Henry VI, Part 2Henry VI, Part 2
Contents
Characters in the Play
Entire Play
With a weak, unworldly king on the throne, the English nobility heightens its struggle for power in Henry VI, Part 2,…
Act 1, scene 1
King Henry meets his consort Queen Margaret, brought by Suffolk from France. The nobles fall into dissension, with the Cardinal,…
Act 1, scene 2
The Duchess of Gloucester’s dream of becoming queen is rebuked by her husband but encouraged by the treacherous priest John…
Act 1, scene 3
Queen Margaret and Suffolk dismiss petitioners seeking Gloucester’s aid and then conspire against Gloucester. Somerset and York then clash, as…
Act 1, scene 4
The Duchess of Gloucester watches while a spirit is conjured up to prophesy the fates of her rivals, but she…
Act 2, scene 1
King Henry and his court are hunting when they are interrupted by an announcement of a miracle in nearby Saint…
Act 2, scene 2
York persuades Salisbury and Warwick of the validity of his claim to the throne.
Act 2, scene 3
King Henry sentences the Duchess to public penance and exile, and removes Gloucester from his office as Lord Protector. Then…
Act 2, scene 4
Gloucester watches his Duchess’s public humiliation as she goes into exile. He is summoned to Parliament.
Act 3, scene 1
In Parliament Queen Margaret and the nobles level charges against Gloucester, but King Henry remains convinced of his uncle’s innocence….
Act 3, scene 2
The news of Gloucester’s murder makes King Henry faint and the Commons rise to demand Suffolk’s exile. The King obliges…
Act 3, scene 3
The Cardinal dies.
Act 4, scene 1
Attempting to sail to France, Suffolk is captured by shipmen and brutally assassinated.
Act 4, scene 2
In a plot instigated by York, Jack Cade leads a rebellion against King Henry. The Staffords seek to put it…
Act 4, scene 3
Cade defeats and kills the Staffords and marches on London.
Act 4, scene 4
King Henry flees London and Queen Margaret mourns Suffolk’s death. Lord Saye, whom the rebels hate, decides to hide in…
Act 4, scene 5
Citizens of London plead for military aid from Lord Scales, who commands forces at the Tower. He sends Matthew Gough,…
Act 4, scene 6
Cade enters London.
Act 4, scene 7
Cade defeats and kills Gough. Lord Saye is captured and killed.
Act 4, scene 8
Lord Clifford and Buckingham persuade Cade’s followers to return to King Henry. Cade flees.
Act 4, scene 9
As King Henry rejoices at Cade’s defeat, a messenger announces York’s approach with an Irish army ostensibly seeking Somerset’s arrest…
Act 4, scene 10
A starving Cade is killed in a fight with the Kentish gentleman Alexander Iden, in whose garden Cade looked for…
Act 5, scene 1
Buckingham seemingly placates York, and King Henry rewards Iden. York, seeing Somerset at liberty, announces his claim to the throne,…
Act 5, scene 2
York kills Lord Clifford, and York’s son Richard kills the Duke of Somerset. Defeated in battle, King Henry flees to…
Act 5, scene 3
Victorious, York and his followers set out for London.
Characters in the Play
King Henry VI
Queen Margaret
Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, the king’s uncle, and Lord Protector
Duchess of Gloucester, Dame Eleanor Cobham
Cardinal Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester, the king’s great-uncle
Duke of Somerset
Duke of Suffolk, William de la Pole, earlier Marquess of Suffolk
Buckingham
Lord Clifford
Young Clifford, his son
Duke of York, Richard Plantagenet
Earl of Salisbury
Earl of Warwick, Salisbury’s son
Edward, Earl of March
Richard
sons of the Duke of York
Jack Cade, leader of the Kentish rebellion
Bevis
John Holland
Dick the butcher
Smith the weaver
Michael
George
followers of Jack Cade
Lord Scales
Lord Saye
Sir Humphrey Stafford
His Brother, William Stafford
King Henry’s
supporters against Cade
supporters against Cade
Sir John Hume, a priest
John Southwell, a priest
Margery Jourdain, a witch
Roger Bolingbroke, a conjurer
Spirit
Sir John Stanley
Sheriff
custodians of the Duchess of Gloucester
Thomas Horner, the Duke of York’s armorer
Peter Thump, Horner the armorer’s man or prentice
Two or Three Petitioners
Three Neighbors of Horner’s
Three Prentices, friends of Thump
A Man of Saint Albans
Sander Simpcox, supposed recipient of a miracle
His Wife
Mayor of Saint Albans
A Beadle of Saint Albans
Lieutenant, captain of a ship
Ship’s Master
Master’s Mate
Walter Whitmore, a ship’s officer
Two Gentlemen, prisoners
Messengers
Servants
A Herald
Post, or messenger
Two or Three Murderers of Gloucester
Vaux
Clerk of Chartham
Two or Three Citizens
Alexander Iden, a gentleman of Kent
Servants, Guards, Falconers, Attendants, Townsmen of Saint Albans, Bearers, Drummers, Commoners, Rebels, a Sawyer, Soldiers, Officers, Matthew Gough, and Others
