The First Part of Henry the Sixth, Act I, Scene I
William Shakespeare
Shakespeare opens "Henry VI, Part 1" with this vivid image of cosmic grief, setting a somber tone for the chaos that follows. The line reflects the Elizabethan belief that the heavens mirrored earthly affairs, aligning with the play's themes of war and disorder. This theatrical gesture of darkening the sky underscores a world turned upside down, echoing a period of national mourning in England after the death of Henry V.