William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk
William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk KG (born October 16, 1396 in Cotton , Suffolk , † May 2, 1450 near Dover , Kent ) was an English soldier and military leader in the Hundred Years' War and later Lord Chamberlain of England. As a dramatic figure , William Shakespeare in the multi-part historical drama Heinrich VI. assigned a major role.
Life
He was the second son of Michael de la Pole, 2nd Earl of Suffolk , and the Catherine de Stafford. At the age of 19 he fought alongside his father and older brother in the capture of Harfleur in 1415, during which his father died and he himself was wounded. Shortly afterwards, his brother Michael also fell at the Battle of Azincourt . William inherited his brother and became the 4th Earl of Suffolk. He was appointed second in command of the English forces at the capture of Orléans in 1429. When the city was retaken by Joan of Arc that same year , he retreated to Jargeau , where he was forced to surrender on June 12th. He remained a prisoner of King Charles VII for three years and was finally released in 1431.
On his return to England he became a knight and ally of Cardinal Henry Beaufort and an influential member of the court party he led . His greatest achievement during this time was negotiating the marriage between King Henry VI. and Margaret of Anjou in 1444. He was then promoted to Marquess of Suffolk . In 1434 he was appointed in command of Wallingford Castle. After the death in 1447 of the king's uncle and great-uncle Henry Beauforts, Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, de la Pole became the chief adviser to the weak Henry VI. It is interesting that de la Poles' archenemy, the Duke of Gloucester, died under unexplained circumstances after his wife was sentenced in Bury St. Edmunds, in Suffolk. Whether de la Pole had his hand in the game remains to be guessed. In any case, that same year he received Gloucester's title of Earl of Pembroke . He was also appointed Lord Chamberlain and Admiral of England and in 1448 also raised to Duke of Suffolk .
De la Pole could not prevent the almost complete loss of the English possessions in northern France and was therefore overthrown on January 28, 1450 and imprisoned in the Tower of London . He was banished from England for five years, but on his voyage to France his ship was stopped and de la Pole was killed. Who was behind his murder remains a mystery. However, Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York , an archenemy of de la Poles, may have been responsible. The body was taken to Wingfield , where it is buried in the church.
family
William de la Pole married Alice Chaucer (1404–1475) on November 11, 1430, a granddaughter of the famous poet Geoffrey Chaucer . With her he fathered his only legitimate son, John . De la Pole also had a relationship with a nun, Malyne de Cay, and fathered Jane (1429–1494) with her. It is reported that he fathered her the same night that Joan of Arc drove the English out of Orleans. Jane de la Pole was married to Thomas Stonor (1423-1474) and had a son, William Stonor .
Depiction in Shakespeare's Henry VI.
In his play "Heinrich VI." , Which is divided into three parts, Shakespeare describes the political underhandedness and intrigues of Henry VI's advisors, who make the king the plaything of their interests. William de la Pole plays an important role among these schemers. Shakespeare portrays him as an ambitious, ruthless courtier who is ready to do anything to increase his own power. He finds his means of power in Queen Margaret, whom he takes prisoner in the first part and then proposes as the bride for King Henry. After he has convinced Heinrich of her: "Who would Heinrich take as his husband, as king / as Margareten, daughter of a king? / ... Because Heinrich, since his father is a conqueror, / has the prospect of generating more conquerors, / he joins a woman in love / mothed like the beautiful Margareta. / " Thereupon Heinrich asks him to negotiate the marriage: " So go to ship, my lord; hurries to France; / agrees to any treaty and ensures / that Miss Margareta will soon deign to / make the crossing to England. ” de la Poles words then end the first part. With these he already describes his intention to gain more power through Margareta: "Margreta should now rule the king, / but I she, the king and the kingdom" .
The second part begins with de la Pole handing over his wife to his king. While Heinrich appoints him duke in thanks: "Lord Margrave, kneel / be here appointed the first Duke of Suffolk / and girded with the sword!" , De la Pole makes enemies of the other courtiers, as she is jealous of the new power de la Envy poles. De la Pole later participates in the intrigues for power and, together with the other courtiers, brings down Gloster, Heinrich's uncle and protector. Shakespeare even makes Suffolk the murderer of Gloster, which, despite the support of the queen, robs Gloster of the king's goodwill. When the people demanded his execution, Heinrich banished him: "If after three days you are found here / on any soil where I rule / the world will no longer buy your life."
Suffolk's farewell scene from the queen is the only depiction of love in the entire play that otherwise only deals with politics and intrigue. Already in the first part, when he was sent out to negotiate by his king, he raised hopes of a romance by comparing himself to Paris: " So Suffolk won and so he goes / Like young Paris once to Greece, / With Hope of similar success in loving, / But better outcome than Trojans had. " The separation of the two is even reminiscent of Romeo's farewell to Juliet. So the Queen says: "What am I sorry, Suffolk, only not for you, / and eager in tears with the clouds of the south, / moistening the land, my sorrow, mine? / Now get away: you know who King is coming / It is your death, you will be found with me. ” To which de la Pole replies: “ I cannot live if I part from you; / and to die next to you, it would be more / than like a sweet slumber in your lap? "
Although Shakespeare portrays de la Pole as an unpopular, scheming murderer, he grants him a heroic, glorious ending. When he is murdered on the ship in exile, he refuses to ask for his life: "Far be it that we people like this one should honor them with submissive requests. / No, I'd rather bow my head to the block , / Eh 'those knees bend before anyone, / ... The real nobility knows of no fear ... "
De la Pole dies as an arrogant nobleman who does not bend down to anyone and compare himself to the greats of world history:
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literature
- Williams, Edgar Trevor and Nicholls, Christine Stephanie (Eds.): The Dictionary of national biography, Oxford University Press, pp. 1178. 1981. ISBN 0-19-865207-0
- Richardson, Douglas: Plantagenet ancestry: a study in colonial and medieval families. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., pp. 945. 2004. ISBN 0-8063-1750-7
- Shakespeare, William: Complete Works. Histories. Darmstadt: Scientific Book Society 2005.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Powicke & Fryde: Handbook of British Chronology. Second Edition, London, 1961, p. 444
- ^ Powicke & Fryde: Handbook of British Chronology. Second Edition, London, 1961, p. 451
- ↑ Shakespeare, William: King Henry VI / First Part. (Translation: AW von Schlegel). In: Shakespeare, William: Complete Works. Histories. Darmstadt: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft 2005., p. 502.
- ↑ Shakespeare, William: King Henry VI / First Part. P. 502.
- ↑ Shakespeare, William: King Henry VI / First Part. P. 503.
- ↑ Shakespeare, William: King Henry VI./Second part. P. 508.
- ↑ Shakespeare, William: King Henry VI./Second part. P. 556.
- ↑ Shakespeare, William: King Henry VI / First Part. P. 503.
- ↑ Shakespeare, William: King Henry VI./Second part. P. 558.
- ↑ Shakespeare, William: King Henry VI./Second part. P. 558.
- ↑ Shakespeare, William: King Henry VI./Second part. P. 563.
- ^ Shakespeare, William: The Second Part of King Henry VI. In: Craig, WJ (Ed.): The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. London: Henry Pordes. 1977. p. 598
- ↑ Shakespeare, William: King Henry VI./Second part. P. 563.
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Michael de la Pole |
Earl of Suffolk 1415-1450 |
John de la Pole (from 1463) |
| New title created |
Marquess of Suffolk 1444-1450 |
John de la Pole (from 1463) |
| New title created |
Earl of Pembroke 1446-1450 |
Title expired |
| New title created |
Duke of Suffolk 1448-1450 |
John de la Pole (from 1463) |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Pole, William de la, 1st Duke of Suffolk |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Suffolk, 1st Duke of |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | English nobleman |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 16, 1396 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Cotton , Suffolk |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 2, 1450 |
| Place of death | near Dover , Kent |