First Thing We Do Is Kill All the Lawyers
From: Marcus Jervis <marcusjervis_at_hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 03 Jun 2003 05:16:42 +0000 Hey, here is something good off the net from years ago. Ever seen this? I like to drag this out whenever anyone claims that "Shakespeare said, first lets kill all the lawyers".
"The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers." The line is from _The Second Part of Henry VI_, act IV, scene ii, line 86; spoken by Dick the butcher, a follower of Jack Cade of Ashford, a common bully who tries to start a rebellion on which the Yorks can later capitalize to seize the throne from Henry (it's a very complicated story). The line is spoken during a scene in which Cade and his followers put on airs about their common family heritage, fantasize about how they would rule when Cade is king, and bitterly denounce the educated and literate. Killing the lawyers is part of the conspiracy to undermine the rule of law and protections of the people, but it also expresses the conspirators' contempt for the educated. In the same scene, the group grabs Emmanuel the Clerk, who is asked by Cade "dost thou use to write thy name? or hast thou a mark to thyself, like an honest plain-dealing man?" and Emmanuel replies: "Sir, I thank God, I have been so well brought up that I can write my name." At this All reply: "He hath confessed: away with him! he's a villain and a traitor" and the Clerk is dragged offstage. Received on Mon Jun 02 2003 - 22:16:42 PDT |
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