Henry VI, Part 3, Act 5 Scene 7 — Summary & Analysis

What happens

Edward sits crowned and victorious, celebrating his triumph with his court. He praises his soldiers' sacrifice and promises young Prince Edward the fruits of their labor. Clarence and Gloucester pledge their loyalty, kissing the infant prince. Edward speaks of lasting joy and peace, ordering Margaret sent to France. Richard, aside, reveals his true ambition: he will betray them all to seize the crown himself, comparing his kiss to Judas's kiss of betrayal.

Why it matters

This scene marks the apparent resolution of the Wars of the Roses—Edward has won, his enemies are dead, and peace seems assured. Yet Shakespeare plants the seeds of future catastrophe through Richard's asides. While Edward celebrates stability and brotherly love, Richard's aside—'I'll blast his harvest'—signals that the play's chaos will only deepen. The contrast between Edward's contentment and Richard's barely concealed ambition exposes how fragile Edward's victory truly is. Edward speaks of having 'swept suspicion from our seat,' but the play's deepest suspicion—Richard's—remains undetected, growing in the shadows.

Richard's final aside, comparing his kiss on the prince's lips to Judas's 'all hail' before betrayal, is the scene's moral pivot. A simple family moment—uncles greeting their nephew—becomes sinister. Richard's deformity, which he has made the justification for his ambition, now becomes the physical emblem of a corrupted soul. He kisses the child he will eventually murder. The scene offers no guarantee of the 'lasting joy' Edward promises; instead, it promises the opposite. We leave this victor's celebration knowing it is a prelude to Richard's ascent and the tragedy to come in Richard III.