March 27, 2023 Glenn Stewart

“First thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers!”  When “Dick the Butcher” bellowed his famous declaration in Henry VI 400-years ago, Shakespeare was showcasing the fascist playbook.  “Butcher” is apropos, as “Dick” was a terrible, brutish man; a murderer.   His partner- in-crime is Jack Cade, who’s fixated on placing himself on King Henry’s throne by any means necessary.  In these men, Shakespeare concocts the most cunning, anti-intellectual characters ever to appear in his, and possibly anyone else’s work.