Margaret Of Anjou Character Analysis

The Prophetess Queen. Margaret of Anjou is an extremely interesting person both historically and fictionally. Often the focal point, she is featured in many historical writings, books, plays, and movies.

Her historical figure. Margaret born on March 23rd, 1430, was merely a political tool of her fathers for the first fifteen years of her life. This however working to her own advantage, in 1444 it was agreed upon that Margaret should marry King Henry VI as part of the Treaty of Tours between England and France. She married King Henry VI on April 23rd and was coronated Queen consort on May 30th, 1445. At the time Henry 's mental condition was already unstable. By 1453 after the birth of his son, he had suffered from a complete mental breakdown.

Nonetheless Queen Margaret is present in Shakespeare 's Richard III play as voice of vengeance, a chorus of sorts reminding us of all of Richard 's evil doings. Although only appearing in a few scenes, Margaret holds great influence throughout the entire play. She is the embodiment of female Revenge and a mother 's scorn. A woman with great knowledge of the past, her highly rhetorical and formalistic speeches give her the ability to spit prophetic curses at others that seem to outline the rest of the events in the play. Margaret as we first see her in this play, is a grieving wife and mother who hates the York 's and the Woodville 's. Without a husband to grant her status and security, she is reduced to depend on the charity of her family 's murderers to

She 's saying that they should all cower before her as subjects or else quake in recognition of their rebel villainy. Showing great distain, she feels they need to be held responsible for her misery. Richard calls her a foul wrinkled witch and asks why she is in England, since she was banished on pain of death. Margaret says " I doe find more paine in banishment, then death can yeeld me here, by my abode. A Husband and a sonne thou ow 'st to me, and thou a Kingdome; all of you, allegeance: This sorrow that I have, By right is yours, And all the Pleasures you up usurpe, are mine." (1.3.617-622). Margaret explains that banishment was worse than death, all her debts left to collect are in England. Richard owes her a husband and son, Queen Elizabeth owes her the kingdom, and they all owe her their allegiance. She suffers in agonizing pain, though they should be the ones who suffer. They enjoy the pleasures that she should have as a