Henry VI Part 2 Acts Three, Four and Five - "Here on knee I beg mortality, Rather than life preserved with infamy."

Henry VI Part 2 Acts Three, Four and Five - "Here on knee I beg mortality, Rather than life preserved with infamy."

York’s plan seems to be working. Jack Cade’s “rebellion” becomes a class rebellion. Dick the butcher cleverly suggests, “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.” This is like 'Les Miserable’, the Bolshevik Revolution and the Arab Spring uprisings all in one. All seems lost but Cade’s forces relent and Cade escapes only to be killed anyway. The short scenes are reminiscent of the lead up to and battle scenes of Act 5 of ‘Macbeth’ without the focus and dramatic development of that later great play. York returns and eventually has to openly declare his hand. Old Clifford and Somerset are killed and Young Clifford pledges to kill Richard the “infant of the house of York". 

Henry VI is shown to be weak again and doesn’t know whether to stay and fight or go. Queen Margaret steps in again and Henry VI, Queen Margaret and Young Clifford, having lost at St. Albans, quickly head for London. Shakespeare has learnt the virtue of having a strong female on the battlefield. Oh, if only he had written a Saint Joan play.

The action ends with York, his son Richard and others planning to get to London before the king and stop the royals before they enter London. A cliffhanger ending which pleads for a sequel. So onto Henry VI Part 3 (the Almost Final Countdown).