Henry VI Part 2 Act 2, Scene 3 Summary

Read the full text of Henry VI Part 2 Act 2 Scene 3 with a side-by-side translation HERE.


  • At the court, Henry sentences the perps accused of witchcraft. The witch gets burned, her colleagues will be strangled, and Eleanor gets a lesser punishment because she's of a higher class. She gets three days penance and then banishment to the Isle of Man—which is either as cool as it sounds or not, depending on how you feel about sparsely populated islands in the Irish Sea.
  • Gloucester is overwhelmed with grief. He tells his wife he can't justify her actions, because they're against the law, but he knows that if he sticks around without her, he'll just be depressed. He asks Henry if he can leave the court.
  • Henry agrees on one condition: that Gloucester give up his staff (symbolizing his title of Protector). Henry is basically saying that he can protect himself from now on.
  • Margaret wholeheartedly agrees with her husband—but with a little less tact. We don't need you anymore, she tells Gloucester.
  • Gloucester gladly gives up his staff and hopes Henry will have nothing but peace when he's gone. He seems to really want the best for Henry.
  • Margaret happily declares that Henry should have the staff. He is king, after all.
  • York remembers that today's the day when Peter and Horner are going head to head. Poor Peter, says York; he's so unprepared.
  • Let's get ready to rumble. In one corner, we've got Horner, who's tanked and still taking drinks from anyone who offers. In the other corner, we've got Peter, refusing drinks from everyone... and asking for prayers.
  • The men fight, and Peter strikes Horner. Well, Peter wins.
  • Henry decides that Horner's death proves he was a traitor, so Peter will get a reward for killing a traitor.