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Act 1, Scene 2
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Edward II, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Sex, Lineage, and the Natural Order
Fear of the Other and Internal Discord
Monarchy, Legitimacy, and Loyalty
Language and Violence
Fortune and Tragedy
Summary
Analysis
Gaveston and Kent enter, deep in conversation. Gaveston explains that Warwick, Mortimer Senior, Mortimer Junior, and Lancaster (who “hath more earldoms than an ass can bear”) are at the Bishop of Canterbury's residence in Lambeth. He concludes by telling Kent to let the nobles stay there.
Gaveston dislikes the nobility every bit as much as they dislike him, but for the opposite reasons: his remark about Lancaster's many titles (and his unworthiness of them) suggests that Gaveston feels contempt for those who have inherited their power and status. In retrospect, however, Gaveston's quick dismissal of the nobles seems unwise and even arrogant, since he fails to appreciate the threat they pose.
Themes
