Edward II: Act 2, Scene 2 Summary & Analysis

One of the nobles' central complaints with Edward is that he is not adequately interested in military matters. In many cases, these complaints may strike a modern reader as excessive, if not downright bloodthirsty: Mortimer Junior in particular seems to value war above virtually everything else. In this instance, however, the criticism does point to a real shortcoming on Edward's part. Edward's infatuation with Gaveston is so all-consuming that he completely dismisses a threat to England's holdings.

The device Mortimer describes draws heavily on a fairly common symbol in Elizabethan theater: the idea of the society or nation as a tree (or plant, garden, etc.). As Mortimer's speech demonstrates, the image is especially evocative when it comes to describing the overall health of society. In this case, for instance, Mortimer imagines Gaveston as a "canker" (worm) that feeds parasitically on both Edward and the kingdom as a whole. Not surprisingly, Edward responds badly, and effectively defends upending the entire social order to promote Gaveston's interests: he adopts the motto Mortimer sarcastically proposes ("Æque tandem"—i.e. "equal in height") as an appropriate one for Gaveston. He also notes the discrepancy between the nobles' words and the images they intend to display on their shields, which again points to the tension between language and violence in the play. In this case, the nobles' shields—a symbol of warfare—"speak" more honestly than their actual words.

The confrontation between Gaveston and the nobility once more centers on social status. The nobles refer to Gaveston's titles sarcastically, making it clear that regardless of the status Edward bestows on him, they will always view Gaveston as a commoner. Gaveston, however, refuses to take the bait. Although he does grow angry with the nobles, he mocks their own status rather than defending his own. In particular, Gaveston's remark that the nobles "glory in their birth" undercuts the idea that there is anything special about being a noble by blood. The fact that the nobles immediately respond by drawing their swords arguably proves Gaveston's point, particularly given Spencer Junior's earlier remarks about the link between nobility and violence: in order to maintain the distinctiveness of their status, the nobles must resort to force.

Given that the scene opened with a discussion of the military threat posed by France, it is striking that the violence so quickly turns inward, with Edward now arguing that war is the only way to deal with the nobles' rebelliousness. This is in keeping with the fact that the most serious threats in the play ultimately come from within rather than without. It is also worth noting that Edward's threats of violence are characteristically over-the-top. Throughout the play, Edward describes in elaborate detail what he intends to do to his enemies, but rarely follows though on his threats.

Like Edward himself, the nobles feel that violence is the only solution to the situation they find themselves in. Although they frame this as a response to Edward's own threats, it is worth noting that Mortimer Junior, at least, has argued in favor of rebellion all along.

The conflict surrounding Mortimer Senior's ransom is another example Edward's and the nobility's differing views on the responsibilities of a monarch. Not unreasonably, Mortimer Junior believes that the services the nobles provide (e.g. military service) should inspire some reciprocal loyalty on Edward's part. Edward, however, apparently does not share this view, perhaps because the nobles' loyalty is itself in question by this point. Whatever the case, the nobles take Edward's ultimate refusal to pay the ransom as yet another way in which he has breached an implicit contract with them.

Although Edward's refusal to ransom Mortimer Senior would likely have angered Mortimer Junior regardless, it comes across as particularly unfair in context. The implied insult to the Mortimer family makes it clear that Edward's refusal stems mostly from personal dislike. While this is to some degree understandable, given how Mortimer Junior himself has treated Edward, it speaks to Edward's unfitness as a ruler: he is unable to set aside his personal grievances to address the broader political issues in question. What's more, the particular insult Edward chooses is one that targets Mortimer's status as a member of the nobility—a point of particular pride for him and the other lords. As Lancaster did earlier, Mortimer responds to a challenge to his rank by threatening violence.

By and large, the accusations the nobles level at Edward in this scene are (if true) legitimate grounds for complaint. As the nobles describe it, Edward has abused his power as king for his own pleasure while neglecting the overall good of the kingdom—for instance, by overtaxing his subjects in order to shower his lover with expensive gifts. Furthermore, the nobles argue, Edward's policies have weakened England to such an extent that it is now vulnerable to multiple attacks from outside. All these charges arguably furnish the nobles with grounds for rebelling against the king as a way of protecting the country's overall welfare. With that said, Mortimer Junior's complaint about Edward's conduct during battle seems petty and personal in tone, which to some extent undercuts the nobility's claim to the moral high ground: although the concerns they raise may be valid, their motives are not totally pure.

Although Kent has repeatedly defended Edward's decision in the past, it becomes clear in this exchange that he was acting at least in part out of respect for the monarchy itself. Kent does not approve of Gaveston or—to the extent that Edward persists in defending Gaveston—of Edward's own actions. Edward, who consistently views people and events in terms of his own personal feelings, sees this as treason, despite Kent's attempts to justify his position in terms of his loyalty to the country as a whole.

Edward's response to Isabella again reveals his understanding of loyalty as something that is due to him personally, rather than to the monarchy or country in general. Although he does not seem particularly disturbed by the news that the nobles are plotting an uprising, he takes the time to criticize Isabella for supposedly committing adultery. Edward's quick about-face, meanwhile, illustrates the extent to which Gaveston is able to control him, since a few words persuade him to apologize to his wife.

Although Gaveston's overtly violent solutions to dealing with Mortimer Junior are likely to be jarring to a modern reader, this kind of ruthlessness was widely accepted at the time Marlowe was writing. Edward's failure to act decisively is thus another indication of his ineffectuality as a ruler. Although Edward's remark that killing Mortimer could backfire does demonstrate a degree of political awareness, his quick dismissal of the brewing rebellion is unwise. What's more, the fact that he turns his attention away from the problem in order to interview Baldock and Spencer Junior—two new prospective favorites—underscores his persistent preoccupation with the personal rather than the political.

Edward appears to push forward the date of the wedding as a way of reaffirming his loyalty to Gaveston in the face of the nobility's (and now Kent's) opposition. Gaveston and Margaret's marriage, in other words, is in some sense the opening salvo in the war Edward says will follow the wedding.