Eleanor Gloucester

Play

Henry VI, Part 2

Summary

Eleanor Cobham, Duchess of Gloucester, is brought down by her own unchecked ambition. She dabbles in witchcraft and conjuring to discover whether her husband will one day be king, and her enemies — particularly Suffolk and Winchester — exploit this to arrest her for treason. Condemned to public penance and exile, her disgrace drags down her husband Humphrey with her, breaking England's last good protector.

Notable Quotations

"Follow I must; I cannot go before, / While Gloucester bears this base and humble mind. / Were I a man, a duke, and next of blood, / I would remove these tedious stumbling-blocks / And smooth my way upon their headless necks." *(1.2)*

"Art thou gone too? all comfort go with thee! / For none abides with me: my joy is death; / Death, at whose name I oft have been afear'd, / Because I wish'd this world's eternity." *(2.4)*

Cross-references