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The duke of Suffolk made his first appearance late in Henry VI, Part 1, when he captured Margaret of Anjou during a battle. Smitten with her youth and beauty, yet unable to pursue her since he was already married, he decided to woo her on Henry’s behalf. Part 1 ended with Suffolk convincing the king to abandon a prior—and more politically advantageous—marriage arrangement. Suffolk then concluded the play with an aside where he announced his intention to command the king by ruling over Margaret. His pledge only comes partly true in Part 2. It’s true in the sense that Suffolk and Margaret do maintain an affair behind the king’s back. They also work together in the conspiracy against Gloucester. Though Suffolk alone is responsible for the downfall of Gloucester’s wife, the Duchess, he and Margaret both participate in the scheme to have Gloucester murdered. However, Suffolk never manages to rule the king. When the common people hear of their beloved Gloucester’s death, they suspect Suffolk’s involvement and rise up to demand his punishment. The king obliges, banishing him, and he ends up suffering an ignoble death at the hands of pirates who capture him as he crosses the English Channel.
