"They say that our sovereign is above his laws to his pleasure, and he may make it and break it as he pleases, without any distinction. The contrary is true, or else he should not have sworn to keep it"

In this quote, Jack Cade, a character from William Shakespeare's play "Henry VI, Part 2", provides a vital viewpoint on the nature of sovereignty and the guideline of law. Cade's declaration challenges the notion of absolute monarchy and raises questions about the authenticity of rulers who consider themselves above the law.

Cade starts by articulating a common belief of his time: that a sovereign, or a king, holds the supreme authority and can produce or dismiss laws according to his personal desires. This notion recommends a system where the ruler is unbound by the restrictions of the laws that govern common residents. It suggests the existence of a magnificent right of kings, where the monarch is considered God's selected representative on Earth and hence holds outright power.

However, Cade quickly refutes this concept by mentioning that if such absolute sovereignty were true, the sovereign would not be bound by any oath to support the law. His argument hinges on the idea that the very act of an emperor swearing an oath to govern according to the law acts as proof that the king, too, undergoes it. This recommends a belief in constitutionalism or the concept that law is supreme and that all, consisting of the ruler, need to abide by it.

Moreover, Cade's insistence that the opposite of lawlessness is true underscores the significance of responsibility and justice. It questions the sustainability of a system where laws are arbitrarily imposed and stresses the social agreement between rulers and the ruled-- an understanding that governance is a shared contract aimed at making sure order, justice, and the common good.

Through this statement, Cade contributes to a broader discussion on the balance between authority and responsibility, highlighting stress in between the concentration of power and democratic ideals. Although Cade himself might have doubtful motives and approaches, his questioning of unattended royal authority remains appropriate, echoing enduring disputes about the requirement for checks and balances even in contemporary governance systems.