William Shakespeare

Henry VI, Part 2 William Shakespeare

The earl of Suffolk, who arranged for the marriage of King Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou, brings the new queen to England. There is great indignation when the terms of the marriage treaty are revealed. The contract calls for an eighteen-month truce between the two countries, the outright gift of the duchies of Anjou and Maine to Reignier, Margaret's father, and omission of her dowry. As predicted earlier, no good can come of this union, since Henry, at Suffolk's urging, broke his betrothal to the daughter of the earl of Armagnac. However, Henry, pleased by his bride's beauty, gladly accepts the treaty and elevates Suffolk, the go-between, to a dukedom. The voices are hardly still from the welcome of the new queen before the lords, earls, and dukes express their ambitions to gain more control in affairs of state. The old dissension between the duke of Gloster and Cardinal Beaufort continues. The churchman tries to turn others against Gloster by saying that Gloster, next in line for the crown, needs watching. The duke of Somerset accuses the cardinal of seeking Gloster's position for himself. These high ambitions are not exclusively the failing of the men. The duchess of Gloster shows great impatience with her husband when he says he wishes only to serve as Protector of the Realm. When she sees that her husband is not going to help her ambitions to be queen, the duchess hires Hume, a priest, to traffic with witches and conjurers on her behalf. Hume accepts her money, but he is already hired by Suffolk and the cardinal to work against the duchess.