Nobles vs. Commoners Theme Analysis

In Henry VI Part 2, English nobles derive their self-worth from their social position, specifically their proximity by birth to the throne. Moreover, they define themselves in contrast with commoners, whom they tend to scorn. Nobles’ obsession with their position and scorn for common people can make them vulnerable if they fail to recognize poor commoners’ potential power as well as their resentment of aristocrats. This dynamic is clear both in the Duke of Suffolk’s exile and murder and in John Cade’s rebellion. After Suffolk conspires to have the Duke of Gloucester murdered, an angry crowd of commoners—who loved the Duke of Gloucester for his good government—insist that unless King Henry VI exiles Suffolk, they’ll kill Suffolk themselves.

Though Suffolk is scornful and incredulous that a crowd of commoners is telling the king what to do, Henry—who wanted Suffolk gone anyway—does take the opportunity to exile Suffolk. Once Suffolk is in exile, the Duke of York (who plans to usurp the throne and is getting rid of potential enemies) sends shipmen to kill him. Pompous Suffolk declares it “impossible” that relatively lowborn men should murder him, a relative of the king, and refuses to beg for his life—only to have his head cut off. Thus, Suffolk’s failure to account for the power of common crowds and his scorn for lowborn shipmen allows King Henry and the Duke of York to outmaneuver him, leading to his downfall and death. Similarly, when the lowborn soldier John Cade leads a rebellion against King Henry at the Duke of York’s instigation, he rallies a large force of commoners by promising to kill every “lord” and “gentleman” in England—and his rebels do indeed behead several. Though Cade’s followers eventually abandon him, his temporary success in starting a violent anti-aristocratic movement shows that England’s nobles ignore the power and resentment of commoners at their peril.