16:38 Henry VI, part 2

Day 16 of 38:38
Henry VI, part 2

Part two. I love part two. Forget Romeo and Juliet. I think H6, part two has the best scene between lovers that Shakespeare ever wrote. Suffolk: "'Tis not the land I care for, wert thou thence, / A wilderness is populous enough, / So Suffolk had thy heavenly company. / For where thou art, there is the world itself, / With every several pleasure in the world; / And where thou art not, desolation."

I also love the way part two starts exactly where part one ended. With Suffolk trying to make Margaret queen and the entire question of her worth and lack of dowry.

Something that interest me is how aware these plays are of Henry V. The characters are constantly evoking his name and his deeds. One wonders how much Shakespeare was thinking ahead. While he was penning this was he musing, "You know, someday I'll write a Henry V play..."

I also love the very first scene of the play. Someone leaves and then every agrees to join against him, and then someone leaves, and everyone talks bad about him, and then someone leaves... So many machinations!

Lots of people lose their heads in this play. So fun.

I know some scholars believe that part two and part three were written first, and then part one was written as a prequel, but I find part one's verse much less mature.
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Favorite Female Character:
Margaret
Favorite Male Character:
Okay, I wanted to put Suffolk, because I love him, but I think I'm going to have to go with Richard, Duke of York.

Laugh out loud:
Richard For Suffolk's duke, may he be suffocate
Ha! Suffolk! Suffocate! Get it?

"That's what she said!":
Butcher Why, my lord, he would have 'rested me and I went and entered my action in his wife's proper house.

How insulting:
Margaret Contemptuous base-born callet as she is

Shakey loves his meta:

Oh, misogyny:
Margaret The excess of love I bear unto your grace
Forbids me to be lavish of my tongue
Lest I should speak more than beseems a woman.

(Obviously, Margaret is not being misogynistic, but she is playing on the male perceptions of women. Too bad for these men that she never holds her tongue again! Though - question - could not one play an arc of Margaret where she is not being politic at this moment, but actually buys into this to some amount, and through her experiences learns to use her voice? And though I generally believe that people tend to say what they mean in Shakespeare, does not this line, and this scene in fact, disprove those who would dogmatically claim "there is no subtext in Shakespeare"?)

Boys are silly:
Duchess of Gloucester Were I a man, a duke, and next of blood,
I would remove these tedious stumbling blocks
And smooth my way upon their headless necks.
And, being a woman, I will not be slack
To play my part in fortune's pageant.
(I love that Shakespeare gives us a second strong, plotting, ambitious woman. And though she falls rather quickly, the Duchess of Gloucester is still rather bad-ass. I love that Shakespeare makes both these strong women complex. They are ambitious and cold, but they both love and have heart-wrenching scenes.)

And speaking of men versus women, I love how the Duke of Gloucester has a sexist line, and Margaret turns it right back on him!
Gloucester Madam, the king is old enough himself
To give his censure. These are no women's matters.
Margaret If he be old enough, what needs your grace
To be Protector of his excellence?

Oh! That's what you get Gloucester, for messin' with Margaret!

Favorite Moment/Line:
I love the Margaret/Suffolk goodbye scene.

And this exchange
Margaret O Henry, let me plead for gentle Suffolk.
Henry Ungentle queen, to call him gentle Suffolk.