Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share Diagnosing Henry VI
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
Diagnosing Henry VI
One of Shakespeare’s earliest and arguably worst plays is probably Henry VI, all three parts. It’s essentially about the start of the wars of the roses. As such, I would not qualify Henry as the star of his own play. This is actually an excellent reflection of his life. He was king from infancy and lacked the strong will necessary to be a medieval ruler, so he was dominated by other nobles and even his own wife. By some accounts he was feeble minded, by others extremely pious.
One thing the historians can agree on however, is that he had some sort of mental breakdown. He went into what we would now call a catatonia for over a year. It has been the source of much debate for centuries. Today, Dr. Lisa and I take on the task and discuss what a possible diagnosis could have been. Sit back, enjoy, and let’s jump into Henry’s head.
Teller of Tales by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4467-teller-of-the-tales
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Minstrel Guild by KevinMacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4056-minstrel-guild
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Beginning quote from the unpublished biography of Henry VI by Kerry R. J. Tattersall
View all episodes
By ripegoodscholar
4.3
44 ratings
One of Shakespeare’s earliest and arguably worst plays is probably Henry VI, all three parts. It’s essentially about the start of the wars of the roses. As such, I would not qualify Henry as the star of his own play. This is actually an excellent reflection of his life. He was king from infancy and lacked the strong will necessary to be a medieval ruler, so he was dominated by other nobles and even his own wife. By some accounts he was feeble minded, by others extremely pious.
One thing the historians can agree on however, is that he had some sort of mental breakdown. He went into what we would now call a catatonia for over a year. It has been the source of much debate for centuries. Today, Dr. Lisa and I take on the task and discuss what a possible diagnosis could have been. Sit back, enjoy, and let’s jump into Henry’s head.
Teller of Tales by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4467-teller-of-the-tales
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Minstrel Guild by KevinMacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4056-minstrel-guild
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Beginning quote from the unpublished biography of Henry VI by Kerry R. J. Tattersall