Duchess of York, and the younger brother of the Prince of York speak of the return of the Prince of
Wales. Are looking forward to seeing him.
Will be successor to Edward IV's throne
News from Dorset that Richard and Buckingham have ad several of their family members inc
Rivers and Gray and political allies inc Sir Thomas Vaughan imprisoned Pomfret, a castle
Hearing this, the Queen is further distressed, Fears about Richard's plan seem to be coming true
“Ay me! I see the ruin of my house,”
Plans flee to sanctuary , helped by cardinal (ally of Elizabeth’s family) promises his support ,
would be mindful of Margaret’s curses
younger prince’s jokes and puns show him to be sharp witted. “parlous,” “too shrewd” This
will be his undoing as he is a threat and competitor to Richard.
He’s able to read and see through Richard’s words, actions and deviousness, unlike the
trusting son of Clarence who finds it hard to believe Rich killed his father.
Act II, Scene IV
1. How is the young Duke of York’s comparison of himself to Richard “too shrewd”?
The Duke says that Richard “grew so fast/That he could gnaw a crust at two hours
old,” but
that it took him two years to be able to grow his first tooth. This could be taken as a
metaphor expressing Richard’s voracious nature.
The archbishop announces that the party bringing the young prince will arrive within a day or
so. This begins a conversation about the appearance of the prince, whom the mother,
grandmother, and younger brother are anxious to see. The queen hopes that he has grown;
his grandmother has heard, however, that the nine-year-old duke has almost overtaken him.
The boy hopes this is not so, for his uncle Gloucester has told him that "small herbs have
grace, great weeds grow apace." The old duchess retorts that, since Richard grew slowly, if
this were so he should be full of grace, about which she ironically expresses her doubts. The
precocious boy remembers a story he has heard that Richard was born with all his teeth and
must have grown fast since he could "gnaw a crust at two hours old," a biting jest indeed for
a boy of nine! Since getting teeth early was also believed to be a sign of villainous
disposition, the two women recognize the boy's shrewdness, and his mother rebuke s him for
being mischievous.
Dorset enters with the upsetting news that Lord Rivers, Lord Grey, and Sir Thomas Vaughan
have all been sent to Pomfret Castle, imprisoned by the "mighty dukes" Gloucester and
Buckingham. Dorset does not know what accusation had been brought against them. The
queen, rightly seeing the downfall of her house, bemoans the tyranny that preys on the
young king's innocence. The Duchess of York cries out against yet another indication of the
dreadful war of blood against blood and self against self for the crown. The queen takes the
boy to sanctuary, led by the Archbishop of York, who gives the Great Seal into her keeping.
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Analysis
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The young Duke of York's instinctive dislike and distrust of his uncle is a prelude to
the news that Gloucester has struck his first blow against the princes. Having seen to
it that the queen's son and brother, as well as Sir Thomas Vaughan, constant and
faithful attendant on young Edward from the new king's infancy, are imprisoned in
Pomfret Castle, Richard now has all active power in his hands. That Pomfret should be
the place of imprisonment is in itself especially ominous, for there Richard II and
many others had met their deaths.
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Scene 4 derives, at least ultimately, from More's account, in which it is stated that the
archbishop had been roused "not long after midnight" by a messenger from Lord
Hastings, who had reported that Gloucester and Buckingham had taken young Edward
V, then on his way to London, from Stony Stratford back twelve miles to
Northampton. It has been argued that "if the Archbishop knew that the young king
had been carried back to Northampton, he must also have known that the lords who
accompanied him were sent to prison." Long since it has been pointed out, howe ver,
that Shakespeare deviates from historical truth in order to attain dramatic effect. As
Shakespeare dramatizes the event, one must assume that the news of the return to
Northampton made the archbishop so apprehensive that he hurried to the queen
bearing the Great Seal, without which the highest acts of state could not be ratified
formally.
The confrontation of forces has been slowly building. But before any eruption will take place,
Shakespeare carefully creates tension and suspicion. Notice how this transitional scene begins
with a relatively calm interlude.
The Archbishop of York is seen conversing with Queen Elizabeth, her youngest son (Duke of
York) and her mother-in-law (Duchess of York). They discuss the progress of the escort party
bringing the Prince of Wales to London. The old Duchess has not seen her grandson in some
time and mentions rumors of his great growth.
We are in the midst of a quiet domestic scene. A slightly jarring note is introduced when the
young Duke of York quotes his uncle, Richard. The Duke of Gloucester has told him that
"Small herbs have grace, great weeds do grow apace." Obviously, the proverb is not designed
to provide much comfort for the younger boy who has grown more quickly than his older
brother. Does this suggest anything about the relationship between Richard and his older
brothers?
Taking him literally, the Duchess states that Richard is not a good example of the saying's
message. The boy continues to jest about his uncle, relating the rumor he has heard that
Richard was born with a full set of teeth!
NOTE: This was just one of the rumors surrounding Richard's birth. The superstitious
Elizabethans believed that getting teeth early was the sign of a troublesome child, an evil
temper, and a capacity for mischief. Silly as that may sound, is it any different from the recent
attitude that a high brow is the sign of an intellectual?
The boy is scolded for his boldness when a messenger enters with more news. The Prince of
Wales is well, but Rivers and Grey, along with Sir Thomas Vaughan, another member of the
queen's party, have been sent to Pomfret Castle as prisoners. Gloucester and Buckingham
have committed them for unknown reasons.
Queen Elizabeth rightly perceives that Richard has moved to consolidate his power. She sees
the danger to her son and the political peril in almost equal balance. The Duchess of York
recalls the tragic loss of her own husband in his quest for the crown. She prays for an end to
her misery.
But Queen Elizabeth moves to protect her remaining child. They must flee to the sanctuary.
NOTE: SANCTUARY
According to medieval tradition, the protection of the Church was extended to all those
within the boundaries of the cathedral. No one could be forcibly removed from a place of
sanctuary against his or her will. Designated places of sanctuary included Westminster
Abbey in London where the queen was now headed. So great was the sanctity of such a place
that it was considered the ultimate sin to violate a place of sanctuary.
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