Character Analysis
Queen Margaret is strong, controlling, and passionate. She knows what she wants, and she goes after it, no matter who's in her way. When the play opens, we learn that Henry gave up two big chunks of land in France so he could get her. York points out that this is completely un-king-like; Gloucester resents Henry's decision and predicts it will be his end.
So, why did Henry go through with the deal if it looks like such a disaster even in the very beginning? Well, there's no doubt that Margaret's totally hot, which totally helps... but she also has Suffolk on her side.
Part-Time Lover
Back in Henry VI, Part 1, Suffolk wooed Margaret for Henry… and for himself. The pair started up a relationship on the side, and they seem to be a good match for one another. They are the ultimate power couple (and we don't mean that in a particularly positive way): while Suffolk is a courageous, skillful warrior, Margaret is charming, attractive, and completely devoted to her husband's career.
Murderously devoted.
In a weird way, Margaret and Suffolk seem to work the best together when they're taking someone else down. (It's like House of Cards gone medieval.) It doesn't matter who's married to whom at this point: these two are in the game to get—and keep—power. They'll do whatever it takes to keep Henry on the throne.
Hey, maybe Margaret and Suffolk actually love each other—though it's hard to imagine either of them loving anything more than power. At any rate, they certainly show their softer sides together. When Suffolk is banished, for example, Margaret tells him, "take my heart with thee" (3.2.424). It's the only time we actually see Margaret get emotional on stage. Margaret tells him to send her news of what he's doing once he's out of England, and she kisses him. They promise to keep each other in their hearts before walking in opposite directions.
It seems like they can't bear to live without each other.
Kingmaker
So, yeah, about that marriage. Margaret's loved-up exchanges with Suffolk might seem sweet, but she's nothing but cold to her real hubby, Henry. She openly admits she wishes Henry were more like Suffolk: "I thought King Henry had resembled thee / in courage, courtship, and proportion" (1.3.55-56). She thinks her husband is weak and pious, neither of which is a quality she wants in a king or a husband.
Sure, she supports Henry, but that seems to be mostly because she's power hungry. As long as she's married to Henry and he stays king, she's got as much power as she could want, and for that reason, she's ready to get rid of anyone stepping on her toes.
To be fair, we're pretty sure Margaret hasn't forgotten that she's from a lower class than a queen should be, so she knows that she has to play tough in order to keep her position. As a woman, she would have been extra vulnerable to political attack, so in some way, it's no surprise that she chooses to meet the opposition head-on. It's just that soon enough, she starts to cross some serious lines.
Enter Gloucester. The poor guy doesn't know what he's in for with Margaret: she hates that he has control over her kingdom, and she will stop at nothing to get him out of the picture. She complains to Suffolk: "Am I a queen in title and in style, / and must be made a subject to a duke?" (1.3.50-51).
In a way, it almost doesn't seem to matter to Margaret what Henry does, as long as she can be in the driver's seat. It's in opposition to Gloucester that Margaret may show her true colors. When it comes to consolidating her own power, she doesn't care about a man's life, she doesn't care about justice, and she doesn't care about the wishes of the common people.
That's the political world of this play, and it sure ain't pretty.
Timeline