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Character Role Analysis

Lady Elizabeth Grey to Margaret; York to Henry, Edward to Henry

Lady Elizabeth Grey to Margaret: Since Lady Elizabeth Grey and Margaret are the only principal women in Henry VI, Part 3, it's easy to compare them to one another. The truth is, they don't have much in common: Elizabeth is virtuous, modest, and calm, while Margaret is domineering, powerful, and—we'll admit it—scary.

When we first meet Elizabeth, she refuses to become Edward's mistress, because she's too high-class for that. She's respectful but sticks to her ethics, and that gets her bumped up to queen status in no time.

Margaret, on the other hand, is zealous and opinionated. She tells her husband—the king—to shut it when he complains about not wanting to be king. She leads an army all over the map to defend her crown, and some people think she's straight-up demonic for doing so. It's clear that these two women won't be swapping sweaters or painting each other's nails anytime soon.

York to Henry; Edward to Henry: York and his son Edward are contrasted to Henry throughout the play. The York men know what they want, and they go after it full steam ahead. Henry, on the other hand, makes polite requests and seems weak when compared to his wife—and to just about everyone else in the play.

While York and Edward desperately want the crown and will do anything to get it, Henry isn't so sure. He hates all the warfare and wants a simple life; he'd actually rather not be king at all.

So which kind of guy makes a better king? York and Edward are strong, valiant, assertive guys, while Henry likes long walks on the beach and long, thoughtful dinners. No really, Henry wants to spend more time out in nature thinking.

Before you're all, "The beefcake be king," we'd like to suggest the possibility that neither of these options may be the right one. Sure, York and Edward are strong, but they're also brutal and ruthless; they're the type to kill before asking questions. They could use a bit of Henry's thoughtfulness, just as Henry could use a bit of their strength and assertiveness.