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    Henry VI, Part 2

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    Henry VI Part 2 is the middle play of the trilogy, where the feud turns deadly at home. Henry is a gentle, weak king, easily pushed around by his ambitious queen and scheming nobles. His one honest protector is framed and murdered, and order breaks down: a commoner named Jack Cade leads a violent uprising through the streets of London. Behind it all, the powerful Duke of York is quietly building his own claim to the crown, ready to seize it by force.

    ▸SCENE I. London. The palace.▸SCENE II. GLOUCESTER'S house.▸SCENE III. The palace.▸SCENE IV. GLOUCESTER's garden.

    ▸SCENE I. Saint Alban's.▸SCENE II. London. YORK'S garden.▸SCENE III. A hall of justice.▸SCENE IV. A street.

    ▸SCENE I. The Abbey at Bury St. Edmund's.▸SCENE II. Bury St. Edmund's. A room of state.▸SCENE III. A bedchamber.

    ▸SCENE I. The coast of Kent.▸SCENE II. Blackheath.▸SCENE III. Another part of Blackheath.▸SCENE IV. London. The palace.▸SCENE V. London. The Tower.▸SCENE VI. London. Cannon Street.▸SCENE VII. London. Smithfield.▸SCENE VIII. Southwark.▸SCENE IX. Kenilworth Castle.▸SCENE X. Kent. IDEN's garden.

    ▸SCENE I. Fields between Dartford and Blackheath.▸SCENE II. Saint Alban's.▸SCENE III. Fields near St. Alban's.

    Characters

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    Queen MargaretHenry's queen, Suffolk's lover, political forceDuke of GloucesterLord Protector, loyal to EnglandDuke of SuffolkMargaret's lover, political manipulatorDuke of YorkYorkist claimant to the throne

    Famous Quotes

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    “The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers.”

    Dick the Butcher — Act 4, Scene 2

    “Smooth runs the water where the brook is deep.”

    York — Act 3, Scene 1

    “What stronger breastplate than a heart untainted! Thrice is he armed that hath his quarrel just.”

    King Henry VI — Act 3, Scene 2

    Further Reading

    Best Lines by Shakespeare: Quotes on Life, Love and More

    A curated collection of Shakespeare's most famous lines, organised by theme, from love and loss to daily wisdom, sport and celebration. Each quote includes the play it comes from and why it still resonates.

    Who Was William Shakespeare? A Complete Life and Biography

    The life of Shakespeare: born in Stratford 1564, the Globe, his death in 1616, and the First Folio. The facts, checked.

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