Henry VI, Part 3

A king who wants only peace. A queen who wants revenge. A father who watches his son kill his son. And a deformed young duke named Richard, who has just discovered that he enjoys murder.

Shakespeare's most brutal history play is a nightmare of civil war, a story of families torn apart, crowns won and lost, and the birth of the most charismatic villain in English literature.

Henry VI, the weak and pious king, has been forced to disinherit his own son to buy peace. His wife, Queen Margaret, refuses to accept it. She raises an army, captures the Duke of York, and mocks him before killing him. York's sons—Edward, George, and Richard—swear revenge. The wars escalate. Fathers kill sons. Sons kill fathers. Kings are crowned, deposed, and crowned again. And in the shadows, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, reveals his true face: “I have no brother, I am like no brother. / And this word 'love,' which greybeards call divine, / Be resident in men like one another / And not in me. I am myself alone.”

This is Shakespeare at his most savage and thrilling: a play about the collapse of every civilized value, the cost of ambition, and the emergence of a villain so magnetic that he would star in his own play. Henry VI, Part 3 is the bloody bridge to Richard III.

• Written around 1591–1592, the third play in Shakespeare's first tetralogy

• Contains the famous "cliff scene" in which the Earl of Warwick, the "Kingmaker," dies

• The first play in which Richard of Gloucester (the future Richard III) emerges as a fully developed character, complete with soliloquies revealing his murderous ambition

Available in multiple formats:

• Paperback & Hardcover: Beautifully designed print editions presenting the complete, unabridged text made to last.

• Ebook: DRM-free EPUB compatible with Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, and all major e-readers.

• Audiobook: Professionally narrated, complete and unabridged, available on all major audiobook platforms.

A beautifully crafted edition for your shelf, your device, or your ears, or the perfect gift for anyone who knows that civil war is the worst war, because there are no strangers to hate.

About the Author

William Shakespeare (1564–1616) was an English playwright, poet, and actor, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the English language. Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, he moved to London and became a shareholder in the Lord Chamberlain's Men (later the King's Men). Henry VI, Part 3 was written around 1591–1592, following Henry VI, Part 2. The play was first published in 1595 as The True Tragedy of Richard Duke of York (an alternate title). The version in the First Folio (1623) is significantly different, suggesting revision by Shakespeare. The play was enormously influential: Christopher Marlowe's Edward II (c. 1592) shows clear debts to Shakespeare's depiction of a weak king. The role of Queen Margaret—one of the most powerful and vengeful female characters in Shakespeare—has been celebrated by actresses from Peggy Ashcroft to Sophie Okonedo. Shakespeare's other major works include Richard III, Hamlet, King Lear, and The Tempest. He died in 1616 at the age of 52 and is buried in Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon.