"Ellen Schoeters is a member of Actorama + where actors can upload a monologue or scene performance for peer review. What do you think of Ellen Schoeters's performance?"
(0 votes)
| Character | Queen Margaret | |
|---|---|---|
| Gender | Female | |
| Age Range(s) | Young Adult (20-35), Adult (36-50) | |
| Type of monologue / Character is | Persuasive, Inspirational | |
| Type | Dramatic | |
| Period | Any | |
| Genre | Historical, Drama | |
| Description | Margaret urges her troops to fight | |
| Location | ACT V, Scene 4 | |
Summary
In the first scene of the play the Duke of York organizes a revolt against King Henry VI and wins. However, he promises King Henry VI that he will let him rule England until his death. The Duke of York will be his successor. York's sons, Edward and Richard, persuade their father to break his promise and seize the crown before Henry's death. York is persuaded to fight against Henry's army.
The two opposing sides fight and York is killed. York's army, however, prevails and the king flees with his army. King Henry flees to Scotland but is captured. Edward becomes king and proposes to Lady Gray to his brothers' surprise. Queen Margaret, Henry's wife, goes to France to beg for help. Warwick as well goes to France to ask the King of France to give his sister in marriage to King Edward. A messenger arrives with news that King Edward has married Lady Gray. Warwick feels betrayed and vows vengeance. He decides to support the deposed King Henry and Queen Margaret, gathers an army with the support of the King of France and goes to England.
Warwick's troops manage to capture Edward but he manages to escape with the help of Richard and Hastings. Edward gathers an army with all his supporters and faces Warwick. Warwick is killed in the battle.
In this scene Queen Margaret is getting ready to face Edward and urges her troops to fight. She knows Warwick's army has been defeated and compares the situation to that of a crew on a ship whose captain is gone and has lost many sailors. Edward and the house of York are the rough seas and the sharp rocks.
The two opposing sides fight and York is killed. York's army, however, prevails and the king flees with his army. King Henry flees to Scotland but is captured. Edward becomes king and proposes to Lady Gray to his brothers' surprise. Queen Margaret, Henry's wife, goes to France to beg for help. Warwick as well goes to France to ask the King of France to give his sister in marriage to King Edward. A messenger arrives with news that King Edward has married Lady Gray. Warwick feels betrayed and vows vengeance. He decides to support the deposed King Henry and Queen Margaret, gathers an army with the support of the King of France and goes to England.
Warwick's troops manage to capture Edward but he manages to escape with the help of Richard and Hastings. Edward gathers an army with all his supporters and faces Warwick. Warwick is killed in the battle.
In this scene Queen Margaret is getting ready to face Edward and urges her troops to fight. She knows Warwick's army has been defeated and compares the situation to that of a crew on a ship whose captain is gone and has lost many sailors. Edward and the house of York are the rough seas and the sharp rocks.
Written by Administrator
| Excerpt |
|---|
| QUEEN MARGARET Great lords, wise men ne'er sit and wail their loss, But cheerly seek how to redress their harms. What though the mast be now blown overboard, The cable broke, the holding-anchor lost, And half our sailors swallow'd in the flood? Yet lives our pilot still. Is't meet that he Should leave the helm and like a fearful lad With tearful eyes add water to the sea And give more strength to that which hath too much, Whiles, in his moan, the ship splits on the rock, Which industry and courage might have saved? Ah, what a shame! ah, what a fault were this! Say Warwick was our anchor; what of that? And Montague our topmost; what of him? Our slaughter'd friends the tackles; what of these? Why, is not Oxford here another anchor? And Somerset another goodly mast? The friends of France our shrouds and tacklings? And, though unskilful, why not Ned and I For once allow'd the skilful pilot's charge? We will not from the helm to sit and weep, But keep our course, though the rough wind say no, From shelves and rocks that threaten us with wreck. As good to chide the waves as speak them fair. And what is Edward but ruthless sea? What Clarence but a quicksand of deceit? And Richard but a ragged fatal rock? All these the enemies to our poor bark. Say you can swim; alas, 'tis but a while! Tread on the sand; why, there you quickly sink: Bestride the rock; the tide will wash you off, Or else you famish; that's a threefold death. This speak I, lords, to let you understand, If case some one of you would fly from us, That there's no hoped-for mercy with the brothers More than with ruthless waves, with sands and rocks. Why, courage then! what cannot be avoided 'Twere childish weakness to lament or fear. |
