History Theatre / HenryVIPart3

* TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers: When Edward of Westminster insults the three York brothers, he cites character flaws for Edward (lascivious) and George (perjured), but for Richard, he uses a physical flaw (mishapen).

** When Margaret's son Prince Edward is stabbed to death by the three York brothers, Margaret curses them so that any sons they have will die young. [[Theatre/RichardIII In the following play,]] both of Edward's sons will be murdered by Richard's order [[note]]and Shakespeare might also have been nodding to the fate of George and Richard's real life sons, both called Edward; the former was imprisoned by Henry VII and executed at 24, and the latter died before he was 10[[/note]].

* HappilyEverBefore: The play ends with the House of York triumphant, their enemies dead or imprisoned, and a new heir literally just born -- but Richard has previously made it clear that he not only wants the crown but is willing to kill anyone who gets in his way, ''including'' his own family. Many productions end with him holding his infant nephew, and already plotting his next move.

** Richard, Clarence and Warwick all decide to betray Edward for their own ambitions at different points in the play, but all three are prompted in part by Edward's incredibly reckless decision to marry a random women he just met and make her Queen of England, insulting the French Royal Court and provoking a war by doing so.

* AdaptationalVillainy: [[UsefulNotes/RichardIII Richard of Gloucester]]. In RealLife he was a child through most of the events of the play, and was thought of as a pious law-maker who was brave in battle. Only later did his villainy emerge due to events in Richard III.

** Edmund of Rutland was actual York's second son and died in the fighting at Wakefield aged 17, it was Richard who was the youngest.
** The play portrays baby Edward as Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville's firstborn, but in fact he was their ''fourth'' child; due to CompressedAdaptation his three older sisters (Elizabeth[[note]]Elizabeth I's grandmother[[/note]], Mary and Cecily) are left out.

While this play is traditionally credited mostly to Shakespeare's authorship, scholarly analysis since the 1980s has led to theories that Shakespeare collaborated with his contemporary Creator/ChristopherMarlowe much more extensively on its writing than was previously believed. These theories were deemed compelling enough that the publishers of the 2016 edition of ''Oxford Shakespeare'' [[https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/oct/23/christopher-marlowe-credited-as-one-of-shakespeares-co-writers credited Marlowe as a co-author.]]

A history play by Creator/WilliamShakespeare, ''Henry VI Part 3'' is the last of three plays describing the end of UsefulNotes/TheHundredYearsWar and the outbreak of the UsefulNotes/WarsOfTheRoses. In the final chapter of the trilogy, the houses of Lancaster and York wage bloody war against each other until one is victorious. The play also sets up conflicts and characters for ''Theatre/RichardIII''.

The play opens with a face-off between York and Henry and their respective supporters. Henry gives in to the Yorkist threats and agrees a deal: York will inherit the throne on the natural death of Henry. Disgusted with the King's cowardice, Margaret and his other supporters continue the war on their own, defeating the Yorkists in battle. York's youngest son, Edmund of Rutland, is murdered by Young Clifford and York captured, taunted with the death of his son, and then executed.

Edward takes a fancy to Elizabeth Woodville and marries her quickly -- outraging Warwick, who was in the middle of negotiating a political marriage with a French princess. Warwick switches sides, joining the Lancastrian cause, and George of Clarence petulantly goes with him. The tide swings the other way once more -- Edward is captured, Henry restored. But Edward is rescued and kills Warwick in battle, before Clarence repents and rejoins his brothers. In the final battle, Edward kills Henry's son and captures Margaret, while Richard sneaks off to murder Henry VI and remove any further complications.

** The play portrays baby Edward as Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville's firstborn, but in fact he was their ''fourth'' child; due to CompressedAdaptation his three older sisters, Elizabeth, Mary and Cecily are left out.

** The play portrays baby Edward as Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville's firstborn, but in fact he was their ''fourth'' child; due to CompressedAdaptation, his three older sisters, Elizabeth, Mary and Cecily are left out.