"While trying to protect the republic, the conspirators in Julius Caesar enable Mark Antony to triumph. In Rose Rage, the more Henry VI tries to fix things, the more they go wrong"
About this Quote
Bringing Henry VI into the same breath sharpens the point. Henry is the well-meaning fixer, a ruler whose every attempt at repair becomes another tug on a loose thread. Hall’s phrasing makes “trying” do the heavy lifting: these aren’t cartoon villains. They’re competent people trapped in systems where power doesn’t reward good faith, and where procedural moves (a deposition here, a corrective decree there) can accelerate collapse. That’s why the comparison works: it spots the same engine in two different tragedies, the feedback loop where “stability” becomes the justification for escalation.
Context matters: Hall is a director translating Shakespeare for contemporary audiences, and he’s also a lawyer by training. That double lens shows. He’s alert to motive, culpability, and the way institutions fail not only from attack but from clumsy attempts at self-defense. The warning is modern: when guardians of order panic, they can midwife the very triumph they fear.
Quote Details
| Topic | Free Will & Fate |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Hall, Edward. (2026, January 16). While trying to protect the republic, the conspirators in Julius Caesar enable Mark Antony to triumph. In Rose Rage, the more Henry VI tries to fix things, the more they go wrong. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/while-trying-to-protect-the-republic-the-111026/
Chicago Style
Hall, Edward. "While trying to protect the republic, the conspirators in Julius Caesar enable Mark Antony to triumph. In Rose Rage, the more Henry VI tries to fix things, the more they go wrong." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/while-trying-to-protect-the-republic-the-111026/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"While trying to protect the republic, the conspirators in Julius Caesar enable Mark Antony to triumph. In Rose Rage, the more Henry VI tries to fix things, the more they go wrong." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/while-trying-to-protect-the-republic-the-111026/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.






