Henry VI, Part III · Character

Edmund Beaufort, Duke of Somerset

A Lancastrian duke whose severed head is hurled onto the parliament floor, Somerset embodies the bloody arithmetic of York's rising vengeance.

supporting

Also known as Somerset, my Lord of Somerset, gentle Somerset

First appearance: act i scene i

As a supporting figure in Henry VI, Part III, Edmund Beaufort, Duke of Somerset is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Follows Clarence in defecting to Warwick.

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Somerset belongs to the Lancastrian faction that surrounds the pious King Henry, and his death at York's hands is announced before the play's first scene has finished. His head, thrown down by Richard of Gloucester, becomes a grisly trophy that hardens the resolve of both houses and turns a dynastic quarrel into a feud of blood. For the early arc, Somerset is less a man than a warning: the price of loyalty to a king too gentle to protect his own.

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See Edmund Beaufort, Duke of Somerset in act i scene i

Character Web

17 connections

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Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Lancastrian and Yorkist Nobles
Protagonist
Queen Elizabeth's Family and Guards

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point

This scene is the dramatic climax because it presents the emotional and psychological peak of King Edward’s tr…

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In the story

Edmund Beaufort, Duke of Somerset appears across 8 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Scene I
Follows Clarence in defecting to Warwick.
Scene II
Arrives with Clarence to join Warwick's faction against Edward.
Scene III
Part of Warwick's force; assists in capturing Edward.
Scene VI
Expresses concern over Edward's escape and arranges to send young Richmond to Brittany for safety.
Scene I: The Battle of Barnet
Somerset arrives with forces to support Warwick, entering Coventry.
Scene II
Arrives with Oxford, informs Warwick of Montague's death and the queen's arrival from France.
Scene IV
Supports Margaret and Oxford, vowing shame to any who would not fight for such a cause.
Scene V
Captured and ordered beheaded.

Chapter companion notes

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See Edmund Beaufort, Duke of Somerset in act i scene i

See Edmund Beaufort, Duke of Somerset in Scene I