Henry VI Part 2 Act One - "Could I come near your beauty with my nails, I'd set my ten commandments in your face."
The play starts with a spark when King Henry VI entering his court
with the Duke of Gloucester, the Duke of Somerset, the Duke of Buckingham, and
Cardinal Beaufort. From another door enters the Duke of York, Suffolk, the
Earls of Salisbury and Warwick, and Margaret. Suffolk bows before the king,
relating how he captured Margaret during the French wars and negotiated for her
to become Henry's wife. He presents Margaret to the king. Henry welcomes her.
Margaret greets him, saying her only desire is for him to love her. Henry
rejoices in her and orders the lords to welcome her.
An article of a peace treaty with the French is presented by
Suffolk. Gloucester reads it aloud, growing faint at the passages about the
lands of Anjou and Maine being returned to the French in exchange for
Margaret's hand. Henry is pleased and so promotes Suffolk to the rank of duke.
Henry thanks all his lords and departs with Suffolk and Margaret to prepare her
coronation.
It is brought up by Gloucester that Henry's father, King Henry V,
and then all the lords present in court, had fought so hard with the French to
win the very lands that Henry is about to give back to the French. Gloucester
thinks the marriage between Margaret and Henry is a fatal pairing, undoing the
achievements of English-held France and erasing the names of all those who
fought to hold those lands from memory. Beaufort says Gloucester speaks too
soon, for the English still hold the rest of France. Yet Salisbury and Warwick
agree that Anjou and Maine are the keys to Normandy, and their loss to the
French forebodes the fall of remaining English lands there. York bemoans the
marriage, too, saying that English kings always received a large dowry through
their weddings, but in this case Henry gives away lands and receives nothing.
Beaufort tells Gloucester that he is too hasty in his criticism,
and Gloucester explodes, saying Beaufort dislikes him, not his words. As he
leaves, he tells the lords to remember that he prophesized the imminent fall of
France. After he leaves, Beaufort speaks against Gloucester, reminding the
lords that Gloucester is the Protector of the throne until Henry is old enough
to rule, and, therefore, he is the heir apparent to the throne should Henry
die. He urges the lords not to be bewitched by Gloucester, even though the
common people like him, for he is a dangerous force in the kingdom and surely
wants to become king. Buckingham agrees that Gloucester's job is done and Henry
is now old enough to rule; he suggests that he, Beaufort, and Suffolk join
together to remove him from office. Beaufort departs, and Somerset advises
Buckingham against helping Beaufort to topple Gloucester, for Beaufort surely
wants to become Protector in Gloucester's place. Buckingham suggests he or
Somerset would be the next Protector, and both depart.
Salisbury comments on the pride and ambition of the departed
lords. He had always known Gloucester to be an honorable man, yet he has seen
Beaufort behaving in a manner unbefitting his station. Speaking to York and
Warwick, Salisbury suggests that they band together for the public good, to try
to suppress the pride of Suffolk and Beaufort and the ambition of Somerset and
Buckingham, and save Gloucester. They agree, and York is left along on the
stage.
York speaks of his own claims to the throne. He is angered that
the king has given away Anjou and Maine, when they were not his own lands to
give. York can do nothing as yet but to fret about his lost lands, which seems
a pity to him since he had high hopes for France. Someday he will claim his birthright,
he declares, and until then, he will ally himself with Salisbury and Warwick
until the right moment arrives. He tries to stay calm while others mess up his
kingdom, for soon the house of York will topple the reign of the Lancasters.
Gloucester and his wife, Eleanor, the Duchess, talk. She asks why
he is so gloomy. Does he dream of Henry's throne, she asks. Gloucester tells
her to banish such ambitious thoughts, explaining his bad mood comes from his
unsettling dreams. He saw his staff, the badge of his office, broken in two,
and impaled on the end of each half were the heads of Somerset and Suffolk. The
Duchess, too, has had dreams; she saw herself in Westminster Abbey, about to be
crowned as queen, with Henry and Margaret at her feet. Gloucester, astonished,
chides her, reminding her that she is the second woman in the realm, behind
only Margaret. He demands that she must not hatch any treachery that will bring
harm to him.
A messenger enters, asking Gloucester to join the king at Saint
Albans, where the lords are hunting. He leaves. The Duchess considers how, if
she were a man, she would much more easily remove the stumbling blocks between
her and the throne. But, being a woman, she must play a role. She calls in Sir
John Hume and asks him if he has spoken with the witch and conjurer to ask them
to advise her about the future. Hume says they have promised to raise a spirit
to answer all the questions. She gives him money to complete the deal and she
leaves. Hume remains, pondering that the Duchess has given him gold to hire a
witch, while Beaufort and Suffolk have also given him gold to help undermine
the Duchess and urge her to dabble in the occult. He's playing both sides, he
realizes, and he will bring about the fall of Gloucester through the ruin of
the Duchess.
Several petitioners, including Peter, enter the palace, searching
for Gloucester, whom they believe to be a good man who can help them. Suffolk
and Margaret enter; one petitioner believes Suffolk is Gloucester, but another
insists it is Suffolk. Suffolk asks what the petitioners want. One petitioner
offers up his complaints. Realizing they are addressed to Gloucester, Margaret
eagerly reads the papers. The second petitioner's complaint is against Suffolk,
but nothing interests Suffolk until he hears Peter's complaint against his
master, Thomas Horner, who Peter claims has said the Duke of York is the
rightful heir to the crown. Suffolk pays attention to Peter and sends him off
to make his complaint formally. Meanwhile, Margaret rips up the other
petitioner's papers.
Margaret asks Suffolk if court details are normally dealt with by
Gloucester instead of Henry; as the queen, must she be subject to the rulings
of a mere duke? She tells Suffolk that she thought Henry would resemble Suffolk
in bravery and seductiveness, but Henry is weak and more concerned with prayer
and his religious life. Suffolk tells her to be patient; just as he was the
cause of her becoming queen, so he will make things work out for her in
England. The two discuss all their enemies, from Beaufort and Gloucester to
Somerset, Buckingham, and York, and finally Salisbury and Warwick. Plus, says
Margaret, there is the Duchess to worry about; Margaret can't stand the
Duchess's haughty manner, behaving as if she is the highest lady in the land.
Suffolk says he has set a trap for her already. And while they don't like
Beaufort, they must side with him until Gloucester has come to disgrace. And as
for York, Peter's complaint may help bring him down. So little by little, they
will weed out their enemies.
Henry enters with York and Somerset, followed by Gloucester, the
Duchess, Buckingham, Salisbury and Warwick, and Beaufort. York and Somerset
disagree over who should become regent of France, while Henry says he doesn't
care who gets the job. The other lords join in, suggesting their preferred
candidate. Gloucester says the king should decide, but Margaret demands to know
Gloucester's role now that Henry is of age. He reminds her that he is the
protector but willingly would resign if she wishes. Suffolk, Beaufort,
Buckingham, and Margaret accuse Gloucester of making a mess of the kingdom.
Gloucester, insulted, leaves. Then, Margaret drops her fan and asks the Duchess
to pick it up, punching her in the ear when she leans down. The Duchess is
enraged, promising revenge, and storms out. Gloucester returns, calmed, and
urges the king to make York the regent of France. York says he would be a bad
candidate for regent, for Somerset's delay in providing him with men and
equipment would delay him until France fell to the king of France.
Horner and Peter enter. Suffolk explains that Peter accuses Horner
of saying York was the rightful heir to the throne. Horner denies such
accusations, but Peter repeats them. York asks for justice in treatment of these
villains. Horner suggests Peter's accusations come from anger at Horner
correcting Peter's work. Gloucester recommends that Somerset become the regent
of France, as the case brings suspicions against York. And he recommends that
Horner and Peter settle their differences in armed single combat. Henry agrees
and Horner is satisfied, but Peter is hysterical; he doesn't know how to fight
and worries he will die. The two men are taken to prison to await their battle.
Meanwhile, at Gloucester's house, a Witch and Bolingbroke, a
conjurer, arrive with Hume. They discuss the Duchess and suggest that she watch
their work from above, with Hume. The Duchess enters above and greets them.
They begin their ceremony with Bolingbroke's incantations. A spirit appears and
says that he will answer their questions. Bolingbroke reads from a list of
questions, asking first what will become of Henry. The spirit responds:
"The Duke yet lives that Henry shall depose, / But him outlive, and die a
violent death" (I.iv.29-30). Bolingbroke asks about the fate of Suffolk,
who the spirit says will die at sea. The spirit says Somerset should avoid
castles. Then, the spirit sinks into the ground, with thunder crashing.
Soldiers enter with York and Buckingham and York orders the arrest
of the conjurers. Finding the written questions, Buckingham orders the Duchess'
arrest. All are led away, and Buckingham and York read Bolingbroke's questions.
Buckingham asks he if he go to tell the King of the arrest of the Duchess.
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