History Theatre / HenryVIPart2

While this play is traditionally credited mostly to Shakespeare's authorship, scholarly analysis since the 1980s has led to theories that Shakespeare collaborated with his contemporary Creator/ChristopherMarlowe much more extensively on its writing than was previously believed. These theories were deemed compelling enough that the publishers of the 2016 edition of ''Oxford Shakespeare'' [[https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/oct/23/christopher-marlowe-credited-as-one-of-shakespeares-co-writers credited Marlowe as a co-author.]]

A history play by Creator/WilliamShakespeare and Creator/ChristopherMarlowe, ''Henry VI Part 2'' is the second of three plays describing the end of UsefulNotes/TheHundredYearsWar and the outbreak of the UsefulNotes/WarsOfTheRoses. In this installment, King Theatre/HenryVI meets his manipulative wife Margaret; the trusted Duke of Gloucester is assassinated; the people stage a rebellion; and Richard, Duke of York, plots to take control of the throne. The other plays in the series are ''Theatre/HenryVIPart1'' and ''Theatre/HenryVIPart3''.

We begin with the marriage of Henry to Margaret -- however, Suffolk's plan to dominate the King may be scuppered by the Duke of Gloucester: popular, honest and trusted by the king. He conspires with other members of the court to disgrace and then murder Gloucester, but is himself exiled and killed for the crime.

A history play by Creator/WilliamShakespeare and Creator/ChristopherMarlowe,''Henry VI Part 2'' is the second of three plays describing the end of UsefulNotes/TheHundredYearsWar and the outbreak of the UsefulNotes/WarsOfTheRoses. In this installment, King Theatre/HenryVI meets his manipulative wife Margaret; the trusted Duke of Gloucester is assassinated; the people stage a rebellion; and Richard, Duke of York, plots to take control of the throne. The other plays in the series are ''Theatre/HenryVIPart1'' and ''Theatre/HenryVIPart3''.

A history play by Creator/WilliamShakespeare, ''Henry VI Part 2'' is the second of three plays describing the end of UsefulNotes/TheHundredYearsWar and the outbreak of the UsefulNotes/WarsOfTheRoses. In this installment, King Theatre/HenryVI meets his manipulative wife Margaret; the trusted Duke of Gloucester is assassinated; the people stage a rebellion; and Richard, Duke of York, plots to take control of the throne. The other plays in the series are ''Theatre/HenryVIPart1'' and ''Theatre/HenryVIPart3''.

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters

* EvilLawyerJoke: Cade's declaration in Part II that "The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers."

* MeaningfulName: The rebel Jack Cade is killed, restoring peace, in a garden by a bloke called Alexander Eden.
** Actually Alexander Iden, which was the name of the real man who killed Jack Cade.

* HandicappedBadass: Richard Gloucester's pretty good in battle, in spite of his crooked back, gimp arm, and short leg.
** Let's not even talk about the fact that historically, he would only have been 2 1/2 years old at the time of the Battle of St. Albans... Look at that toddler swing that battleaxe!

Meanwhile, the Duke of York stakes his claim to the throne (which is at least as good as Henry's), and the Dukes of Salisbury and Warwick pledge their support. York is given the command of a Royal Army to suppress a rebellion in Ireland, but before he embarks, he arranges a rebellion against the crown by a former officer of his, Jack Cade. (This is the context of Dick the Butcher's immortal line, "The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers!") Cade claims to be descended from the same line as York -- this will test the public's reaction to the claim, and also provide York with an excuse to return to England at the head of an army.

A history play by Creator/WilliamShakespeare, ''Henry VI Part 2'' is the second of three plays describing the end of UsefulNotes/TheHundredYearsWar and the outbreak of the UsefulNotes/WarsOfTheRoses. In this installment, King HenryVI meets his manipulative wife Margaret; the trusted Duke of Gloucester is assassinated; the people stage a rebellion; and Richard, Duke of York, plots to take control of the throne. The other plays in the series are ''Theatre/HenryVIPart1'' and ''Theatre/HenryVIPart3''.

A history play by Creator/WilliamShakespeare, ''Henry VI Part 2'' is the second of three plays describing the end of UsefulNotes/TheHundredYearsWar and the outbreak of the UsefulNotes/WarsOfTheRoses. In this installment, King HenryVI meets his manipulative wife Margaret; the trusted Duke of Gloucester is assassinated; the people stage a rebellion; and Richard, Duke of York, plots to take control of the throne. The other plays in the series are ''HenryVIPart1'' and ''HenryVIPart3''.

A history play by Creator/WilliamShakespeare, ''Henry VI Part 2'' is the second of three plays describing the end of the HundredYearsWar and the outbreak of the UsefulNotes/WarsOfTheRoses. In this installment, King HenryVI meets his manipulative wife Margaret; the trusted Duke of Gloucester is assassinated; the people stage a rebellion; and Richard, Duke of York, plots to take control of the throne. The other plays in the series are ''HenryVIPart1'' and ''HenryVIPart3''.

* ProphecyTwist: All three prophecies by Margaret Jourdain's evil spirit are twisted.

* GodSaveUsFromTheQueen: Margaret is quite happy to go into battle in place of her husband (in ''Part 3'', she personally murders the youngest York boy, Rutland).
* HandicappedBadass: Richard's pretty good in battle, in spite of his crooked back, gimp arm, and short leg.

* ObfuscatingDisability: Gloucester proves that a man who claims to have been divinely cured of blindness is a charlatan.

* StartOfDarkness: Richard Duke of Gloucester, on his way to becoming Richard III.

A history play by Creator/WilliamShakespeare, ''Henry VI Part 2'' is the second of three plays describing the end of the HundredYearsWar and the outbreak of the WarsOfTheRoses. In this installment, King HenryVI meets his manipulative wife Margaret; the trusted Duke of Gloucester is assassinated; the people stage a rebellion; and Richard, Duke of York, plots to take control of the throne. The other plays in the series are ''HenryVIPart1'' and ''HenryVIPart3''.

* ItGotWorse: First, the popular and successful Henry V dies of dysentery in his twenties. His heir is a baby. The nobles squabble over the regency, creating civil unrest. England's territory in France is lost. Then there's a rebellion. Then Richard of York tries to usurp the throne and kicks off the Wars of the Roses, one of the bloodiest periods in English history (the Battle of Towton alone killed 28,000 - about 1% of the entire English population at the time) and we haven't even got to Theatre/RichardIII yet.

A history play by WilliamShakespeare, ''Henry VI Part 2'' is the second of three plays describing the end of the HundredYearsWar and the outbreak of the WarsOfTheRoses. In this installment, King HenryVI meets his manipulative wife Margaret; the trusted Duke of Gloucester is assassinated; the people stage a rebellion; and Richard, Duke of York, plots to take control of the throne. The other plays in the series are ''HenryVIPart1'' and ''HenryVIPart3''.

We begin with the marriage of Henry to Margaret -- however, Suffolk's plan to dominate the King may be scuppered by the Duke of Gloucester: popular, honest and trusted by the king. He conspires with other members of the court to disgrace and then murder Gloucester, but is himself exiled and killed for the crime.

Meanwhile, the Duke of York stakes his claim to the throne (which is at least as good as Henry's), and the Dukes of Salisbury and Warwick pledge their support. York is given the command of a Royal Army to suppress a rebellion in Ireland, but before he embarks, he arranges a rebellion against the crown by a former officer of his, Jack Cade. (This is the context of Dick the Butcher's immortal line, "The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers!") Cade claims to be descended from the same line as York -- this will test the public's reaction to the claim, and also provide York with an excuse to return to England at the head of an army.

Cade captures London, but proves himself to be a tyrant and Lord Clifford is able to persuade the commoners to abandon him in favour of King Henry. York returns with his army and, finding his thunder stolen by Clifford, declares that he wishes to protect the King from the treachery of Lord Somerset. When Henry rejects this, York openly declares his claim to the throne and, supported by his sons Edward and Richard, fights and wins a battle against the Royal forces. England's nobility choose sides as the King flees alongside Margaret and Young Clifford, whose father was killed in the battle.

* AntiHero: Many. Not many real heroes.

* ItGotWorse: First, the popular and successful Henry V dies of dysentery in his twenties. His heir is a baby. The nobles squabble over the regency, creating civil unrest. England's territory in France is lost. Then there's a rebellion. Then Richard of York tries to usurp the throne and kicks off the Wars of the Roses, one of the bloodiest periods in English history (the Battle of Towton alone killed 28,000 - about 1% of the entire English population at the time) and we haven't even got to RichardIII yet.

A history play by WilliamShakespeare, ''HenryVIPart2'' is the second of three plays describing the end of the HundredYearsWar and the outbreak of the WarsOfTheRoses. In this installment, King HenryVI meets his manipulative wife Margaret; the trusted Duke of Gloucester is assassinated; the people stage a rebellion; and Richard, Duke of York, plots to take control of the throne. The other plays in the series are ''HenryVIPart1'' and ''HenryVIPart3''.

* AChildShallLeadThem: Henry mentions he was crowned at nine months old. Averted in that it's made clear that the ensuing power vacuum caused incredible civil strife.

* [[FinishingEachOthersSentences Finishing Each Other's Sentences]]: One performance of part 2 has the pirates finish Suffolk's last speech.