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Act 4, Scene 9
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
Cade climbs into a private garden looking for food, cursing his ambitions. The owner, Alexander Iden, strolls by with his men. Iden rejoices in his rural happiness, far from court, and declares his “small inheritance” as good as a monarchy. Cade, worried that Iden will turn him in, draws his sword and announces that though he hasn’t eaten for five days, he can still kill Iden and his men. Iden replies that he wouldn’t gang up six-on-one against a starving vagrant—he’ll fight alone. After Iden deals Cade a fatal blow, the dying Cade claims hunger, not Iden, defeated him and declares that “the unconquered soul of Cade is fled.” Iden, realizing who he just killed, announces he’ll carry the “traitor” Cade’s head to King Henry.
By cursing his own “ambitions,” Cade shows more self-awareness than some other ambitious characters in the play. Unlike (for example) Suffolk, Cade realizes that he brought danger and disaster on himself by trying to violently seize political power. Conversely, Iden is a foil for Cade, Suffolk, York, and the other ambitious characters because he is content with what he has. His “small inheritance” meets his needs, so he doesn’t want a “monarchy.”
Active
Themes
