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Act 2, Scene 4
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
At Parliament, King Henry wonders aloud why Gloucester, usually prompt, hasn’t yet arrived. Queen Margaret asks whether Henry hasn’t noticed Gloucester’s new arrogance and reminds Henry that Gloucester is next in line for the throne. She suggests that Gloucester shouldn’t be allowed near Henry, especially since Gloucester has used “flattery” to make the public love him. She then asks the nearby lords to prove her wrong or support her.
Yet again, an ambitious court figure tries to convince Henry that Gloucester is guilty of the court figure’s own vices. In this case, Margaret accuses Gloucester of arrogance and a desire for power, sins of which she herself is guilty. Interestingly, she also accuses him of “flatter[ing]” the public—one of the play’s first hints that the aristocrats, though they look down on commoners, also fear that commoners could be a powerful political force if mobilized by one of their enemies.
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Suffolk agrees with Margaret and claims that Gloucester was directly or indirectly responsible for the Duchess’s treason. Cardinal Beaufort says that Gloucester condemned minor criminals to cruel, weird executions. York insinuates that he embezzled money intended to pay English soldiers in France. Buckingham predicts that these are negligible wrongdoings compared to what they’ll find out about Gloucester in the future. King Henry commends the lords for worrying about his safety, but he states that Gloucester is “innocent” and “virtuous.” In response, Margaret calls Gloucester a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Since Henry believes that Gloucester is “innocent” and “virtuous,” his apparent assumption that Suffolk, Margaret, and the other courtiers are making unsupported accusations against Gloucester out of concern for Henry’s own safety may strike the audience as yet more evidence of Henry’s extreme, religiously inflected naivete.
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Somerset arrives. When King Henry asks the news from France, Somerset declares that England has lost all its French territories. Henry declares this news unfortunate but concludes, “God’s will be done.” To himself, York mutters that it’s unfortunate for his own ambitions—he wants France as well as England—but he plans to fix the problem or die trying.
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Gloucester enters, apologizing to King Henry for his lateness. Right away, Suffolk announces Gloucester’s arrest for “high treason.” Gloucester declares his conscience clear and asks what crime he committed. York says it’s “thought” the French paid Gloucester not to send English soldiers in France their salaries, thus undermining Henry’s control of France. Gloucester asks who thinks this. So far from taking bribes or embezzling from soldiers, he has in the past used his own money to pay soldiers rather than levying taxes on the public. When Cardinal Beaufort says that this story benefits Gloucester, Gloucester retorts that it’s true.
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York accuses Gloucester, when Lord Protector, of inflicting “strange tortures” on criminals. Gloucester replies that he did harshly punish murderers and robbers of helpless travelers but was otherwise very merciful. Suffolk interjects that although Gloucester may have good responses for the previous accusations, he stands accused of even “mightier crimes” against King Henry—and will remain in the Cardinal’s custody until his “trial.” Henry tells Gloucester that he believes Gloucester “innocent” and hopes the trial will acquit him.
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Gloucester replies that currently, “ambition” seeks to destroy goodness in England. Though he’d willingly die to stop the other lords’ abuse of power, he expects thousands more will perish before the power struggle ends. He accuses the Cardinal of “malice,” Suffolk of “hate,” Buckingham of envy, York of overreaching ambition, and Margaret of complicity with the others. He predicts that they’ll fabricate evidence to make sure he’s convicted of crimes he hasn’t committed.
Cardinal Beaufort tells King Henry that if Henry lets Gloucester berate Henry’s defenders, said defenders won’t be as keen to help Henry in the future. When Suffolk indignantly points out that Gloucester has criticized Queen Margaret, Margaret says she can let a defeated man talk. Buckingham says Gloucester can talk endlessly and encourages the Cardinal to have him taken away. The Cardinal orders his servants to remove Gloucester. As the servants take Gloucester away, Gloucester worries aloud that Henry may be doomed without Gloucester to guard him.
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King Henry deputizes his lords to run Parliament. When Queen Margaret asks whether Henry is leaving, Henry says he’s overcome by sorrow, as he believes Gloucester is innocent and doesn’t understand why his lords and his wife are conspiring to kill Gloucester—but he feels powerless to help Gloucester when Gloucester’s “enemies” are so “mighty.” Henry exits with Buckingham, Salisbury, and Warwick.
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To the Cardinal, Suffolk, and York, Margaret criticizes Henry’s passivity and emotionalism, claiming that Gloucester’s false show of wounded innocence has tricked Henry. She wishes Gloucester were out of the way. The Cardinal agrees but points out they haven’t yet established a legal pretext for Gloucester’s execution. Suffolk says that if Gloucester is tried legally, Henry will try to rescue him from execution—and the public may intervene to save him too. At York’s prodding, Suffolk suggests that Gloucester should be killed preemptively to defend Henry. Margaret praises the suggestion, and the Cardinal offers to find the murderer.
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A messenger enters, declares that Ireland is rebelling, begs the lords to send help, and leaves. York suggests that Somerset should become regent of Ireland, given how well he did in France. York and Somerset almost fight, but Queen Margaret intervenes. Then the Cardinal proposes that York leads soldiers into Ireland to put down the rebellion. York agrees. The others reiterate their plan to kill Gloucester and exit. Left alone, York reveals that he has plans to foment rebellion in England while he’s in Ireland. The rebellion will be led by a Kentish soldier and spy named Jack Cade, who will claim to be John Mortimer. York will use “Mortimer’s” claim to the throne to gauge how the public feels about his own claim.
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