The Oxford Shakespeare: Henry VI, Part Two (Oxford World's Classics)

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The Oxford Shakespeare: Henry VI, Part Two (Wars of the Roses)

by William Shakespeare, Roger Warren (Editor)

3.65 of 5 stars 3.65 · rating details · 1,404 ratings · 78 reviews

Shakespeare's Henry VI plays dramatize contemporary as much as Elizabethan issues: the struggle for power, the manoeuvres of politicians, social unrest, civil war. This edition draws on experience of the play in rehearsal and performance to focus on both its theatricality and contemporary relevance in a wide-ranging introduction and detailed commentary.
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Paperback, 336 pages

Published November 1st 2008 by OUP Oxford (first published 1590)

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Jul 01, 2009 Bill Kerwin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 16th-17th-c-brit, tudor-drama

Not quite as good as Henry VI, Part I--perhaps because by its very nature it possesses no beginning and no end. The first four acts, halfway between the political disputes of the "uncles" and the factional and dynastic struggles of the Wars of the Roses, are necessarily episodic and often seems formless. Shakespeare is learning his craft here, and he often over-relies on lengthy monologues and soliloquys to reveal character and motivation. There are good scenes here, often involving commoners an...more

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Mar 13, 2013 Ben rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: english-lit, plays, historical-fiction

What stronger breastplate than a heart untainted!
Thrice is he arm'd that hath his quarrel just,
And he but naked, though lock'd up in steel,
Whose conscience with injustice is corrupted.

In this second part of Henry VI's story, we see the bricks of the English realm begin to fall and crumble into wasted building blocks.

It seems that any bold citizen would dip their hands into the bloody cauldron filled with the jewels of English power. From lowly laborer to noble duke, conspiracy and revolt surround Henry VI. Every character played a role in this seditious plot by either promoting it or by aligning themselves with the honorable and noble few who would suffer only an untainted heart as consolation.

I enjoyed Shakespeare's loud and sometimes bombastic language in this second part. I imagined villainous players bellowing their words in passionate dynamics and dramatic conviction. It contrasted the tone of Henry VI who, I admit, frustrates me a bit. Despite the tumult and revolt happening all around him, he does not take control of the situation or exhibit any ability to bring down an iron fist. It seems he stands only as a flat symbol of his position while the other characters portray personality, ambition, honor, malice and other aspects of humanity. Henry VI might have made a better priest than king and York and others see this as an opportunity to overthrow such a king.

I also appreciated Shakespeare's presentation of justice in this second part. It would seem that justice does not save the blameless but it assuredly avenges them. Henry VI and Gloucester, and even Lord Say, have faith that the law will protect their untainted hearts, that no man can attack the righteous because of their blameless character. Of course, this proves far from a reality. Are we to lose our own faith in justice - the virtuous falling to the discontented? Why would anyone, then, adopt virtue?

Yet while the loyal fall, the villains suffer the resulting justice - not directly by the hand of Henry VI but seemingly by natural course. While the honorable remain so remembered in the annals of history, the villains lose life and name as well. Perhaps justice acts as an avenger rather than a protector. And if this theme carries into the third part, I anticipate Henry VI's demise and an even more horrible fate for his opponent.(less)

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Jun 26, 2012 Jack rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I remember this play the least clearly of the "Henry VI" trilogy. It is less memorably tedious than "1 Henry VI," but not as strong as "3 Henry VI," and survives in the memory mostly for its wealth of idiosyncrasies, which are plausibly the result of either Shakespeare's inexperience or his early experimentalism. Like the other "Henry VI" plays (but more so), this reads best as dark comedy. King Henry VI himself, barely present in the preceding play, is the eye of the storm in this one, a ludicr...more

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Apr 06, 2012 Alnoory. rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In short, the play is complicated at first, but as one reads it, it begins to settle down in to ordered chaos. Henry VI is quite naïve about the dissension in his kingdom. I think the turning point of the play is Act III, when Henry VI's wishes are dishonored. In scene ii, he arrives, expecting to be witness to his friend and protector Gloucester at his trial, only to find that his supposed friends (the other Lords) have secretly killed Gloucester before he could be tried.

There are so many enjoy...more

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Nov 12, 2011 Abe Goolsby rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classic-literature

The intrigue, drama, and humor-tinged tragedy continue in Part Two of Shakespeare's treatment of one of the most tumultuous (and interesting - for those who have the luxury of anything less that a first hand experience with such subjects) periods of English history.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. There is nothing new under the sun. To highlight what I found one of the most memorable episodes (probably due to current events at the time of this reading/listening) it is impossi...more

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Aug 07, 2011 Trevor rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: language

As bad a play as Part One is – this is great. This really is one of the best plays in the sequence. It quite literally has everything. Revolt, rebellion, the loss of France, a Lady MacBeth (but playing to a MacBeth that cannot be tempted by vaulting ambition – and then again maybe two Lady MacBeths for good measure), a good kinsman killed by traitors and depriving the King of advice, a good King suddenly under the sway of a group of very bad advisors, a Queen in love with someone other than the...more

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Mar 22, 2011 Mark Ganek rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: theater

One of Shakespeare's earliest plays, if not his first. There are flashes of brilliance, as well as early versions of themes and characters that he would later revisit. The Duchess of Gloucester is a proto-Lady Macbeth, ("Put forth thy hand, reach at the glorious gold. / What, is’t too short? I’ll lengthen it with mine.") and Cade's peasant rebellion is nearly a play within a play, in that it comments on and satirizes the main action.

But Shakespeare doesn't seem to trust his audience yet, which l...more

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Feb 27, 2011 Mark Schnell rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Some reviewers here claim the most memorable line from this play is "first thing we do is kill all the lawyers." They might be correct, but I think there is a phrase from this play that has become even more well-known, at least since the second half of the Twentieth Century.

May I direct everyone's attention to Henry VI Part II, Act 4 scene iii, lines 6-7?

"...and thou shalt have a license to kill...."

All this time I thought the notion of a "license to kill" belonged to James Bond, Agent 007, and...more

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May 22, 2010 Bruce rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Aptly first named “The First Part of the Contention of the Two Famous Houses of York and Lancaster,” this play chronicles part of the Wars of the Roses in England, the time during which political instability and civil unrest weakened the kingdom which was ineffectively ruled by the hapless Henry VI. Having lost part of his holdings in France that had been won by his father, Henry V, Henry VI gave up more territory as part of the settlement at the time of his marriage to Margaret of Anjou.

It is...more

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Jun 19, 2009 Olivia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: shakespeare-summer

The only things I knew about this play going in were 1) "First thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers!" and going hand in hand with this, 2) it's very, very bloody. As things turn out, as far as bloodiness goes it's not that bad - just a lot of heads on poles and many puns related to heads on poles. The sheer bloody-mindedness of the entire cast becomes a bit wearying after a while, but that's probably the point. I found myself struck by the relationship between Margaret and Henry, such as it i...more

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Feb 24, 2010 Max rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, plays, shakespeare

2 Henry VI is too packed by far. It's dense with characters, plot, and little miniature sequences of events that could do well with the kind of expansion impossible to afford by the necessary condensation of years of history. There are good things here. I find Gloucester's rejection of his wife the Duchess Eleanor particularly poignant (after her cohorts literally conjure a spirit from the ground to take out the King). She wanders the streets in forced humiliation, and yet his words to her are g...more

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May 24, 2013 Sammy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An absolutely wonderful edition of this play, acknowledging it both a single entity and part of a much larger sequence. The informative introduction discusses critical and theatrical approaches to the work over the centuries, and the notes are second-to-none.

My only issue with the Arden series is in the advertising. Their website and promotional materials suggest these are the best Shakespeare editions for students, including highschool and undergraduate. I'm just not sure I agree. For instance...more

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Feb 06, 2012 Marty rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, bedroom-bookshelf

Here is the Empire Strikes Back of the Henry VI Shakespeare plays. It doesn't have as much going on as the Henry VI Part 1, it is a bit more reflective, the characters grow stronger and more stark, and it ends in a poor spot that can only be excused by the fact that it is the middle of a trilogy. It remains to be seen if it turns out to be the best of the three, but if the pattern continues, then it probably will be.

The best thing about Henry VI Part 2 is that it finally brings about a protagoni...more

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Mar 28, 2010 Yooperprof rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: britain, royalty, theatre, medieval

Yes, there are way too many Dukes in this play, and they are not sufficiently differentiated. Reading this, you get the feeling it's like one of those old "Masterpiece Theatre" miniseries, and you really wish that Alistair Cooke were around to give you some tidy and well-spoken background info. Not to mention the fact that the central character Henry VI probably should never have been king in the first place. Given Queen Elizabeth's political sensitivity in the 1590s, Shakespeare had to be caref...more

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Mar 07, 2011 Sara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: theater, shakespeare-project

Waaaaaay better than King Henry VI part I, Part II still has its (many) extremely clumsy moments, but for the first time since the beginning of part I do we get the sense that this was actually written by Shakespeare. Eleanor's speeches are really wonderful, and they sort of make up for the fact that Shakespeare keeps literally explaining his puns to the audience. That goes like this: "Oh, but I have used this word instead of the word you were expecting that sounds like the word I used. Notice h...more

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May 24, 2012 Stephen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, elizabethan-lit, history, historical-fiction, plays, shakespeare

What an amazing play! Simply incredible! I felt anxious and stressed throughout the entire thing, even though I was well aware of what the outcome would be—thank you, English degree. The drama that plays out is so world shaking, and the historical implications are intense and devastating. And to think that the events in the play—the prelude to the War of the Roses—were still relatively fresh in the consciousness of the country when the play was written. I have to imagine that the significance of...more What an amazing play! Simply incredible! I felt anxious and stressed throughout the entire thing, even though I was well aware of what the outcome would be—thank you, English degree. The drama that plays out is so world shaking, and the historical implications are intense and devastating. And to think that the events in the play—the prelude to the War of the Roses—were still relatively fresh in the consciousness of the country when the play was written. I have to imagine that the significance of this play to its contemporary audience was so strong. It must have been intensely emotional.

Henry VI, Part II was my second Shakespearean history, but it really felt like my first. The other that I’ve read at this point was Richard III, and while I love that play very much, I never really thought of it as a history—don’t ask me why.

What I love most in Henry VI, Part II are the characters. Henry is fascinating in that he’s so weak. I can’t understand his aloofness throughout. He simply doesn’t grasp the significance of what’s going on around him. He places his faith in God and trusts that God will guide him to greatness with little to no action required on his part. At the same time, he fails to recognize the scheming court around him and the villainy they represent. His own Cardinal is murderous, and he doesn’t even comprehend it!

Henry’s uncle and Lord Protector, Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, is perhaps the only voice of reason and virtue in the play, and is also the primary connection to the populace. He’s respected and valued by the public, so of course he is reviled by the other dukes, who plot behind him (and in front of him) and eventually murder him. It’s a dark moment for England in that all members of the royal family and the nobility are savage individuals who are in essence tearing the country apart for their own selfish purposes.

The play also charts the rise of House York as the plot to dethrone Henry based on a more direct line to the throne. (Spoiler Alert: they do it in Henry VI, Part III.) York and his sons, Edward and Ricard, are fascinating to watch as they lurk in the background, playing obedient servants of the king in public, while positioning themselves to raise an army and bring it against Henry and his supporters in the background.

It’s all brilliantly executed, and I’m really looking forward to Part III (and Part I as well…I’m reading chronologically, and it’s thought that Part I came later). If you pick it up, and you should, be sure to bring your notes and keep the character list handy. (Henry VI, Part II has the most characters listed of any of Shakespeare’s plays.)
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Jul 10, 2009 Libby rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: summerreading09, year-of-dead-white-male-european-au, plays

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. As a person who studied theatre, I have always been slightly embarrassed that there was an entire subset of Shakespearean plays that I had either never read or retained poorly: the English histories. Please accept this selection of reviews as my way of ensuring that none of you will be similarly lacking.

The First Part of the Contention of the Two Famous Houses of York and Lancaster
AKA
The Second Part of Henry the Sixth (the first part = 2 Henry VI= written first)

Suffolk & Queen Margaret: *smo...more

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Jul 27, 2011 Edward rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

HENRY VI, Part 2, was a pleasant surprise. Beyond the confusing and disputed claims to the throne of the weak and ineffectual Henry, is some very clear and vicious politics. Gloucester, adviser to the king, is on his way down, Richard Plantagenet, fresh from his military victories in Ireland, is on his way up. And in the middle are others who are desperately hanging onto the status quo.
One good thing about reading some of Shakespeare's lesser-known plays is that there are parts that make you...more

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Mar 31, 2013 Crystal Beran rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Boy. You know, things were kind of moving along for the first 3 acts but then Billy decided that there just weren't enough characters. You know what this play needs? More characters. More! MORE!!! But actually, no, it doesn't at all. I suppose it would be different if I knew who these people were, if they were more than random names on a page and if I had the cultural context assumed in order to root for who I'm supposed to root for (and I'm not sure if that's York or Henry VI). This confusing,...more

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Sep 15, 2010 Russell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: english-major-books-graduate, drama, favorites, read-in-2010, early-modern

Objectively speaking, this certainly isn't one of Shakespeare's strongest works. It is, however, one of the more uproarious and entertaining.

Jack Cade is one of the most memorable characters in the Shakespeare canon, serving as both a farcical figure (witness his innumerable absurd political promises during the uprising) and a grotesque emblem of demagogical self righteousness. Accordingly, much of the subject matter in this play resonates with an unfortunate relevance to modern day social/poli...more

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Aug 10, 2012 David Sarkies rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: History Buffs and Shakespeare lovers

Shelves: historical

The reason it took me so long to read this play was because after I read it the first time I felt that I had to go back and read it again to at least do it justice. As we all know Shakespeare is not the easiest author to read, and moseso, being a playwright, the difficulty is increased much more. In a way plays are not the easiest forms of literature to read namely because they are designed to be acted and not read (which is a shame because a lot of plays that I would like to see, which include...more The reason it took me so long to read this play was because after I read it the first time I felt that I had to go back and read it again to at least do it justice. As we all know Shakespeare is not the easiest author to read, and moseso, being a playwright, the difficulty is increased much more. In a way plays are not the easiest forms of literature to read namely because they are designed to be acted and not read (which is a shame because a lot of plays that I would like to see, which includes Shakespeare and Bernard Shaw among others) simply are not performed. This play is an example of one that generally is not performed, though I do understand that the BBC did actually produce pretty much all of them for television (though I must admit that I was not that thrilled with the early BBC productions).
The play begins sometime after the conclusion of the first play, but ends rather oddly. The ending sounds to me like the Queen saying to the King, 'come, let us go'. As such it did not come across as much of a cliff hanger, though it is very clear that by the end of the play the War of the Roses had begun. In essence, this play is the beginning of the War of the Roses, and is not so much background as the first play was, which leads me to accept that this play (and the following) were written prior to the first play.
There is quite a lot in this play, and once again it seems that Shakespeare may have overextended himself, which is probably why the play was split into two. We also need to remember that this was when he was still starting out as a playwright, however it is also believed that it was not so much Shakespeare's handywork, but rather a collaboration of a group of people and Shakespeare simply ended up taking all the credit for it (which is not surprising since he has come down as one of England's, and indeed history's, greatest playwrights).
The first part of this play has a lot of political intrigue. Henry marries Margaret but is still under the regency of Gloucester, and in a way does not want to let go of the regency (much to the queen's annoyance). It comes across clearly that Henry is not a strong king, and knows that, and I guess that is where is fatal flaw lies. The weakness of the king, and the tenuousness of his claim is what leads England on the path of civil war. It is clear that there is a lot of anger towards Henry at him giving up English territories to France (which are technically rightfully France's in the first place). However, there is a discussion about his rightful claim to the throne, and this dispute goes back to the reign of Richard II who was removed by Henry Bollingbroke, who went on to become Henry IV. As such York, who is a descendant of Richard II believes that he is the rightful heir to the throne, and seeing that the current king is weak, begins to make his move.
In this first part we also see movement to get rid of Gloucester, who is actually quite a capable and influential regent, though we note that he willingly gives up his position in favour of the king. It is not the king that actually wants him to give it up, but rather the queen, who is obviously annoyed that she is not married to the absolute ruler of the kingdom. It is also interesting that she has connections with Suffolk, who appears to be on the side of the Yorkists, though it is also clear that if the Yorkists were to win, then she would no longer to queen (apparently).
The way the remove Gloucester involves entrapping his wife with a group of occultists who summon a spirit to give them a glimpse of the future. This in a way echoes what will happen in Macbeth as the spirit promises her rulership, but in such a vague way that it is not clear what happens. Not suprisingly the spirit turns out quite decietful, and Gloucester's wife is caught and executed for witchcraft, but that also goes to undermine Gloucester's position as he is arrested and exiled due to his wife's connections with necromancy. Needless to say, he does not survive.
The second part of this play has the Yorkists sent off to crush a rebellion in Ireland, but before they go they set off a rebellion in England. A man named John Cade raises an army of commoners and marches of London, with a lot of success. This is clearly the Yorkists testing to waters to see whether the population will rally around the king or not. In essence Cade is a scapegoat, because if he succeeds, then the Yorkists will no doubt move in, remove him, and work on his success. However if he fails (which ends up happening as the population, at the last opportunity, turn and rally around the king) then the Yorkists are forwardend.
I want to finish off by pointing out that this play has another of Shakespeare's relatively unknown, and extra-ordinary lines, 'first of all we must kill all of the lawyers'. Much of the Cade scenes (which compose all of act 4) are rather comical, but that is because we are seeing a lot of commoners here, and the commoners were generally seen as an ignorant and bumbling lot. However killing the lawyers during a rebellion is not surprising because they, through their fine sounding arguments, can cause a lot of problems for the new government. So, obviously, they need to be removed. Further, this rebellion scene echoes modern politics as while modern politics are no where near as violent as this period, when there is an attempted takeover, there is always that act of testing the water. However, unlike those days, a failed coup (as happened with Paul Keating) can result in the person moving to the back bench, licking his wounds, and preparing for the next assault at the leadership.(less)

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Dec 26, 2012 Allyson Capetta rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Definitely has its problems, but also some really beautiful and intriguing moments. All of the elements of magic employed by women at a time when women were restricted from having any power (even in their own lives) is so brilliant. The over compensation draws attention to women's roles or lack there of at that time. Some of the most interesting women's roles and complicated relationships in Shakespeare. The scene when Suffolk and Queen Margaret part is sent me on an emotional roller coaster mor...more

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Jan 14, 2012 Rebecca Reid rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: b-fic-pre-1900

Coming off the heels of 1 Henry VI, the next play, 2 Henry VI, struck me as wonderfully written. I hadn’t found much to stand out in 1 Henry VI. But from the beginning, the analogies, the rhythm of the poetry, and the play on words impressed me in the second play. As the action progressed, I could picture the actors and their reactions. I really enjoyed 2 Henry VI, and in fact I read it twice this month just so I’d feel I understood it fully.

1 Henry VI provided the backdrop for the War of the Ro...more

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Jun 23, 2012 Doug rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This one the very first Shakespeare play that I read on my own (via a vis wasn't assigned to read it) when I was in high school. I enjoyed it then, but now, having learned a bit more about The Wars of The Roses, I appreciate it even more. If part one opens the door and sticks the keys in, part two cranks her up throws down the accelerator! We start with political intrigue, throw in a little conjuring, followed by a rebellion, and end in out right war as the Lancastrians and the Yorkists finally...more

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Feb 02, 2011 Steven rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: blog-related, classic, drama, english

Excerpt from my blog entry on Henry VI, Part 2:
The most interesting thing about this play was also its most frustrating aspect. Half of the play is written in prose. That’s not what I signed up for, Will. I understand why. Much of the play confronts classism. The commoners begin to revolt against the nobles. By switching between prose and metre, Shakespeare uses this rudimentary difference to contrast the ruling class with the “underpeople.” The citizens rally themselves around their inability t...more

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Dec 04, 2011 Catherine Mustread rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: plays, historical, 1400s, british, england, classics

This is the second historical play by Shakespeare that I've read, following Henry VI, Part 1 and the genre that I like the most. All set to read more set in the War of the Roses era when I have a chance. Henry VI is a likable character as he tried to keep peace, but does not make a good king. His wife, Queen Margaret, is the opposite, concerned only with keeping the crown for her son and not caring about how many die in the process.

The battle scenes and impassioned speeches are extremely dramat...more

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Oct 26, 2012 Trelesa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

More intrigue, fighting, and attempts for gaining the crown.

Cade's motivation doesn't make any sense to me - he's a hired troublemaker (by York); he promises things he can't deliver; he incites the mob to kill people simply for being literate, and (view spoiler) What did he expect would be the results of his actions?

"Pride went before, ambition follows him"

"Pernicious bloodsucker of sleeping men!" - now there's an insult!

"Forebear to judge, for we are sinners all...more

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Dec 27, 2011 Phil rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love the Henry VI plays - I know that's not a popular stance to take, but I think it's partly their unfamiliarity that's so refreshing. I saw the William Boyd sequence at the RSC in 2007/2008 (all the histories in chronological order from Richard II, through the three Henrys to Richard III, in rep with actors playing the same parts in consecutive plays - and the same actor playing Richards II and III, which was effective) and the Henry VI plays, along with Richard II, were my favourites.

There'...more

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Aug 28, 2011 Michelle Prendergast Sweeney rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, renaissance-elizabethan-literature

A slight improvement from Part 1, but there is still no protagonist, making the play driven primarily by greed, power lust, etc that are portrayed w/out the Shakespearean opaqueness that I've grown accustomed to. At first I thought Gloucester was becoming something of a heroic character, but he was dispatched quickly and with little fanfare; it was interesting that Gloucester's wife -- the Duchess -- seems to be something of a prototype for Lady Macbeth. Jack Cade's character demonstrates the ty...more

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Oct 25, 2010 Susan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: shakespeare

Henry VI, part 2 isn't exactly one of Shakespeare's plays that makes me squeal with joy upon hearing it mentioned. Correction: I have never heard Henry VI, part 2 mentioned, so I'm not sure if I would squeal with joy or not if given the chance.

What I will say is that during the course of the, oh, five months it took me to read it (I get sidetracked a bit too easily - call it literary ADD), is that if I were a contemporary of Shakespeare's, I would have loved to read about or watch of play of my...more Henry VI, part 2 isn't exactly one of Shakespeare's plays that makes me squeal with joy upon hearing it mentioned. Correction: I have never heard Henry VI, part 2 mentioned, so I'm not sure if I would squeal with joy or not if given the chance.

What I will say is that during the course of the, oh, five months it took me to read it (I get sidetracked a bit too easily - call it literary ADD), is that if I were a contemporary of Shakespeare's, I would have loved to read about or watch of play of my country's history (albeit an artist's take on history, with more regard to wit than to accuracy) through the saucy, hilarious, and witty perspective that Shakespeare offered than via a conventional history book.

Sure, Shakespeare took his liberties: I remember reading one section in Henry VI, part i when the King says, "Believe me, lords, my tender years can tell/Civil dissension is a viperous worm/That gnaws that bowels of the commonwealth (III,i,71-73) whose footnote, in reference to "my tender years" says, "The King was actually five years old at the time of this episode."

Because I was not quite as caught up in the overarching story of Henry VI, what stood out even more so were Shakespeare's one-liners, his literary ingenuity, his mastery and precision with words. And his modernity! Some phrases that stood out: "dead as a door-nail" (IV, x, 39-40); "smooth runs the water where the brook is deep" (III, i, 53); "the first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers" (IV, ii, 74); "Monsieur Basimecu" (a parody of the french for 'kiss my ass') (IV, vii, 26); "Now art/thou within point-blank of our jurisdiction" (IV, vii, 24).

I also loved the imagery of the following passages:
"Thus stands my state, twixt Cade and York distressed,/Like a ship that, having scaped a tempest,/Is straightway calmed and boarded with a pirate" (IV, ix, 31-33).

"But sometimes hath the brightest day a cloud,/And after summer evermore succeeds/Barren winter, with his wrathful nipping cold; /So cares and joys abound, as seasons fleet." (II, iv, 1-4).

Nonetheless, as Shakespeare is just as witty in his other plays as he is in this one, and because I wasn't as captivated by the specific characters or story, among Shakespeare's plays I give Henry VI, part 2 (and part 1, for that matter) 3 stars. (less)

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About William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare (baptised 26 April 1564) was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "The Bard"). His surviving works consist of 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. His plays have been tr...more William Shakespeare (baptised 26 April 1564) was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "The Bard"). His surviving works consist of 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. His plays have been translated into every major living language, and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.

Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon. Scholars believe that he died on his fifty-second birthday, coinciding with St George’s Day. It is an interesting idea that English writer is so closely identified with the Patron Saint of England!

At the age of 18 he married Anne Hathaway, who bore him three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. Between 1585 and 1592 he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part owner of the playing company the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men. He appears to have retired to Stratford around 1613, where he died three years later. Few records of Shakespeare's private life survive, and there has been considerable speculation about such matters as his sexuality, religious beliefs, and whether the works attributed to him were written by others.

Shakespeare produced most of his known work between 1590 and 1613. His early plays were mainly comedies and histories, genres he raised to the peak of sophistication and artistry by the end of the sixteenth century. Next he wrote mainly tragedies until about 1608, including Hamlet, King Lear, and Macbeth, considered some of the finest examples in the English language. In his last phase, he wrote tragicomedies, also known as romances, and collaborated with other playwrights. Many of his plays were published in editions of varying quality and accuracy during his lifetime, and in 1623, two of his former theatrical colleagues published the First Folio, a collected edition of his dramatic works that included all but two of the plays now recognised as Shakespeare's.

Shakespeare was a respected poet and playwright in his own day, but his reputation did not rise to its present heights until the nineteenth century. The Romantics, in particular, acclaimed Shakespeare's genius, and the Victorians hero-worshipped Shakespeare with a reverence that George Bernard Shaw called "bardolatry". In the twentieth century, his work was repeatedly adopted and rediscovered by new movements in scholarship and performance. His plays remain highly popular today and are consistently performed and reinterpreted in diverse cultural and political contexts throughout the world.

According to historians, Shakespeare write 37 plays and 154 sonnets throughout the span of his life. Shakespeare's writing average was 1.5 plays a year since he first started writing in 1589. There have been plays and sonnets contributed to Shakespeare that were not authentically written by the great master of language and literature.
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“The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers.” — 560 people liked it

“For where thou art, there is the world itself, with every several pleasure in the world, and where thou art not, desolation.” — 19 people liked it

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7242668-the-oxford-shakespeare?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348683764l/7242668.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7242668-the-oxford-shakespeare?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Oxford Shakespeare: Henry VI, Part Two by William Shakespeare[/url]

The Oxford Shakespeare: Henry VI, Part Two (Wars of the Roses)

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