Shakespeare and lawyers

​William Shakespeare's views on lawyers can be intriguing, particularly when considering his famous line from "Henry VI, Part 2": "The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers." This line, often cited out of context, is spoken by Dick the Butcher, a follower of the rebel Jack Cade, who thought that if he disturbed law and order, he could become king. 

This line is frequently interpreted in a variety of ways:

1. **Critique of Lawyers**: Some view it as Shakespeare's critique of lawyers and their role in society. In Elizabethan England, lawyers were often viewed with suspicion and seen as manipulative or corrupt.

2. **Acknowledgment of Lawyers' Importance**: Conversely, the line can be seen as an acknowledgment of the importance of lawyers in maintaining law, order, and justice in society. By suggesting that lawyers should be killed to create chaos, Shakespeare implies that lawyers are crucial to societal stability.

3. **Satirical Commentary**: Shakespeare might be using the line to satirically comment on the societal attitudes towards lawyers, reflecting the general mistrust and disdain for the legal profession.

4. **Reflection of Social Unrest**: The play reflects the social and political unrest of the time, and the line could be interpreted as a commentary on the desire of the rebels to overthrow the established order, in which lawyers played a key role.

Overall, Shakespeare's treatment of lawyers in his works is complex and multifaceted, often reflecting the broader societal views of his time. While this particular line is famous, it's important to interpret it in the context of the play and the character who speaks it, rather than as a straightforward expression of Shakespeare's personal view on lawyers.