldest son
  • George Plantagenet – later Duke of Clarence; York's son
  • Richard Plantagenet – later Duke of Gloucester; York's son
  • Edmund Plantagenet, Earl of Rutland – York's youngest son
  • Rutland's tutor
  • Earl of Warwick
  • Duke of Norfolk
  • Montague (two different 'versions' of the character appear in the play, each one representing a different historical figure. The Act 1 persona is that of the Earl of Salisbury, Warwick's father, and a major character in 2 Henry VI. From Act 2 onwards, the character represents Salisbury's son and Warwick's younger brother John Neville, Marquis of Montague)
  • Earl of Pembroke (non-speaking role)
  • Lord Stafford (non-speaking role)
  • Lord Hastings
  • Sir William Stanley
  • Sir John Mortimer – York's uncle
  • Sir Hugh Mortimer – York's uncle (non-speaking role)
  • Sir John Montgomery
  • Lady Grey – later Queen Elizabeth to Edward IV
  • Lord Rivers – her brother
  • Prince Edward – Elizabeth and Edward IV's son (non-speaking role)

The French

  • King Louis XI of France
  • Lady Bona of Savoy – Louis' sister-in-law
  • Lord Bourbon – Admiral of France (non-speaking role)

Others

  • Mayor of York
  • Two Alderman of York (non-speaking roles)
  • Mayor of Coventry (non-speaking role)
  • Lieutenant of the Tower (a conflation of John Tiptoft, 1st Earl of Worcester and John Sutton, 6th Baron Dudley)
  • Son that kills his father
  • Father that kills his son
  • Nurse (non-speaking role)
  • Nobleman
  • Two gamekeepers
  • Three Watchmen
  • Huntsman
  • Soldiers, messengers, drummers, attendants, etc.

Read more about this topic:  Henry VI, Part 3

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