# Scene I explained — Henry VI, Part II

> Chapter companion for Henry VI, Part II by William Shakespeare.

## What happens

At Saint Alban's, the royal party engages in falconry, which quickly devolves into verbal sparring between Gloucester and Cardinal Beaufort, with Suffolk and Queen Margaret joining the attack on Gloucester. A supposed miracle interrupts the quarrel: a blind man named Saunder Simpcox claims to have regained his sight at Saint Alban's shrine. Gloucester exposes the fraud by testing Simpcox's ability to name colors, then forces him to leap over a stool after a whipping, revealing his deception. Buckingham then arrives with dire news: Lady Eleanor, Gloucester's wife, has been arrested for conspiring with witches and conjurers against the king. The king orders a full investigation and return to London.

## Themes in this chapter

### Betrayal and Duplicity

The arrest of Eleanor for conspiracy against the king represents a betrayal of trust, while Simpcox's false miracle highlights deceit within the realm.

### Honor and Reputation

Gloucester's honor is attacked by Suffolk and the Cardinal, and he is deeply shamed by his wife's actions, leading him to disown her publicly.

### Justice and Injustice

Gloucester exposes the fraudulent miracle through clever questioning, while the king vows to weigh the charges against Eleanor with 'justice' equal scales.'

## Character check-ins

### King Henry VI

Pious and peacemaking, he attempts to calm the quarreling nobles and is quick to praise God for the supposed miracle, but later orders justice against the conspirators.

### Queen Margaret

Openly hostile to Gloucester, she accuses him of ambition and later laughs at the exposed fraud Simpcox.

### Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester

Protector of the realm, he is taunted by Suffolk and the Cardinal, cleverly exposes Simpcox's fraud, but is devastated by news of his wife Eleanor's arrest.

### Cardinal Beaufort

Antagonistic toward Gloucester, he challenges him to a duel and later gloats over Eleanor's downfall.

### William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk

Insults Gloucester about his ambition and joins the Cardinal in undermining him.

### Duke of Buckingham

Brings the news of Lady Eleanor's arrest for witchcraft and conspiracy.

### Saunder Simpcox

A fraudulent beggar who claims a miracle cure for blindness and lameness, but is exposed by Gloucester.

### Eleanor, Duchess of Gloucester

Mentioned as the ringleader of the conspiracy involving witches and conjurers against the king.

## Key lines

> No marvel, an it like your majesty, My lord protector's hawks do tower so well; They know their master loves to be aloft And bears his thoughts above his falcon's pitch.

It's no surprise that the Protector's hawks fly so high, since their master is always aiming for power and status.

_Suffolk insults Gloucester by implying his ambition to rise above his station._

> Thy heaven is on earth; thine eyes and thoughts Beat on a crown, the treasure of thy heart; Pernicious protector, dangerous peer, That smooth'st it so with king and commonweal!

Your only concern is earthly power and the crown; you're a dangerous flatterer who deceives the king and the realm.

_Cardinal Beaufort openly accuses Gloucester of treasonous ambition._

> Gloucester, see here the tainture of thy nest. And look thyself be faultless, thou wert best.

Gloucester, look at the corruption in your own household. You'd better make sure you're innocent yourself.

_Queen Margaret gloats over Eleanor's arrest, warning Gloucester to examine his own conduct._

> I banish her my bed and company And give her as a prey to law and shame, That hath dishonour'd Gloucester's honest name.

I reject her as my wife and abandon her to the law and public disgrace, since she has ruined my good name.

_Gloucester publicly disowns his wife after learning of her treasonous activities._

> If thou hadst been born blind, thou mightst as well have known all our names as thus to name the several colours we do wear. Sight may distinguish of colours, but suddenly to nominate them all, it is impossible.

If you were truly born blind, you couldn't possibly know the names of all these colors on sight. A person can see colors, but naming them instantly is impossible.

_Gloucester logically exposes Simpcox's fraud by pointing out the impossibility of a man born blind knowing color names._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/henry_vi_part_ii_se/chapters/act-ii-scene-i
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/henry_vi_part_ii_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/henry_vi_part_ii_se/chapters