Shakespeer kill all the lawyers6/11/2023 ![]() But there must be a little more to it than that. Perhaps this is not so very hard to understand. Some think this is more evidence of Shakespeare’s personal antipathy – he loathed mobs. Shakespeare’s Cade and his merry men are a very, very crude lot. Similarly in Holinshed, Cade is of ‘goodlie stature and right pregnant wit,’ and his ‘fair promises of reformation’ and his (written) ‘Complaint of the Commons of Kent’ are responsible and sensible. And whereas Shakespeare’s Cade is violently against all forms of literacy. Shakespeare’s Cade hardly resembles the ‘young man of goodly stature and pregnant wit,’ ‘the subtle captain’ portrayed by Hall. And others suffer the indignity of death in battle, including Somerset and Clifford. Cade kills Stafford and his brother and drags their bodies behind his horse on the way to London. Jack Cade, head of the rebels, is beheaded and his head delivered to the king. Lord Saye and his son-in-law are beheaded and their heads are carried throughout the streets of the city. ![]() Suffolk is beheaded by pirates his head is delivered to Margaret, who carries it around the court. Simpcox, who tries to fool the King into believing that his sight was restored, is revealed to be a liar, and beaten by Gloucester until he runs away. However Beaufort’s unnatural death which soon follows signifies his is a soul weighed down by sin. Gloucester’s death draws much attention to the state of his body the unnaturalness of his bulging eyes and disordered features show signs of murder rather than peaceful death. As the body of the kingdom is threatened by popular revolt and civil war, this suffering first registers in the death and destruction of actual bodies. The failure of the monarchy is emphasized largely through the various forms of violence inflicted on human bodies. Gloucester’s violent death sets loose a chain of events ending in the deaths of Beaufort, Suffolk, Somerset, and other nobles. And finally, Act Five: York’s entrance with an army, and Henry and Margaret’s ignominious retreat to the safety of London – talk about leaving an audience waiting for Part three…Īnd finally this take on deaths and violence in the play: Once again, one of the great stage directions: “Enter King Henry reading a supplication, Queen Margaret carrying Suffolk’s head.” Personally, I would love to see that entrance.ħ. The fickleness of the mob, it seems to me, can only be seen as comic.Ħ. ![]() One thing I wondered about was this: when played to an Elizabethan crowd, was Cade, the butcher, etc., seen as a horrifying affront to the rule of law, the comic relief it’s almost impossible not to see them as, or perhaps something in between?ĥ. What struck me was how close, in its intent to go after the educated it was to certain rebellions in our time: The Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, the Cultural Revolution in the People’s Republic of China, just to name a couple off the top of my head.Ĥ. Suffolk’s arrogant attitude towards his murderers, while perhaps his undoing was also, in its own way, admirable.ģ. I found it interesting that the captain of the ship was aware of Suffolk’s affair with the Queen – obviously, word had spread.Ģ. For me, at least, it’s extremely readable – the action is straightforward, the motivations are clearly drawn – and what more could you want? You’ve got rebellion, pirates, more beheadings…A few observations…ġ. They are pursued by the Yorkists, determined to claim the crown itself.ĭamn…this is an enjoyable play. York kills Old Clifford (whose son vows revenge) and Richard kills Somerset, before Margaret and Henry admit defeat and flee to London. MEANWHILE, it is reported that York’s army is marching towards the King.Īct Five: York and his sons challenge Henry, and their armies fight at St. Cade’s rioters move on to London before executing Lord Say and his son-in-law, but the rebellion quickly falls apart when Old Clifford and Buckingham offer to pardon those who will support the son of the much beloved Henry V. Meanwhile, in Kent, Cade’s rebellion (started at the instigation of the Duke of York) is under way: his supporters (or the mob if you will) kill Sir Humphrey Stafford and his brother, who had intervened on behalf of the King. Act Four: While on his way to a life in exile, Suffolk is murdered at sea by the ships captain and crew in revenge for Gloucester’s death and because of his affair with Queen Margaret.
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