Henry VI Part 2 Act 4, Scene 8 Summary

Read the full text of Henry VI Part 2 Act 4 Scene 8 with a side-by-side translation HERE.


  • Cade is ordering more killing when he hears some soldiers. It's Buckingham and Clifford, who have come to him with a message from Henry.
  • Buckingham and Clifford encourage Cade's soldiers to go home, and as an incentive, they offer a pardon to anyone who does go home. The options seem to be: go home and be safe, or stay and get punished by the king.
  • Clifford makes a rousing speech about serving the king. All the commoners love the speech and chant for the king.
  • Wait a minute. Cade steps in and says they're fighting against the king, so they should stop praising the man enslaving us commoners. They should stick with him; he'll give them freedom.
  • The crowd says that sounds good. Now they side with Cade.
  • Clifford delivers another speech. This time, he tells them about Henry V winning land from France, and he says they have to fight the French again. They want to be on God's side again and fight with Henry, right?
  • And the crowd is back with Henry after Clifford's speech.
  • Cade realizes that the crowd is bouncing back and forth between sides more than a basketball during a Lakers game. He's surprised by the crowd's fickleness, and he doesn't want to lead such treacherous people. So he runs away.
  • Buckingham sends men after Cade and promises 1,000 crowns to whomever captures him.