Henry VI Part 3 Theme of Fate and Free Will

When Edward and Henry fight over the crown, are they acting of their own free will? Or are they merely agents of Divine Providence, or fate? Literary scholars and historians are divided on this issue, because Shakespeare presents two competing views of history in Henry VI, Part 3.

On the one hand, the play suggests that everything is prophesized and part of a divine plan. This is in keeping with the Calvinist doctrine of predestination, which was a hot topic in Shakespeare's day. It also has a lot in common with the idea that kings had a divine right to rule, meaning that God chose them and had plans for them and their kingdoms. Henry's weird prophecies seem to support this view of history.

On the other hand, the play also shows us how characters like York, Edward, and Richard actively seek the crown. Their Machiavellian charisma, self-determination, and adaptability enable them to fight Henry out of what seems to be their own free will. This view of history doesn't see any kind of divine plan at work. Instead, it attributes the events of history to human actions.

There's plenty of evidence in the play to argue either position. Shakespeare isn't going to make it easy for us by coming down on either side of the issue. There's a lot of ambiguity and tension between these two positions in the play, and it's up to us to make sense of it all.

1. As we know, Henry VI, Part 3 is a play based on historical events. How does our knowledge of what actually happened in history influence the way we read the play? How does this knowledge shape our understanding of how and why events unfold?
2. How should we interpret Henry's prophecies about what will happen next? How does he know about the future if it is not part of a divine plan?
3. Why do certain characters make a point of telling us what they have chosen to do? In what ways do we see these characters act (or think they act) of their own free will?

The prophecies in Henry VI, Part 3 suggest that all the events that unfold throughout the course of the play are inevitable and were therefore fated to happen.

Even though the play is based on historical events, we see the characters exercises their own free will throughout the play.