Henry VI, Part 2 (The Second Part of King Henry the Sixth) Review
Henry VI, Part 2 (The Second Part of King Henry the Sixth) Feature
This play begins with the marriage of King Henry VI of England to the young Margaret of Anjou. Margaret is the protegee (and possibly lover) of William de la Pole, 4th Earl of Suffolk, who aims to influence the king through her.
The major obstacle to this pair is the regent of the crown, Duke Humphrey (Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester), who is immensely popular with the common people. Queen Margaret vies with the Duke's wife, Eleanor, for precedence at court. Eleanor is lured by an agent of Suffolk into dabbling in necromancy (talking with the dead by black magic) and then apprehended, to the embarrassment of Gloucester. Nevertheless, the demon she has summoned delivers some accurate prophecies concerning the fates of several characters in the play.
