William Shakespeare
Henry VI, Part 1
The full script in Final Draft, Word & PDF
English lords quarrel at home as Joan La Pucelle turns the war in France against a boy king and his fading champion, Talbot.
PDFs Only
$4.99
- ✓ Stageplay PDF (101 pp.)
- ✓ Screenplay PDF (90 pp.)
- ✓ Instant download
Full Package
$12.99
- ✓ Final Draft (.fdx)
- ✓ Microsoft Word + RTF
- ✓ Screenplay + Stageplay PDFs
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- Genre
- History
- Written
- c. 1590–1592
- Setting
- England and France
- Scenes
- 27
- Speaking roles
- 52
- Uncut running time
- ~2h 35m
What happens in Henry VI, Part 1
Henry V is dead, and his infant son Henry VI is king, with the realm governed by his uncles. At home, Gloucester and the Bishop of Winchester are at odds, and the rivalry between the houses of York and Lancaster begins in the Temple Garden, where lords pick red and white roses. In France, the English commander Talbot holds off the French, until Joan La Pucelle rallies them behind the Dauphin.
Divided leadership leaves Talbot unsupported, and he dies at Bordeaux with his son. Joan wins several towns, then is captured and burned. A peace is arranged, and Henry agrees to marry Margaret of Anjou, a match arranged by the Earl of Suffolk, who plans to rule through her. The play ends with England weaker and divided.
See the formatting
The first page of Act I, exactly as it appears in the files you download.
The biggest roles
Share of the play's spoken words, counted from the script. 52 characters speak; 25 of them have under 1% of the text — natural candidates for doubling.
| Role | Share of the text | Speeches |
|---|---|---|
| Talbot | | 67 |
| Joan La Pucelle | | 57 |
| Gloucester | | 49 |
| King Henry VI | | 32 |
| Suffolk | | 45 |
| Charles | | 41 |
| Messenger | | 14 |
| York | | 29 |
For directors
Talbot is the largest role at about 15 percent of the words, with Joan at 10, Gloucester at 7 and the king at 7. No single actor dominates, and six roles exceed 5 percent. With 52 speaking roles, 25 under 1 percent, and 27 scenes, the play is episodic and suits a large ensemble with heavy doubling. The uncut estimate of 155 minutes is the shortest of the three Henry VI plays, so it can be played with little cutting.
Cutting notes
- Trim the sequence of short battle scenes in France, keeping Orleans, Rouen and Talbot's death.
- Shorten the council scenes about Gloucester and Winchester, which restate the same quarrel.
- Condense the diplomatic scenes around the peace and the French marriage proposal.
For teachers
Students study the origins of the Wars of the Roses, the loss of the French conquests, patriotism and the portrayal of Joan. Frequently taught material includes the Temple Garden scene, Talbot's death scene with his son, and the debates about Joan's character and power. The play is often studied as an early work and as the opening of the first tetralogy, with attention to questions of collaboration.
Questions
Is this the complete, uncut text of Henry VI, Part 1?
Yes. Every file contains the full play — 27 scenes and about 20,600 spoken words. Cut it yourself in Word or Final Draft to fit your running time.
What is the difference between the stageplay and screenplay layouts?
The stageplay layout indents stage directions and sets dialogue full-width, like a theatre script. The screenplay layout follows film conventions: scene headings and action flush left, character names centred, dialogue in a narrower column. Both tiers include both layouts as PDFs; the Full Package adds editable Final Draft and Word files of each.
Can I use this Henry VI, Part 1 script for a production or a class?
Yes. Shakespeare's plays are in the public domain, so there are no royalties to pay for staging them. Edit, stage, film or teach with these files.
How do I receive the files?
Right after checkout you land on a private download page, and the link is also emailed to you. It keeps working, so you can re-download any time.
