# Scene II explained — Henry VI, Part II

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

## What happens

Jack Cade's rebellion gains momentum as he rallies the commons with promises of reform, claims noble lineage, and clashes with Sir Humphrey Stafford. The rebels capture a literate clerk and prepare for battle, advocating for the execution of Lord Say and the abolition of lawyers.

## Themes in this chapter

### Class Conflict and Rebellion

Cade's rebellion explicitly targets nobles, lawyers, and literate officials, advocating for a commonwealth where laborers hold power and gentlemen are eliminated.

### Kingship and Leadership

Cade claims rightful heirship to the crown through Mortimer and Plantagenet, and promises to be a protector over King Henry VI, challenging legitimate authority.

### Justice and Injustice

The rebels perceive the legal system as corrupt, with Cade condemning parchment and lawyers as tools of oppression, while promising a reformation that abolishes such injustices.

## Character check-ins

### Jack Cade

Leads the rebellion, claiming descent from Mortimer and Plantagenet, and vows to reform England by killing lawyers and abolishing literacy.

### Dick the Butcher

A rebel follower who mocks Cade's claims and proposes killing all lawyers as the first act of rebellion.

### Smith the Weaver

A rebel who brings the Clerk of Chatham to Cade, highlighting the clerk's literacy as a crime.

### Sir Humphrey Stafford

Leads the king's forces against Cade, denouncing the rebels as 'filth and scum of Kent' and demanding their surrender.

### George Bevis

A rebel supporter who discusses the need for swords and the decline of England under gentlemen.

### John Holland

A rebel supporter who laments that 'it was never merry world in England since gentlemen came up.'

### Michael

A rebel who warns Cade of the approaching king's forces led by Sir Humphrey Stafford.

## Key lines

> The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers.

The initial action we should take is to eliminate every lawyer.

_Dick the Butcher's iconic line encapsulates the rebels' anti-intellectual and anti-legal sentiment._

> There shall be in England seven halfpenny loaves sold for a penny: the three-hooped pot shall have ten hoops; and I will make it felony to drink small beer.

In England, bread will become extremely cheap, beer pots will hold more, and drinking weak beer will be a crime.

_Cade's absurd promises reflect the rebels' desire for economic reform and abundance._

> Is not this a lamentable thing, that of the skin of an innocent lamb should be made parchment? that parchment, being scribbled o'er, should undo a man?

Isn't it tragic that sheepskin becomes parchment, and writing on it can ruin a person's life?

_Cade criticizes the legal system's power to bind individuals through written documents._

## Links

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