SCENE SUMMARY AND NOTES

ACT II, SCENE I

Summary

The scene shows two men discussing BuckinghamÂ’s trial. They are sorry that the Duke has been found guilty. According to them the Duke is innocent and is the victim of WolseyÂ’s Conspiracy. Buckingham addresses the people gathered in the street and bids them an emotional farewell as he is being led to his execution. Word has reached the public of the KingÂ’s intended divorce to Katherine. The people feel that someone has wrongly incited the King against her. The Divorce is seen as an evil greater than BuckinghamÂ’s execution. Cardinal Campeius has arrived in connection with the divorce.

Notes

It is a simple scene of great dramatic importance. By showing a conversation that occurs between two men on the street, the audience is shown another dimension of history that is, the viewpoint of the common man. It offers a different perspective on what is happening behind the palace walls.

The men are depicted as clear minded, thinking people with firm opinions. The Duke of Buckingham is a man of many virtues; the people know this and are saddened by his execution. In spite of the trial, they know Wolsey engineered the whole act. It says a lot the King is in the dark about what happens behind the scenes but the populace canÂ’t be deceived.

Of note in this scene is BuckinghamÂ’s emotional farewell speech. It appears melodramatic in todayÂ’s light but ShakespeareÂ’s audiences were used to such devices and emotional eulogies, speeches and executions were very popular with the crowds.

In the last scene, the King met Anne Bullen for the first time. That meeting sparks off a chain of events finally leading to the KingÂ’s divorce from Katherine. This scene shows how far the matter has advanced. There has been a swift progression of events from the last scene, advancing the plot rapidly toward its climax the KingÂ’s marriage to Anne Bullen.

The merit of the sun lies in its elegant simplicity. It figuratively takes the audience into the streets and lets them peer into the hearts and minds of people who walk these streets. It effectively provides a means for the audience to obtain a feel of how the country is reacting to the major political events of their days.

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