Original Text |
Translated Text |
| Source: Folger Shakespeare Library |
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Enter Suffolk in conference with the King,
Gloucester, and Exeter, with Attendants. KING HENRY
Your wondrous rare description, noble earl,
Of beauteous Margaret hath astonished me.
Her virtues gracèd with external gifts
Do breed love’s settled passions in my heart,
And like as rigor of tempestuous gusts 5
Provokes the mightiest hulk against the tide,
So am I driven by breath of her renown
Either to suffer shipwrack, or arrive
Where I may have fruition of her love. | Where was the King during that peace negotiation? Not there. He's not there a lot, Henry VI. Now we see him having a conference with Suffolk, who's trying to convince him to marry Margaret. It seems to be going well. Possibly forgetting that he's already agreed to marry a noblewoman with a big dowry, Henry VI seems pretty convinced by Suffolk's speeches about Margaret. |
SUFFOLK
Tush, my good lord, this superficial tale 10
Is but a preface of her worthy praise.
The chief perfections of that lovely dame,
Had I sufficient skill to utter them,
Would make a volume of enticing lines
Able to ravish any dull conceit; 15
And, which is more, she is not so divine,
So full replete with choice of all delights,
But with as humble lowliness of mind
She is content to be at your command—
Command, I mean, of virtuous chaste intents— 20
To love and honor Henry as her lord. | Suffolk says there's lots more to tell about how great she is, and on
top of that she's happy to obey Henry and be his wife. (The men in this
play aren't so hot on gender equality.) |
KING HENRY
And otherwise will Henry ne’er presume.—
Therefore, my Lord Protector, give consent
That Margaret may be England’s royal queen. GLOUCESTER
So should I give consent to flatter sin. 25
You know, my lord, your Highness is betrothed
Unto another lady of esteem.
How shall we then dispense with that contract
And not deface your honor with reproach? | The King asks Gloucester to give consent to the marriage, but Gloucester
points out, inconveniently, that the King is already engaged. |
SUFFOLK
As doth a ruler with unlawful oaths; 30
Or one that, at a triumph having vowed
To try his strength, forsaketh yet the lists
By reason of his adversary’s odds.
A poor earl’s daughter is unequal odds,
And therefore may be broke without offense. 35 GLOUCESTER
Why, what, I pray, is Margaret more than that?
Her father is no better than an earl,
Although in glorious titles he excel. | Suffolk says that's no problem—the other girl is only an earl's daughter, so it's fine to break a promise to her. But Gloucester says that Margaret's father might have more impressive titles, but he's really no higher up than an earl. |
SUFFOLK
Yes, my lord, her father is a king,
The King of Naples and Jerusalem, 40
And of such great authority in France
As his alliance will confirm our peace,
And keep the Frenchmen in allegiance. GLOUCESTER
And so the Earl of Armagnac may do,
Because he is near kinsman unto Charles. 45 EXETER
Besides, his wealth doth warrant a liberal dower,
Where Reignier sooner will receive than give. | Suffolk and Gloucester then debate whether Margaret's father or the father of Henry's current fiancée is likely to do them more good as an ally. Exeter points out that the father of the current fiancée, Armagnac, is wealthy and likely to give a great dowry, which is not so likely with Margaret's father. Sounds like he might be poor and stingy, which is not so good from the perspective of the English nobles looking to fill the crown's pockets. |
SUFFOLK
A dower, my lords? Disgrace not so your king
That he should be so abject, base, and poor,
To choose for wealth and not for perfect love. 50
Henry is able to enrich his queen,
And not to seek a queen to make him rich;
So worthless peasants bargain for their wives,
As market men for oxen, sheep, or horse.
Marriage is a matter of more worth 55
Than to be dealt in by attorneyship.
Not whom we will, but whom his Grace affects,
Must be companion of his nuptial bed.
And therefore, lords, since he affects her most,
Most of all these reasons bindeth us 60
In our opinions she should be preferred.
For what is wedlock forcèd but a hell,
An age of discord and continual strife?
Whereas the contrary bringeth bliss
And is a pattern of celestial peace. 65
Whom should we match with Henry, being a king,
But Margaret, that is daughter to a king?
Her peerless feature, joinèd with her birth,
Approves her fit for none but for a king.
Her valiant courage and undaunted spirit, 70
More than in women commonly is seen,
Will answer our hope in issue of a king.
For Henry, son unto a conqueror,
Is likely to beget more conquerors,
If with a lady of so high resolve 75
As is fair Margaret he be linked in love.
Then yield, my lords, and here conclude with me
That Margaret shall be queen, and none but she. | Suffolk says the king doesn't need a dowry, and can marry whomever he likes for love. He gives a really long speech arguing that Margaret is a better match for the King, the King is really in love with her, and so on. This is pretty ludicrous, because the King hasn't even met either woman, so he's not actually in love with either of them. It's kind of like saying, "I swiped twice on Tinder, and I'm sure I'm in love with this one." |
KING HENRY
Whether it be through force of your report,
My noble Lord of Suffolk, or for that 80
My tender youth was never yet attaint
With any passion of inflaming love,
I cannot tell; but this I am assured:
I feel such sharp dissension in my breast,
Such fierce alarums both of hope and fear, 85
As I am sick with working of my thoughts.
Take therefore shipping; post, my lord, to France;
Agree to any covenants, and procure
That Lady Margaret do vouchsafe to come
To cross the seas to England and be crowned 90
King Henry’s faithful and anointed queen.
For your expenses and sufficient charge,
Among the people gather up a tenth.
Be gone, I say, for till you do return,
I rest perplexèd with a thousand cares.— 95
And you, good uncle, banish all offense.
If you do censure me by what you were,
Not what you are, I know it will excuse
This sudden execution of my will.
And so conduct me where, from company, 100
I may revolve and ruminate my grief. He exits with Attendants. | All the same, the King seems convinced. He's not sure whether it's Suffolk's praise or the fact that he's never been in love before, but he's sick with hope and fear until he can marry Margaret. He even tells Suffolk he can levy a special extra tax for expenses. (You know how much people like extra taxes.) Henry asks his uncle to remember what young love was like and not be offended. |
GLOUCESTER
Ay, grief, I fear me, both at first and last. Gloucester exits with Exeter. SUFFOLK
Thus Suffolk hath prevailed, and thus he goes
As did the youthful Paris once to Greece,
With hope to find the like event in love, 105
But prosper better than the Trojan did.
Margaret shall now be queen, and rule the King,
But I will rule both her, the King, and realm. He exits. | Gloucester mutters that this will likely cause grief, and we can just see how unconvinced he is. Suffolk ends the play with a little speech where he describes himself as being like Paris, the Trojan prince who married the most beautiful woman in the world. He also hopes that he will be able to influence the king by influencing Margaret, thus ruling the realm behind the scenes. There are so many ominous things about this six line speech it's hard to know where to start. For one, Paris didn't really have great success. Yes, he did marry the most beautiful woman in the world, but only after stealing her from her husband, who came and besieged Paris's city of Troy for ten years. And that's just the beginning. Paris was also widely scorned by his countrymen for causing so much trouble, and he was eventually killed in the fighting over Troy. Not to mention that Troy fell completely to the Greeks and was obliterated. Suffolk sort of recognizes this—he says he hopes to prosper more than Paris—but it's still a really bad comparison. He's saying, "Sure this character steals someone else's wife, is hated by most of his friends, causes the downfall of his entire homeland, and dies in the process. But I think I can emulate him and have better luck." And that's the end of the play. This play begins with the funeral of one of England's greatest heroes and ends with a rash nobleman hoping he can run the kingdom by having an affair with the queen and influencing the king through her. Not so good. |