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Summary
Edward and Richard meet on the field of battle and wonder about their father’s whereabouts. The brothers notice light on the horizon, and they see three suns rise. Richard comments as the suns seem to resolve into one. Edward thinks it is a sign that the three York brothers, already blazing on their own merits, should join together to shine over the world like the united sun. Richard is a little more skeptical about the sign’s meaning.
A messenger enters and announces the death of York. The messenger tells how York was captured with great difficulty and killed by Clifford and Margaret after the queen mocked him with the handkerchief covered with Rutland’s blood. Edward weeps over his father, wishing he were dead so he didn’t have to endure the grief. But Richard cannot cry; instead, he is consumed with rage and swears he will avenge his father’s death. Edward says that he now inherits his father’s dukedom, but Richard insists that he inherits the kingdom as well.
Warwick and Montague enter, and Richard reports the news of York’s death. Warwick, too, has news. Having already heard of the fall of York, he mustered his troops and marched to intercept the queen, who was on her way to London to undo Henry’s agreement with York. When the two armies met, Warwick’s soldiers fought bravely but lost the battle. Warwick also reports that George, York’s third son, has returned from France. He then insists on marching to London to defend the agreement York made with Henry about the succession. Edward agrees, declaring that he is now the duke of York. As they prepare, a messenger announces the arrival of the queen’s army.
Henry, Margaret, Clifford, Northumberland, and Prince Edward arrive at the town of York. Margaret gleefully points out York’s head on the city walls, the sight of which sickens Henry. Clifford speaks, elaborating on the nature of family in the natural world, where animals are kind to their offspring and vicious to enemies who threaten their children. He tells the king that he should learn from the natural world; he should defend his kingdom and ensure that his birthright passes on to his son.
But Henry says that sons aren’t always happy with what their fathers leave them. He’ll leave his son a record of virtuous deeds, which is what he would have preferred to inherit from his own father instead of a kingdom. Margaret interrupts to remind Henry that he promised to knight his son. The king performs the ceremony.
A messenger enters with news of the imminent arrival of Warwick’s army. Clifford urges Henry to leave the scene of the battle, since the queen does better without him present, but the king stays. Edward enters with Warwick, Richard, George, Norfolk, and Montague. George says he’s heard that Margaret caused Parliament to nullify the agreement made between York and Henry. Richard and Clifford shout at each other, and Warwick interrupts to ask Henry if he’ll yield the throne. The lords all argue and threaten each other. Henry tries to speak; Margaret tells him to interrupt more forcefully or else remain silent.
Clifford and Richard continue to shout at each other, Edward and Warwick demand the crown from Henry, and Prince Edward urges his father to resist. Edward insults Margaret, saying that Henry married below his station and that her pride is massively inflated for a woman of such unimpressive birth. He condemns her ambition and the control she exerts over Henry. Since she won’t let Henry speak, Edward leaves, indicating that they’ll resolve their dispute on the battlefield.
Analysis
Act 2 opens with Edward and Richard observing a strange phenomenon: a mirage of three separate suns on the horizon that slowly merge into one. Edward is quick to interpret it as a sign that York’s sons should pledge their unity. This interpretation is strange, given that York has four sons, not three. Yet Edward’s reading is unwittingly prophetic, in the sense that his youngest brother—Edmund, the earl of Rutland—is already dead, leaving only himself, Richard, and George. For his part, Richard doesn’t share Edward’s interpretation, nor does he care to suggest an alternative. Whereas Edward urges unity, Richard shows a penchant for individualism. In this regard, Shakespeare is already signaling differences that will eventually lead to strife between these brothers. The key difference showcased in this scene relates to their reactions to the news of their father’s death. Edward wants to be spared the details, but Richard wants to know everything. When the messenger offers a detailed account, Edward weeps mournfully while Richard nurtures vengeful thoughts. Such differences in personality foreshadow the later break in their relationship.
Meanwhile, the main point of debate within the king’s company continues to revolve around Henry’s disinheritance of his son. Clifford’s speech to Henry about how other animals do everything to protect their families strongly implies that the king’s treatment of his family is highly unnatural. Clifford thinks fathers should pass on their successes to their sons, for to do otherwise is to go against nature. Everyone in the camp seems to agree with Clifford. Yet Henry maintains that paternal inheritance isn’t always a good thing. As a man who never knew his father and yet has been forced to live in the shadow of his achievements, Henry has a complicated relationship with his royal inheritance. Without saying so explicitly, it seems he would rather not be king, and from this perspective it may be a blessing that he’s prevented his son, Prince Edward, from inheriting such a burden. Henry’s critique of Clifford’s argument is powerful. Not only does it generate empathy for the king, but it also forces us to cast a critical eye on Clifford. Though his complaint about disinheritance is clearly spoken from an orphaned son’s perspective, we also see that his sole inheritance is vengeance—a sad bequest indeed.
A noteworthy feature of Henry VI, Part 3 is the sheer amount of bickering that takes place among the nobles. Although the first two parts of the sequence had their share of this, Part 3 is unique thus far for the amount of space Shakespeare has devoted to the slinging of insults. In act 2, scene 2, the rivaling factions quarrel endlessly and accomplish nothing with their words. Clifford and Richard argue pointlessly with each other. Warwick makes repeated demands for the king to relinquish his crown, none of which are answered. Meanwhile, Edward spars verbally with Margaret, insulting her father’s poverty and insinuating that her pride and ambition are responsible for England’s decline. All the while, Henry can’t get a word in edgewise. To be sure, his failure to command attention is yet another sign of his more general failure to command. Yet it also signals how these rivaling factions have ceased to communicate meaningfully with words. So degraded have conditions become that only violence will speak. Thus, Clifford calls for a break: “the wound that bred this meeting here / Cannot be cured by words” (2.2.121–22). Soon Edward also sees the pointlessness of continuing to talk: “Sound trumpets—let our bloody colors wave!” (2.2.173).
