Act II opens with Queen Catharine in Ludlow Castle, surrounded by her advisors and ladies. She praises her officers who, after her husband and their King died prematurely, continued to pledge their allegiance to her. She asks for their advice, and Lord Dacres advises her to lose the guards at her chamber doors, and place them elsewhere, persuading her of her safety behind the impenetrable walls of the castle. As Dacres exits, Catharine’s lady, Isabella, enters with a letter from her old love, Owen Tudor, requesting to meet in secret in the castle vault. Catharine also advises Isabella against her love for the Duke of Clarence, asking that her safety may persuade her to desist her relationship with the disloyal Duke. Catharine leaves, with Lord Thyrrold entering, begging Isabella to return his love for her. Isabella refuses, rejecting him once more, leading Thyrrold to curse her love with the Duke of Clarence.
The next scene opens with Clarence waiting for Isabella to meet him, proclaiming that he would relinquish his title and his status to be with her. When Isabella arrives, warning him of the threats to separate them, Clarence tells Isabella of his plans to run away with her to France, to start a new life together. After much persuasion, Isabella agrees to run away with Clarence, leaving her Queen behind. They agree to meet one another at midnight, as Clarence instructs Isabella to give Malavill the outer key to the castle in order for him to sneak in.
In another scene change, Gloucester tells King Edward of the courtship between their brother (the Duke of Clarence), and Isabella. Edward is adamant that it must be prevented, so Gloucester hatches a plan to make Clarence jealous of the fictitious relationship between Isabella and Thyrrold. Edward exits and Clarence enters on stage. Gloucester questions his love for Isabella, as she is supposedly married to Thyrrold. Clarence threatens his brother to stay away from Isabella, before exiting. Malavill then enters, and updates Gloucester that his plan is prepared: Thyrrold has agreed to raise further doubts in Clarence’s mind about Isabella’s love for him.
A visual diagram of the play’s military and romantic relationships.