Toolbox



Textual Analysis

[ Go ]

Shakespeare on Stage
American Shakespeare Center, Return to the Forbidden Planet. To Dec. 1, 2013.
Folger Shakespeare Library, Twelfth Night. To Jun. 9, 2013.
American Shakespeare Center, The Duchess of Malfi. To Jun. 15, 2013.
American Shakespeare Center, Love's Labour's Lost. To Jun. 15, 2013.
American Shakespeare Center, Twelfth Night. To Jun. 16, 2013.
More Performances…
‌

Henry VI, Part 2 (Folio 1, 1623)

Author: William Shakespeare
Not Peer Reviewed
2990
Enter Yorke, and his Army of Irish, with
Drum and Colours.
Yor. From Ireland thus comes York to claim his right,
And plucke the Crowne from feeble Henries head.
Ring Belles alowd, burne Bonfires cleare and bright
2995To entertaine great Englands lawfull King.
Ah Sancta Maiestas! who would not buy thee deere?
Let them obey, that knowes not how to Rule.
This hand was made to handle nought but Gold.
I cannot giue due action to my words,
3000Except a Sword or Scepter ballance it.
A Scepter shall it haue, haue I a soule,
On which Ile tosse the Fleure-de-Luce of France.
Enter Buckingham.
Whom haue we heere? Buckingham to disturbe me?
3005The king hath sent him sure: I must dissemble.
Buc. Yorke, if thou meanest wel, I greet thee well.
Yor. Humfrey of Buckingham, I accept thy greeting.
Art thou a Messenger, or come of pleasure.
Buc. A Messenger from Henry, our dread Liege,
3010To know the reason of these Armes in peace.
Or why, thou being a Subiect, as I am,
Against thy Oath, and true Allegeance sworne,
Should raise so great a power without his leaue?
Or dare to bring thy Force so neere the Court?
3015Yor. Scarse can I speake, my Choller is so great.
Oh I could hew vp Rockes, and fight with Flint,
I am so angry at these abiect tearmes.
And now like Aiax Telamonius,
On Sheepe or Oxen could I spend my furie.
3020I am farre better borne then is the king:
More like a King, more Kingly in my thoughts.
But I must make faire weather yet a while,
Till Henry be more weake, and I more strong.
Buckingham, I prethee pardon me,
3025That I haue giuen no answer all this while:
My minde was troubled with deepe Melancholly.
The cause why I haue brought this Armie hither,
Is to remoue proud Somerset from the King,
Seditious to his Grace, and to the State.
3030Buc. That is too much presumption on thy part:
But if thy Armes be to no other end,
The King hath yeelded vnto thy demand:
The Duke of Somerset is in the Tower.
Yorke. Vpon thine Honor is he Prisoner?
3035Buck. Vpon mine Honor he is Prisoner.
Yorke. Then Buckingham I do dismisse my Powres.
Souldiers, I thanke you all: disperse your selues:
Meet me to morrow in S. Georges Field,
You shall haue pay, and euery thing you wish.
3040And let my Soueraigne, vertuous Henry,
Command my eldest sonne, nay all my sonnes,
As pledges of my Fealtie and Loue,
Ile send them all as willing as I liue:
Lands, Goods, Horse, Armor, any thing I haue
3045Is his to vse, so Somerset may die.
Buc. Yorke, I commend this kinde submission,
We twaine will go into his Highnesse Tent.
Enter King and Attendants.
King. Buckingham, doth Yorke intend no harme to vs
3050That thus he marcheth with thee arme in arme?
Yorke. In all submission and humility,
Yorke doth present himselfe vnto your Highnesse.
K. Then what intends these Forces thou dost bring?
Yor. To heaue the Traitor Somerset from hence,
3055And fight against that monstrous Rebell Cade,
Who since I heard to be discomfited.
Enter Iden with Cades head.
Iden. If one so rude, and of so meane condition
May passe into the presence of a King:
3060Loe, I present your Grace a Traitors head,
The head of Cade, whom I in combat slew.
King. The head of Cade? Great God, how iust art thou?
Oh let me view his Visage being dead,
That liuing wrought me such exceeding trouble.
3065Tell me my Friend, art thou the man that slew him?
Iden. I was, an't like your Maiesty.
King. How art thou call'd? And what is thy degree?
Iden. Alexander Iden, that's my name,
A poore Esquire of Kent, that loues his King.
3070Buc. So please it you my Lord, 'twere not amisse
He were created Knight for his good seruice.
King. Iden, kneele downe, rise vp a Knight:
We giue thee for reward a thousand Markes,
And will, that thou henceforth attend on vs.
3075Iden. May Iden liue to merit such a bountie,
And neuer liue but true vnto his Liege.
Enter Queene and Somerset.
K. See Buckingham, Somerset comes with th' Queene,
Go bid her hide him quickly from the Duke.
3080Qu. For thousand Yorkes he shall not hide his head,
But boldly stand, and front him to his face.
Yor. How now? is Somerset at libertie?
Then Yorke vnloose thy long imprisoned thoughts,
And let thy tongue be equall with thy heart.
3085Shall I endure the sight of Somerset?
False King, why hast thou broken faith with me,
Knowing how hardly I can brooke abuse?
King did I call thee? No: thou art not King:
Not fit to gouerne and rule multitudes,
3090Which dar'st not, no nor canst not rule a Traitor.
That Head of thine doth not become a Crowne:
Thy Hand is made to graspe a Palmers staffe,
And not to grace an awefull Princely Scepter.
That Gold, must round engirt these browes of mine,
3095Whose Smile and Frowne, like to Achilles Speare
Is able with the change, to kill and cure.
Heere is a hand to hold a Scepter vp,
And with the same to acte controlling Lawes:
Giue place: by heauen thou shalt rule no more
3100O're him, whom heauen created for thy Ruler.
Som. O monstrous Traitor! I arrest thee Yorke
Of Capitall Treason 'gainst the King and Crowne:
Obey audacious Traitor, kneele for Grace.
York. Wold'st haue me kneele? First let me ask of thee,
3105If they can brooke I bow a knee to man:
Sirrah, call in my sonne to be my bale:
I know ere they will haue me go to Ward,
They'l pawne their swords of my infranchisement.
Qu. Call hither Clifford, bid him come amaine,
3110To say, if that the Bastard boyes of Yorke
Shall be the Surety for their Traitor Father.
Yorke. O blood-bespotted Neopolitan,
Out-cast of Naples, Englands bloody Scourge,
The sonnes of Yorke, thy betters in their birth,
3115Shall be their Fathers baile, and bane to those
That for my Surety will refuse the Boyes.
Enter Edward and Richard.
See where they come, Ile warrant they'l make it good.
Enter Clifford.
3120Qu. And here comes Clifford to deny their baile.
Clif. Health, and all happinesse to my Lord the King.
Yor. I thanke thee Clifford: Say, what newes with thee?
Nay, do not fright vs with an angry looke:
We are thy Soueraigne Clifford, kneele againe;
3125For thy mistaking so, We pardon thee.
Clif. This is my King Yorke, I do not mistake,
But thou mistakes me much to thinke I do,
To Bedlem with him, is the man growne mad.
King. I Clifford, a Bedlem and ambitious humor
3130Makes him oppose himselfe against his King.
Clif. He is a Traitor, let him to the Tower,
And chop away that factious pate of his.
Qu. He is arrested, but will not obey:
His sonnes (he sayes) shall giue their words for him.
3135Yor. Will you not Sonnes?
Edw. I Noble Father, if our words will serue.
Rich. And if words will not, then our Weapons shal.
Clif. Why what a brood of Traitors haue we heere?
Yorke. Looke in a Glasse, and call thy Image so.
3140I am thy King, and thou a false-heart Traitor:
Call hither to the stake my two braue Beares,
That with the very shaking of their Chaines,
They may astonish these fell-lurking Curres,
Bid Salsbury and Warwicke come to me.
3145
Enter the Earles of Warwicke, and
Salisbury.
Clif. Are these thy Beares? Wee'l bate thy Bears to death,
And manacle the Berard in their Chaines,
If thou dar'st bring them to the bayting place.
3150Rich. Oft haue I seene a hot ore-weening Curre,
Run backe and bite, because he was with-held,
Who being suffer'd with the Beares fell paw,
Hath clapt his taile, betweene his legges and cride,
And such a peece of seruice will you do,
3155If you oppose your selues to match Lord Warwicke.
Clif. Hence heape of wrath, foule indigested lumpe,
As crooked in thy manners, as thy shape.
Yor. Nay we shall heate you thorowly anon.
Clif. Take heede least by your heate you burne your
3160selues:
King. Why Warwicke, hath thy knee forgot to bow?
Old Salsbury, shame to thy siluer haire,
Thou mad misleader of thy brain-sicke sonne,
What wilt thou on thy death-bed play the Ruffian?
3165And seeke for sorrow with thy Spectacles?
Oh where is Faith? Oh, where is Loyalty?
If it be banisht from the frostie head,
Where shall it finde a harbour in the earth?
Wilt thou go digge a graue to finde out Warre,
3170And shame thine honourable Age with blood?
Why art thou old, and want'st experience?
Or wherefore doest abuse it, if thou hast it?
For shame in dutie bend thy knee to me,
That bowes vnto the graue with mickle age.
3175Sal. My Lord, I haue considered with my selfe
The Title of this most renowned Duke,
And in my conscience, do repute his grace
The rightfull heyre to Englands Royall seate.
King. Hast thou not sworne Allegeance vnto me?
3180Sal. I haue.
Ki. Canst thou dispense with heauen for such an oath?
Sal. It is great sinne, to sweare vnto a sinne:
But greater sinne to keepe a sinfull oath:
Who can be bound by any solemne Vow
3185To do a murd'rous deede, to rob a man,
To force a spotlesse Virgins Chastitie,
To reaue the Orphan of his Patrimonie,
To wring the Widdow from her custom'd right,
And haue no other reason for this wrong,
3190But that he was bound by a solemne Oath?
Qu. A subtle Traitor needs no Sophister.
King. Call Buckingham, and bid him arme himselfe.
Yorke. Call Buckingham, and all the friends thou hast,
I am resolu'd for death and dignitie.
3195Old Clif. The first I warrant thee, if dreames proue true
War. You were best to go to bed, and dreame againe,
To keepe thee from the Tempest of the field.
Old Clif. I am resolu'd to beare a greater storme,
Then any thou canst coniure vp to day:
3200And that Ile write vpon thy Burgonet,
Might I but know thee by thy housed Badge.
War. Now by my Fathers badge, old Neuils Crest,
The rampant Beare chain'd to the ragged staffe,
This day Ile weare aloft my Burgonet,
3205As on a Mountaine top, the Cedar shewes,
That keepes his leaues inspight of any storme,
Euen io affright thee with the view thereof.
Old Clif. And from thy Burgonet Ile rend thy Beare,
And tread it vnder foot with all contempt,
3210Despight the Bearard, that protects the Beare.
Yo.Clif. And so to Armes victorious Father,
To quell the Rebels, and their Complices.
Rich. Fie, Charitie for shame, speake not in spight,
For you shall sup with Iesu Christ to night.
3215Yo.Clif. Foule stygmaticke that's more then thou
canst tell.
Ric. If not in heauen, you'l surely sup in hell.
Exeunt