#2 Henry VI

[withasideofshakespeare]

Woah no way?? People (completely unprompted /s) want to hear my trans Shakespeare headcanons?? You bet I can do that.

I’ve done this once before:

But I have even more thoughts now!!

In no particular order:

Puck (A Midsummer Night’s Dream): Every single pronoun possible. He/she/they/it + all of the neopronouns and xenopronouns that exist currently or will ever exist. Fairy gender is always weird but Puck’s is extra weird.

Oberon (A Midsummer Night’s Dream): Fairy gender. Probably he/they/it?

Titania (A Midsummer Night’s Dream): More fairy gender. She/they/it?

Titania’s fairy attendants (Midsummer): Get a hat and fill it with various pronouns and draw them out at random for the fairies.

Benedick (Much Ado About Nothing): Could go either way, but I really like the idea of transfemme Benedick. Or he/him lesbian Benedick.

Beatrice (Much Ado About Nothing): The she/they to end all she/theys

Viola/Cesario (Twelfth Night): Could be trans in literally any direction. I made a post about this too at some point. My suggestion is all of the directions: they/she/he

Sebastian (Twelfth Night): He/him, transmasc. I also made a post about this at some point.

Feste (Twelfth Night): I saw a great she/her Feste last summer.

Orsino (Twelfth Night): Specifically the himbo variety of he/they

Margaret of Anjou (Henry VI trilogy and Richard III): If I ever play Margaret, I will use she/they pronouns.

Catesby (Richard III): Just played Catesby with she/her pronouns and it worked!

Richard II (Richard II): Tell me Richard isn’t the most they/he or he/they guy alive (or… dead).

Hal (1 Henry IV-Henry V): Saw Hal played with she/they pronouns last summer and it was great. Could also see he/they Hal. Very nonbinary vibe overall. I personally believe that going by Hal rather than Henry for two whole plays is their way of pulling the “going by the first letter of what my name used to be instead of picking a name from scratch” nonbinary trick. He probably pretends to be cis after his dad dies and he becomes king—one more element of Hal’s lifelong identity crisis.

Hotspur/Harry Percy Jr. (Richard II & 1 Henry IV): He/they in denial.

Kate Percy (1 & 2 Henry IV): She/they, not in denial. (Also Katespur should be bi4bi)

Ned Poins (1 & 2 Henry IV): Transmasc Ned Poins?? Maybe he doesn’t actually have a sister and Nell is just his deadname. Ned Poins’ failed scheme to flirt with Hal.

Romeo (Romeo & Juliet): he/they (t4t R&J!!!)

Juliet (Romeo & Juliet): she/they (t4t R&J!!!)

Mercutio (Romeo & Juliet): they/he(/it?). Vibes alone. Look at them. Just look.

Nurse (Romeo & Juliet): she/her, transfemme!

Cassius (Julius Caesar): Would love to see a they/them Cassius

Hamlet (Hamlet): he/they. I’ve made multiple posts about this theory and I still love it.

Ophelia (Hamlet): she/they. As she should.

Laertes (Hamlet): she/him and NOT just because Laertes used she/her pronouns the first time I saw this play.

Rosencrantz (Hamlet): he/they/she. Vibes. Sometimes goes by Ros/Rose. Probably genderfluid.

Malcolm (Macbeth): they/he or they/them. Also vibes.

Lady Macbeth (Macbeth): stolen straight from my last post because this is still my HC: she/they; would insult you for “having pronouns in your bio” and then turn around and punch you in the face for using their pronouns incorrectly.

Angus (Macbeth): she/her, transfemme. (t4t Ross/Angus. I will die on this hill… Dunsinane Hill.)

Ross (Macbeth): he/him, transmasc

Caithness (Macbeth): she/they lesbian

Mark Antony (Julius Caesar and Antony & Cleopatra): I would not bat an eye at he/they Mark Antony

Edmund (King Lear): they/he, nonbinary, sexiest man (/gn) alive.

Edgar (King Lear): he/him. Transmasc Edgar is slowly becoming canon To Me.

Cordelia (King Lear): she/her, transfemme.

Goneril (King Lear): she/they. I would let them kill me.

Coriolanus (Coriolanus): transmasc OR transfemme Coriolanus is!!!! The butterfly/metamorphosis motif! Name changes during canon! Discomfort with scars/body! Lack of autonomy granted by society! This is THE transgender play. (Other than Twelfth Night)

Imogen (Cymbeline): Tell me she doesn’t want to be a she/they so bad.

Florizel (The Winter’s Tale): he/they(/she?). Literally just a vibe. I have a pet rock named Florizel.

Perdita (The Winter’s Tale): she/they. I also have a pet rock named Perdita.

Ariel (The Tempest): Similar to Puck, probably they/she/he? Even my conservative English prof consistently rotates between she/her and he/him for Ariel (possibly not intentionally? I’m not convinced he knows what her canon pronouns are.)

Ferdinand (The Tempest): she/they. PLEASE give me transfemme Ferdinand. PLEASE let Miranda realize she’s a lesbian during canon.

Miranda (The Tempest): she/they. Ariel taught them about the existence of she/they pronouns and she immediately started using them.

So in other words… every Shakespeare character should be trans, actually.

[britneyshakespeare]

Pernicious bloodsucker of sleeping men

[dramamath]

“Sorrow and grief have vanquish'd all my powers; And, vanquish'd as I am, I yield to thee.” —Duke of Gloucester Henry VI, Part II, Act II, Scene 1

[period-dramallama]

Productions of Henry VI Part 2 according to how much Humphrey/Eleanor there is

A vital metric for judging quality I'm sure you will agree. For @heartofstanding so at least someone will read this obscure post.

An age of kings: Fall of a Protector (1960)

At first, I was disappointed. Eleanor was played as very cold and manipulative and Humphrey seemed more impatient and exasperated than reconciled with her, and I didn't feel affection between them. I think they might even have cut the line "the protector's wife beloved of him". I can't remember, I can't track down how I watched this version.

BUT. We get the KISS.

These two kiss after Eleanor's penance walk and they kiss as passionately as you can on TV in 1960. It was incredible. No other Humphrey/Eleanor depiction kisses like this.

BBC Shakespeare Henry VI Part 2 (1983)

In terms of costuming, this is my favourite Humphrey/Eleanor. Their costumes are so good. They are two stylin' bitches. I also like this Humphrey in particular, he really captures the balance between Humphrey's intelligence and hot-headedness. He kind of reminds me of Mr Badger from Wind in the Willows. Eleanor is also really great here. And height difference!

This version has all the shippy moments from the play BUT absolutely no more. They don't kiss or hug, but they have all the lines from the play.

The Hollow Crown (2016)

The director shipped these two, I am certain of it. We get all the canon goodness and more. We have arm hugging, forehead kisses, hand holding. And height difference! You can really believe these two married for love.

And the penance scene? Up to eleven. The director and the adapter of the play read angst fic, they must surely. Humphrey just can't bear to let her go. Treason and witchcraft has barely put a dent in how much he loves Eleanor. And this Eleanor feels a lot more supportive of Humphrey. Like yeah she wants to be queen, but she also wants him to be king.

If Humphrey/Eleanor isn't canon, why are we winning?

RSC Henry VI: Rebellion (2022)

I can't deny, one of the reasons I went to see this on Thursday was for Humphrey and Eleanor.

I loved it, it was incredible, but I did not love Humphrey and Eleanor in it. Eleanor was played... comedically??? Like her line delivery and her little stompy walk when she storms away from Margaret got laughs. She was played as kind of an airhead, giggling and running around. Like Margarey Jourdain is exasperated with her airheadedness which got laughs. They really emphasised her age and her lowborn status, like her accent strayed into Cockney which I was not expecting.

At one point Humphrey pats his knee and Eleanor yeets herself into his lap which got laughs but I found it kind of cute. The line "banish the canker of ambitious thought" does hit differently when Humphrey says it while cuddling Eleanor on his lap.

The penance scene was well acted, you could really hear the pain in Eleanor's voice. But they cut out iconic Humphrey lines like "mine eyes are full of tears, my heart of grief" and "you do me a kindness if you do it her". Unlike the others, there was no physical contact between the two in the penance scene and so I didn't feel Humphrey's anguish nearly enough. It was almost like "bye". Like yeah he tries to reassure her she'll be OK and he'll be OK but it's not enough, I don't feel the care here. There was more emotion when Humphrey is arrested and he dodges the nobles behind the furniture (unintentional comedy) and then gives Henry one last hug before he's wrenched away from him.

Also people in the audience were badmouthing Eleanor at the interval. No. Eleanor in 2 Henry VI is my meow meow, she did nothing wrong uwu. She loves her man and she wants to be queen and her actions result in some sick prophecies. What more do you people want from your girlboss? She can have a lil necromancy, as a treat.

[sturridges]

THE HOLLOW CROWN season 2, episode 2

"Henry VI Part 2"

[thevelvetgoldmine]

TOM STURRIDGE as Henry VI

The Hollow Crown S02E02 - "Henry VI, Part 2"

[thatchronicfeeling]

I do not recommend reading through your medical notes. Not a fun time. However, one thing I've discovered is that my doctor writes her notes in the same way that Anne Lister writes her diary. I have decided to find this hilarious. Interestingly enough, the one time I met my doctor in person (we usually have telephone appointments), I got Anne Listerish vibes from her. Not the version of Anne Lister that I'm attracted to. Not the version that I find likeable. But the I do not mistake; But thou mistakest me much to think I do (Henry VI Part 2, Act 5, Scene 1)*

version of Anne Lister. When my doctor first met me, she assumed that I just needed to be 'jollied along'. That some 'chin up'-type encouragement would magically make me not bedbound. As if I'd just given up on my beautiful, wonderful life, rather than having multiple massively debilitating illnesses (shout out to Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Postural Tachycardia Syndrome). What she didn't realise is that I can go toe-to-toe with the '226 pounds, 17 shillings & sixpence' version of Anne Lister. In the roughly eighteen months since that first encounter with my doctor, things have improved immeasurably. We have come to a wary truce. ---

I've never seen or read Henry VI Part 2. The reason I'm familiar with these lines is because, when I visited Stratford-upon-Avon as a teenager, I got a set of rubbers (erasers) that had Shakespearean quotes on them. 'Out, damned spot!' etc. I used them for years afterwards. What I realised now, when double-checking with the source text, is that the full quote is as follows: [...] I do not mistake; But thou mistakest me much to think I do: To Bedlam with him! Is the man grown mad? In the context of medical gaslighting, this is quite something.

[hegodamask]

Kyle Soller as Clifford in The Hollow Crown - Henry VI, Part 2

[virgo-dream]

wimdy

[withasideofshakespeare]

If you HAD to choose!

[britneyshakespeare]

the problem with henry vi part 1 is that you can only babygirlify the french, who are the far more interesting characters in that play, but the glory of henry vi part 2 is that the duh-rama at home takes off enough to babygirlify the english as well

[irate-iguana]

The promised sequel to my previous post:

If anyone wants to help me come up with drag names for these characters, please feel free!

[wonder-worker]

Thomas Penn writes about 500 year old dead historical figures like they're celebrities in a gossip column

[infinitelytheheartexpands]

alright henry vi: house of lancaster (english shakespeare company) let’s go

thank you @shredsandpatches

[thelastofthebookworms]

The poll about the comedies has already ended but you'll find the tragedies in my 'shakespeare' tag / my pinned post.

I'll made a final poll with the winners for comedy, tragedy 1, tragedy 2 and history when we'll have the results