Who uttered the famous phrase, "Let's kill all the lawyers"?
When Shakespeare had one of his characters, Dick the Butcher, state "Let's kill all the lawyers," it was the corrupt, unethical lawyers to whom The Bard was referring. Shakespeare's exact line "The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers," comes from "Henry VI" (Part 2), Act 4, Scene 2, Line 73. The Butcher was a follower of the rebel Jack Cade, who thought that if he disturbed law and order, he could become king. Shakespeare meant it as a compliment to attorneys and judges who instill justice in society.
What are your thoughts on this subject?
3 Comments
teacherchicky
I've been noticing that there are many questions their explanations for certain answers aren't referenced! I wrote a question and used Wikipedia as my reference and it got booted stating there weren't any references but when I argued that there were a couple of them, I was informed that there must be better ones than Wikipedia (most of these references are Wikipedia) and ultimately it was rejected. Every day I see questions and answers with a Wikipedia referenced explanation!
Gary Strong
One of the reasons Shakespeare wrote the Henry VI plays, plus the other plays in the group of history plays concerning the Plantagenets,was that the Tudors replaced the Plantagenets on the English throne. What better way to curry favor with Queen Elizabeth I than to show the previous kings to be constantly involved with wars, whether against France or civil wars within England itself. Under the Tudors there was peace especially after the defeat of the Armada. The line, "Let's kill all the lawyers," plays into the anarchy that Henry VI ultimately plunged the country. The part of recent English history that Shakespeare tells with the story of Henry VI is the horror of war both at home and abroad. The peace with France forged by his father (Henry V), is broken and the Hundred Years War erupts anew. England had no great hero once Henry V died and France's army was being lead by Joan of Arc.
Theresa Bratton
The first part of this answer seems to contradict with the second--was Shakespeare calling out corrupt lawyers or complimenting lawyers? I suppose both are plausible interpretations of the verse, but this answer seems to present both possibilities as fact.