EDWARD
O Warwick, I do bend my knee with thine,
And in this vow do chain my soul to thine;
And ere my knee rise from the earth's cold face,
I throw my hands, mine eyes, my heart to thee,
Thou setter up and plucker down of kings:
Beseeching thee, if with thy will it stands
That to my foes this body must be prey,
Yet that thy brazen gates of heaven may ope,
And give sweet passage to my sinful soul.
. . .

In this scene from Henry VI, Part 3, Edward, the future King Edward IV, expresses his complete reliance on Warwick, the powerful kingmaker. By bending his knee in solidarity and tying his fate to Warwick's, Edward acknowledges Warwick's crucial role in the power dynamics of the time. Referring to Warwick as the “setter up and plucker down of kings,” Edward captures the essence of Warwick's influence; he is a pivotal figure capable of making or breaking rulers. Edward's plea that his soul finds a path to heaven should he fall underscores the gravity of their rebellion. His words hint at the intertwining of political ambition with the personal cost, as he commits to the struggle with a blend of resolve and humility, knowing the odds they face. This passage highlights the shifting allegiances and the precariousness of power during the Wars of the Roses.