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Act 2, Scene 1
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Henry VI Part 2, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Ambition
Nobles vs. Commoners
Religion and Politics
Patriotism
Magic
Summary
Analysis
York, Salisbury, and Warwick are walking after dinner when York asks what the others think of his claim to the throne. York reminds them how the House of Lancaster got the crown: after the Black Prince, first son of King Edward III, died before his father, the Black Prince’s son Richard II became heir and then king. He was king until Edward III’s fourth son’s heir, the Duke of Lancaster, deposed Richard II and crowned himself Henry IV. York argues that after Richard II died, the heir of Edward III’s second son should have inherited. When Salisbury says that the second son died heirless, York reveals that Edward III’s third son is his great-great-grandfather through his mother Anne—so he should be king. Warwick calls York’s right to the throne “plain,” and he and Salisbury kneel to York.
York’s claim to the throne is not, in fact, “plain.” If it were plain, York would not have had to explain it in such painstaking detail. Since Warwick has repeatedly expressed anger at King Henry’s foreign policy toward France—in particular, Henry’s willingness to cede territory to France that Warwick himself helped conquer for England—it seems likely that Warwick’s personal pride and English patriotism both motivate him to support York against Henry.
Active
Themes
York says, “We thank you.” After Salisbury and Warwick stand, York reminds them he’s not officially their king until he has the throne. He warns them to keep quiet and follow his orders, ignoring the other lords’ arrogance and greed until the other lords have succeeded in destroying Gloucester. Warwick says he’s sure he’ll get York on the throne, and York replies that he’ll make Warwick “the greatest man in England but the King.”
Active
Themes
