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Act 4, Scene 2
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
Sir Humphrey Stafford and his brother die in battle with the rebels. Cade praises Dick the butcher for making the battlefield his “slaughterhouse” and promises to reward him with a special license for butchering during Lent. Cade strips Stafford of his armor, dons the armor himself, and announces that he’ll drag the Staffords’ corpses behind him as his forces march on London. Dick suggests that they should force the release of all incarcerated men when they reach the city.
The play is set in the 14th century, when England was a Catholic country. Catholics have historically abstained from eating meat at various points in their religious calendar, especially during Lent, the 40-day preparatory period leading up to Easter. When Cade promises Dick a special license for butchering animals for food during Lent, the promise alludes to the historical fact that such butchery was legally restricted in Catholic England. The promise also implies that the play’s commoner rebels aren’t particularly different from its aristocratic schemers: both groups are ambitious, eager for wealth and special privileges, and uninterested in following religious norms.
Active
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