Margaret of Anjou: Shakespeare's 'She Wolf'?
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William Shakespeare named her ‘she-wolf’, but did Margaret of Anjou earn that title? It was once meant to be an insult - do we see it differently now? Let’s take a look…
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Intro / Outro song: Silent Partner, "Greenery" [ • Greenery - Silent Part... ]
SFX from freesfx.co.uk/Default.aspx
Linked videos and playlists:
She-wolf playlist: • She-Wolves
Images (from Wikimedia Commons, unless otherwise stated):
Capitoline Wolf sculpture with twins by an unknown artist (date contested). Held by the Musei Capitolini, Rome, Italy.
Screenshot of OED: www.oed.com/dictionary/she-wo...
Margaret of Anjou, wife of King Henry VI (c.1445). Cropped image of File:Presentation of the Book of Romances.jpg, a scan of the manuscript illuminated by the Talbot Master (British Library, Royal 15 E VI, f. 2v)
The marriage of Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou is depicted in this miniature from an illustrated manuscript of Vigilles de Charles VII by Martial d'Auvergne (c.1484). Held by the Bubliothèque Nationale de France.
Presentation scene; detail of a miniature from BL Royal MS 15 E vi, f. 2v (the "Talbot Shrewsbury Book" (c,1445) is presented to Margaret of Anjou as she sits beside Henry VI). Held and digitised by the British Library.
Portrait of King Henry VI by an unknown English artist (c.1540). Held by the National Portrait Gallery.
Detail from the frontispiece of the illuminated manuscript Talbot Shrewsbury Book. In this detail Richard of York is shown supporting a giant fleur-de-lys, tracing the ancestry of Henry VI back to Saint Louis IX and justifying Henry's claim to the kingdom of France (between 1443 and 1445). Held by the British Library, Royal 15 E VI f2v.
Relief map of England (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:En...)
Portrait of King Edward IV by an unknown English artist (c.1540). Held by the National Portrait Gallery.
Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, submits to the queen of their Lancastrian enemies, Margaret of Anjou engraved by James William Edmund Doyle (1864). From "Edward IV" in A Chronicle of England: B.C. 55 - A.D. 1485, London: Longman, Green, Longman, Roberts & Green, pp. p. 417
The Battle of Tewkesbury, as illustrated in the Ghent manuscript (late 15th century). Image scanned from: Cheetham, Anthony (1992) [1972] The Life and Times of Richard III (General edition (hardcover) ed.), London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, pp. p. 66 ISBN: 0-297-99573-1.
The illuminated representation of Queen Margaret of Anjou, wife of King Henry VI, here reproduced, is entered in the roll of the fraternity of Our Lady under date XV year of King Edward IV (A.D. 1475). From the the Books of the Skinners Company. A. D. 1422.
Quoted texts:
William Shakespeare, Henry VI, Part 3: Act I, Scene iv
Diana Dunn, ODNB entry on Margaret of Anjou
Also consulted, were:
Lauren Johnson, “Shadow King” / 41447564
Other relevant entries from The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Online.
#SheWolf #History #WarsOfTheRoses - บันเทิง
She wolf in the best way ! She was a strong woman who did what she needed to do! 🐺
Margaret did her best for her family 👍the rightful king and son. Fate was against this and history is then written by those who follow. 😢
This is the way that I've always seen the phrase "shewolf". That woman, who protects that which has to be protected.
I think she was an incredibly resourceful and intelligent person who had the disadvantage of being "just" a woman. She did the same things for her husband and her son's rights that Richard of York or Edward IV did to support their claims. Was she a shewolf? Yes, and in the very best sense of the word. She fought to protect her family. And I think she is one of the most fascinating people of the entire wars of the roses.👑🐺
Happy to see another video about the real person behind the character in one of Shakespeare's history plays. Hope there will be more.
I'm so excited to watch this! I did my doctorate on MS Royal 15 E IV, the Shrewsbury Book, which appears in the thumbnail! Although I was focusing primarily on the French epic poetry in the manuscript, I learned so much about Margaret and have long felt she was maligned by Shakespeare and subsequent writers. She was a strong woman in a very difficult situation, in a country she was not born to, doing the best she could for her family. 🐺
What a cool area of study 🤩
She-wolf was intended as pejorative, but it can be claimed as a badge of honor. Given the horror and violence of her times, and the circumstances of her life, she responded with resilience and purpose. Only the most fragile of people have been compelled to criticize her behavior as gender-innappropriate. Strong people don't. We see the same thing in our culture today. (Take a look at political debates and Barbra Streisand's new autobiography. Whew!) 💪♀👑
Thanks Dr Kat for covering a wish list historical figure of mine, the often underrated and misunderstood Margaret of Anjou. ❤🤗
I can't pretend to know as much about Margaret of Anjou as I do about some other individuals of the era and afterward, but what I do know shows me a woman who is very good at discerning what is required of her in the moment, and meeting that requirement. I imagine she would have thought of it as fulfilling her duty, of being that which God had called her to be. I think the proof of this is that when she was widowed she retired from public life, so far as I know, and didn't seek to marry another king or high ranking nobleman, and of course there could be other reasons for that choice. Heaven knows, her first marriage would have been enough to tire out any woman. Also largely overlooked by most is the obvious blow that the loss of her son would have been.
So, was she a "She Wolf"? Maybe. But it's not necessarily an insult. She didn't stir up trouble, she responded to it.
Every time I see a Dr. Kat video I watch it. She is so erudite, charming and informative - frankly she is a bit of a national treasure (and I speak as an Irishman - you should be proud of her).
the idea that there’s some historicity behind remus and romulus’s myth and that maybe their were just nursed by a prostitute is fascinating
I mean, if the tale is based in truth then the wolf version makes way less sense, doesn’t it?
Excellent video! A Queen in a foreign land with a mentally Iill husband can’t have been an easy role. The lack of an heir was of course the woman’s fault (a trope repeated over and over) and she seemed to be blamed for things she had no control over. Loss of her only child, a husband murdered (allegedly) and then returned to France as damaged goods. A tragic life, an intelligent woman stuck in a no-win situation. ❤❤❤
Sadly, scapegoat was one of the most important roles women were forced into by society!
Isabeau of Bavaria was also married to a mentally ill king (Charles VI of France) an thrust into a civil war.
❤Thank you for another excellent presentation! Your in-depth research always adds interesting insights to events. Margaret was protecting her husband’s and son’s right to the throne as any Monarch would. Speaking as a She-Wolf, I think Margaret actions were correct l Society then and now view strong women as She-Wolves because they won’t back down from a fight. 👸👑🐾
I’ve been wanting to learn more about Margaret f Anjou. Thank you. I know She Wolf is supposed to be pejorative. I tend to think of it as any strong female leader and quite frankly they aren’t always portrayed positively. For the record I think because she was strong that turned out to be a good thing since her husband had clear issues. 🐺👑❤
I like she wolf myself. I’d be happy to be remembered as such!
On the show "Spanish Princess" the term was used by the Duke of Norfolk to describe Margaret Tudor and was definitely meant as a compliment.
They may have meant it as an insult but a woman strong enough to stand up for herself and her children at the time should be respected.
Personally, I find the political position of foreign born queens FASCINATING! People nowadays make jokes about them only existing as symbols of alliances and to make heirs, but these women were often powerful political figures in their own right. I think the part that’s most interesting to me is how views on their native country affect how the public perceives them- oftentimes, a queen from an enemy nation will never quite be able to shake the assumption that her primary loyalty is to her birth country (no matter the circumstances) 👸🐺
I feel we need merch that bears the legend:
Rapacious, Ferocious, Voracious
Oh!! This needs to happen!!
What a woman! and what a life she led! Thank you for your telling of her story. Also, I appreciate the way -when you are reading a lengthy quotation - that you show it so we can read as well as hear - it really helps with comprehension.🏵
I think of Margaret as someone fighting fur her family- a she wolf in a positive way. 👑🐺
My cat gets so excited when she hears your theme tune. She is Dr Kat the Cat
👑 again love your coverage!
I honestly think she was a badass. She did what she was raised and trained for - do everything possible to support her husband on the throne, and also her son's claim, and then she was basically reviled for it. Medievals wanted this exact type of loyalty to the king, from the queen, but if she actually did this, fighting like a mama/wife bear, then she became a pariah. Medieval men really had an impossible standard for these poor women. Damn. Respect to Margaret of Anjou. 500 years later, I grieve for her treatment and her terrible losses. RIP, she - wolf 👑🐺
If Margaret had had the good fortune to marry a man who was as smart and determined as she was, and who properly appreciated her abilities, they would have made a formidable team. But instead, she had to keep rescuing the tragically wet Henry.
She-wolf, yes, but what else was she supposed to do, wilt? It wasn't in her character to do that.
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Absolutely love your videos ❤ so informative and relaxing to watch. Always put one on after work
Thanks !! Fascinating as always, Jeffrey
Thank you so much ☺️
🐺👩👑 Love your channel Dr. Kat!
Great upload. Thanks!
Interesting as always ❤
👑♥🐺 Another great video, thank you for all your hard work
What a wonderful wealth of information. You did a lot of work to unpack all of that in 1/2 hour! Thank you. 🐺👑
Great video! 🐺
❤ your videos and look forward to them.
Very informative and so easily understood thanks to your wonderful narration. Thank you!
Thank you, Dr. Kat! 👑🐺
Great presentation, thank you. 🎉❤
I always have loved history and wolves. Personally I can’t imagine a better complement to a woman. I do however live in this time of women in pants driving their own cars and living and working by them selves,thank you very much. I have long felt I wouldn’t have lasted very long back not so far in history because I have a voice and have never not used it when I felt there was a need. I’ve been called a witch with a b. I’ve carried that complement happily and it has sustained me through some tougher times. Bless women like our Margaret for their strength and believed in them selves to make our history and lives more interesting and and as an example of how real women behave.🐺🌟🏰🛡️⚔️❤️🔥🇬🇧
Looking forward to more she-wolf videos! ❤
Love your content 😊😊😊❤❤❤❤
🐺👑 🐺👑 🐺👑 She was gutsy, strong, and smart - she had to be to hold things together for her husband and son. Vive la reine!
Another great video. 💅 🐺 👑 There might have been a squeal of excitement, when I saw the title. 😂
❤ I enjoyed this video. You made a hard history topic easy to understand and follow. Whilst staying true to the facts. Thank you. ✍️💯🙂
Great video. ❤
This looks epic!
I have just seen you in a documentary about Queen Anne on 4. Well done! You are one of my favourite historians 😊
Thank you 😊
Thank you for an excellent video. It must have taken extraordinary strength for Margaret to act as she did. And thank you for your beautiful, intelligent reading of the Shakespeare extracts. I could listen to you and The Bard all day.
Very informative. Thank you. 👸🏻🦸🏻
You are the most skilled narrator !
Thank you 😊
Great episode.
Always enjoying your academic and informative insights into English history.👑 You suggested early in this video, that Shakespeare's play was biased, because it would be in his interest to flatter queen Elizabeth I and her lineage. Now you might have already made a video on this, but wasn't this the case as well for his depiction of Richard III? 🤔
Thanks again for an informative video.
I really enjoyed this video . I have a book about Margaret that I haven't read yet . I am looking for to reading it and see how she is presented there.
I used to always think of Rhea the She-Wolf bka Remus and Romulus mother but as I've gotten already I always mention Margaret of Anjuo as well
I enjoy the way in which you present the facts and your opinions. Applying our modern sensibilities to medieval history can often distort the lens of observation. In the case of Margaret (as opposed to the Empress Matilda, for example), she did everything that was expected of a queen at that time. She secured the dynasty with a male heir, she ardently defended the rights of both her husband and son, and actively pursued diplomatic relations on behalf of these men. Therefore, it can be concluded that her moniker of “she-wolf” was applied to vilify her as the opponent who lost. Personally, I believe that she showed extraordinary resilience. 👑
A most regal and honorable Queen She-Wolf. Especially in the times she was living.
I think of she wolf as today one might use Mama Bear: a woman defending her child or family. Another example of a strong woman being disliked for the very traits that would be applauded in a man.
Thanks!
Margaret of Anjou was definitely a She Wof but in a good way she was a strong woman and a very protective mother 🐺
🐺👑 Thank you!
Hi Dr Kat, I am assuming you’ve seen the updated documentary on the ‘princes in the tower’ with Philippa Langley and Rob Rinder. It’s certainly created a buzz with the proffered new evidence. Following on from your video on the subject a while back, would you be interested in doing an update?
She was a survivor 💗
Twice I have seen someone attempt to take the HENRY VI plays and some of RICHARD III to create a play about Margaret of Anjou.
The first was called SHAKESPEARE'S ROYAL ROSE and while not perfect was generally very good, with Margaret portrayed as a powerful, complex person at the Ensemble Shakespeare Theatre Company.
The second version had a very unwieldly title "Queen Margaret's Version of Shakespeare's War of the Roses" as a terrible mess in almost every single way. This was at the Theatricum Botanicum.
Thanks 🐺👸🏼
Another great video. I think I see Bill Bryson's book on Shakespeare on the shelf behind you - what do you think of that?
13:57 timeline
18:45
19:51
I understand that she-wolf is derogatory. 👑🐺🛡🗡 Bah! Used, typically, by men who have lost what they coveted. Too bad, I say. If my children or my husband are endangered, my heart and my will turn into that of the wolf. Baring my teeth, they would see me and never forget.
I will quote Mary in the play/movie, The Women. "I've had two years to grow claws, mother. Jungle red!" ❤
I've always thought Margaret was one of the most interesting characters in Richard III, and I always wonder at the choice of some productions to remove her.
Margaret was simply a strong woman doing what her conscience would have thought to be right. A monarch takes vows.
Could you do a video on ursula pole please? Xx
Now that my sister works there I really appreciate square space ads more
❤ she was extremely inspiring. Any woman here can feel her strength. She must have been incredibly frustrated in England.
Also, let's not forget that distances were large, and royal couples often spent large swathes of time far apart. Not conducive to a large family.
Great video!! I think Margaret did what she needed to do.
The term may have been meant as an insult but then history doesn’t treat strong women kindly. She had a vision of how she wanted things to be and some people’s noses got put out of joint. 👑
Cheers from Canada 🐺
She was a She-Wolf, but that isn't my bad.
Edward II of England had a "She-Wolf" for a wife... Also of France and I love her.
Those days they hated capable women. End of.
I just recently finished The Wolf Den, which is a historical fiction novel about sex workers in Pompeii, and your connection between the term and Rome's origin just blew my mind.
Totally different interpretation I have never seen that makes me want to dive back in to my study of Roman Misogyny. How interesting that a literal wolf is a more noble origin than a normal woman who would've been working a relatively normal job for the time.
That's going to be ping ponging around in my head for ages now
Call me cynical, but I think it is most reasonable to assume that Henry VI was killed. The idea of him oh so conveniently dying at that moment; when Edward had left him alive once before and lived to regret it, stretches so far beyond all credulity. No, I’m quite certain that Edward was going to nip that problem in the bud, once and for all. The more interesting question for me, is who did he send to do it?
Margaret was a "she-wolf." That's a very good thing! She fought openly to protect her son and husband. Very suspicious, of course, because she was a both a woman and a foreigner. Had a hypothetic brother of the king done the same things, he probably could have been regent and would have been praised to the rafters for his loyalty.👑🐺👑⚔
She wolf in the best way! Those men felt threatened by her, as they should have been!🏰 🐺🤹♀
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🐺🐺🐺Being called a She Wolf was no doubt an insult but she fought for her husband and son. Today she would be judged differently
Please tell us about Constnce from King John!
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Really enjoyed this, especially with the Shakespearean connections.
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👑💪 She sounded a really strong woman Shakespeare as always wrote his plays in favour of the Queen and her ancestors
Excellent video and I think the term “she-wolf” was meant to be derogatory but I think it can be interpreted as being a strong and courageous or determined woman. 💪
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She-wolf in the best sense! Well done! 🐺
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🐺🐺🐺Good job, Margrit
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👑🐺❤❤❤❤❤
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She was a strong and smart woman, so naturally she wasn't like. 🙄 She did what she had to do when she needed to do it! If that makes her a "she-wolf" so be it! It's a name she should wear with pride, as it is by no means a bad thing!
Interesting 🙂👻🙂
For Margaret: 👑🌹🐺
👑 👸🏾 🐺 🇫🇷
Ive just finished Mary Beard's "Women & Power" and women speaking out was an understandable behaviour for a woman.
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