Character Analysis
The Duke of Gloucester, Humphrey of Lancaster, is the uncle of Henry and Protector of England. We learn right away that some people—like Cardinal Beaufort, who's been feuding with him since way back—have major issues with this guy and what they say are his abuses of power. It hinges on the nature of his protectorship and different people's interpretations of what that role is.
The Protector Needs Protecting
What's with all this talk about Gloucester being a "Protector," anyway? Well, Gloucester is Protector of England because Henry got crowned king when he was just a baby. Since babies can't rule, Gloucester was appointed Protector, or guardian, of Henry and England until Henry was old enough to rule. Basically, this role gave Gloucester a bunch of power over the other nobles (and even over Henry when he was a kid).
So, how come Henry needs a protector now that he's old enough to rule himself? Seems a bit unnecessary, right? That's what a lot of the characters in this play think, and some of them decide what to do about it: Cardinal Beaufort, Margaret, and Suffolk team up to get him to give up his Protector title.
We see where they're coming from: Henry should be able to rule now that he's an adult and all. But at the same time, none of these peeps actually have Henry's back. They all want Gloucester to give up his title so that they can have more power. Seriously—none of them is really thinking about Henry.
Will the Real Gloucester Please Stand Up?
So, who is Gloucester, really? Underneath the title and the controversy, Gloucester seems like a kindhearted guy. He genuinely loves Henry and wants the best for him. He willingly gives up his title when it's what Henry wants (he knows that Margaret, Suffolk, and Beaufort are in it for themselves and will only act when Henry himself commands him to). When he denounces his wife after she's broken the law, we might fault him as a husband, but it would be hard to criticize his loyalty to the king.
And let's be real: it's possible that Gloucester likes his power as Protector, but he's not really abusing it. Did anyone see Henry himself complaining about Gloucester? Yeah, we didn't think so. This is one king who is glad to have some of the responsibility lifted off his shoulders. We should also remember how Gloucester warns his wife not to be too ambitious; that's not the mark of a man who is in the game for unlimited power.
Gloucester stands up for himself when he's wrongfully accused of treason. He says in his own defense: "So help me God, as I have watch'd the night— Ay, night by night—in studying good for England!" (3.1.111-112). He believes so wholeheartedly in justice that he's not afraid when he's arrested for treason everyone knows he didn't commit.
He's got principles and has done nothing wrong; even his enemies know it. When Beaufort, Margaret, and Suffolk are plotting his murder, they know they won't be able to make any charges stick. So they cut out the middleman (translation: the trial) and get right to the chase by just up and murdering him.
In Henry VI, Part 2, it doesn't matter whether you're guilty or not—it only matters that you're in the way... and Gloucester is so in the way. Gloucester does get one last laugh, though: his uprightness comes back to haunt Beaufort, Margaret, and Suffolk. Everyone knows he was murdered, and it's this knowledge that leads to the revolts that soon wreak havoc on England.
All three members of the deadly trio were so self-centered and so self-confident that they failed to consider the possibility that anyone could find them out. Turns out there are consequences for cutting down innocent people, even if those consequences sometimes take a while to get back to you.
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