Henry IV, Part 2

by William Shakespeare

  Lines 118–172: While the Lord Chief Justice asks Gower for news, Falstaff persuades the Hostess to pawn her “plate and tapestry” to lend him yet more money, and arranges that the prostitute Doll Tearsheet will join him that evening for supper at the tavern. Falstaff is left with the Lord Chief Justice and Gower, who ignore him while they discuss the king’s affairs.

  ACT 2 SCENE 2

  For the first time in the play, we see a member of the royal household: so far, the narrative, and therefore audience interest, has focused on the rebels and Falstaff. Even now, we only hear of the king through report, a device suggesting that, despite its eponymous title, the play is about more than Henry IV; concerning itself instead with his country and people, and the development of the character of Prince Henry. The prince is with Poins, one of his former, disreputable, companions. The prince complains that he is “weary” and torn between his old ways and his new responsibilities. He describes how his “heart bleeds” because of his father’s illness, but that he is unable to show his true feelings, because, like Poins, people would think that he was being “a most princely hypocrite.” Bardolph brings a nonsensical letter to Prince Henry from Falstaff. When the prince learns that Falstaff will be dining with Doll Tearsheet at the tavern that evening, he and Poins decide to disguise themselves as waiters so as to see Falstaff “in his true colours,” emphasizing that Henry has yet to complete his metamorphosis from reprobate to royal prince.

  ACT 2 SCENE 3

  Northumberland urges his wife and widowed daughter-in-law to support him in his decision to fight the king, but Lady Percy begs him not to go to war. She reminds him that he did not go when Hotspur needed his support, effectively leaving him to die. Her grief is evident, and her description of the noble Hotspur, “the glass / Wherein the noble youth did dress themselves,” serves to contrast with Prince Henry, who, while in the process of becoming a more responsible and honorable character, is still attracted to his old, irresponsible lifestyle. Northumberland is swayed by Lady Percy’s arguments, showing his weakness as an ally in the rebels’ cause. He agrees to go to Scotland while the first stages of the battle are under way.

  ACT 2 SCENE 4

  Once again, the low-status characters provide comic contrast to the events of the main plot, while reinforcing some of its key themes and concerns. This scene also serves to establish the growing estrangement between Falstaff and the prince.

  Lines 1–207: Two waiters discuss the arrangements for Falstaff’s meal, and go to find the disguises for Prince Henry and Poins. Hostess Quickly and Doll Tearsheet arrive, followed by Falstaff, and a humorous, bawdy exchange follows between them all. There are a number of joking references to venereal disease, a subject that is returned to throughout the scene and which, although comic, serves as a metaphor for the wider corruption of the kingdom. They are interrupted by a waiter who informs Falstaff that “Ancient Pistol” has asked to speak to him. When Pistol enters, the conversation becomes more riotous and confusing, compounded by Pistol’s nonsensical speeches and threats against Doll Tearsheet, to which she replies with bawdy indignation. The emphasis on Pistol’s and Bardolph’s military titles reminds the audience of wider events, but Doll’s mockery of Pistol, “You a captain?” contrasts with the more serious soldiery in the play. Bardolph tells Pistol to leave before it “grow[s] to a brawl” but, when he tries to throw him out, Pistol draws his sword. Despite Doll’s protests, Falstaff draws as well, and Pistol is driven out. Doll Tearsheet sympathizes with Falstaff and, although her language is rough, it is also strangely tender, revealing a gentler side to Falstaff in his relationship with her. The Musicians arrive, and Falstaff invites Doll to sit on his knee. She good-naturedly asks him when he is going to “leave fighting” and “begin to patch up” his “old body for heaven,” one of the increasing number of references to Falstaff’s age.

  Lines 208–355: Prince Henry and Poins enter, disguised. As they listen in, Doll questions Falstaff about them, reinforcing the theme of misrepresentation/rumor as he describes Henry as a “shallow young fellow” and dismisses Poins’ reputed wit as being “as thick as Tewkesbury mustard.” Finally, Falstaff recognizes the prince and Poins, and Henry reveals angrily that they have heard everything. As Falstaff tries to make excuses, they are interrupted by Peto, who reports that the king is at court and that there is a great deal of military activity under way: “weak and wearied” messengers are arriving from the north, and “a dozen captains” are searching for Falstaff to take command of his troops. Henry is ashamed that he has “idly” wasted “precious time” when the “tempest of commotion, like the south / Borne with black vapour, doth begin to melt.” His language provides a sudden, serious note and the previous humor is forgotten in his brief, dismissive “goodnight” to Falstaff. Falstaff takes a fond farewell of Hostess Quickly and Doll Tearsheet.

  ACT 3 SCENE 1

  Late at night, the king is occupied with the business of war. He sends his Page with letters and embarks on a soliloquy that reveals his troubled mind, a technique that moves the audience from the previously distanced presentation of the character to a position of sudden, intimate insight. He dwells on how his “poorest subjects” are “at this hour asleep,” comparing the simple lives of everyday people with the overbearing responsibilities of kingship: “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.” Surrey and Warwick arrive, and King Henry compares his kingdom to a “body” that is infected with “rank diseases,” echoing the imagery of the previous scene. He wishes he could know the future, and then considers the past, reinforcing the theme of time as he dwells on how Richard II and Northumberland had once been “great friends” and then, “two years after / Were they at wars,” and how “but eight years since” Northumberland had been his own ally, only to betray him. He reminds them how Richard prophesied “this same time’s condition / And the division of our amity.” Warwick reasons that Richard could guess that Northumberland might betray Henry, having betrayed him. Focusing once more on the present, the king reports that “the bishop and Northumberland / Are fifty thousand strong,” but Warwick responds that “Rumour doth double / Like the voice and echo,” and urges Henry to go to bed before he makes himself more unwell. Henry agrees, comforting himself with the thought that once the “inward wars” of his kingdom are over, he will make his long-planned pilgrimage “unto the Holy Land.”

  ACT 3 SCENE 2

  Justices Shallow and Silence await the arrival of Falstaff in Gloucestershire (a diversion from his march to York). This inclusion of characters from rural, “middle-class” England serves to emphasize the country-wide impact of the civil war, providing a contrast to the city and court, and the diametric of nobles and low-status characters seen so far. The presentation of Shallow and Silence is gently mocking: their names characterize their conversational styles, as Shallow talks endlessly about his past and his previous acquaintance with Falstaff, and Silence says very little. Underlying this mild humor, however, their preoccupation with the past echoes that of the king, and their constant return to the theme of death emphasizes the growing focus on mortality in the play.

  They are interrupted by Bardolph and Falstaff, who inspect the men that Shallow and Silence have assembled for recruitment. Comedy is generated through the recruits’ names and corresponding characters: “Mouldy,” “Wart,” and “Feeble,” for example, and the humor that Falstaff derives from this. When Falstaff goes to dinner with Silence and Shallow, Bardolph accepts bribes from two recruits to ensure that they will not have to join up. When the others return, he tells Falstaff, who praises him and avoids selecting these men, revealing Falstaff’s essentially corrupt nature. The scene ends with Falstaff’s soliloquy, in which he mocks his old acquaintance, Shallow, and claims that he will make some money from him in the future, “if” he returns from the wars, a qualification that reminds us of the play’s increasing concerns with mortality.

  ACT 4 SCENE 1

  Lines 1–185: The Archbishop of York meets with Mowbray and Hastings i
n Gaultree forest to prepare for battle. They have sent scouts to find out the strength of the king’s armies. The Archbishop tells them that he has received a letter from Northumberland, claiming that he cannot raise satisfactory support and will not be joining them. A Messenger arrives with the news that the king’s men are “scarcely off a mile” and that his armies number about thirty thousand. As Mowbray urges the others to battle, they are approached by Westmorland, acting as emissary from Prince John. Westmorland addresses the Archbishop, reminding him of his holy position and suggesting that the role of a “reverend father” is to sustain peace. He asks why the Archbishop has turned to “the harsh and boisterous tongue of war.” The Archbishop returns to the recurring image of disease as he describes how the country has been brought “into a burning fever / And we must bleed for it.” He argues that he has “justly weighed” the arguments for and against war, but that the king’s refusal to hear the “griefs” of his subjects has left him no choice. Westmorland reiterates that it is not the Archbishop’s role to involve himself, but Mowbray argues that it is the role of “all / That feel the bruises of the days before,” emphasizing once again the influence of the past. Westmorland agrees to take a “schedule” of the rebels’ “general grievances” to Prince John.

  Lines 186–362: Mowbray worries that, even if they can succeed in a peaceful resolution, the king will make their families suffer in the future, but the Archbishop argues that the king has learned that sustaining grievances from generation to generation leads to greater troubles and that he is convinced that the king will “wipe his tables clean / And keep no tell-tale to his memory.” Westmorland returns and invites them to meet with Prince John. The prince arrives and, like Westmorland, suggests that the Archbishop has no place in “Turning the word to sword and life to death.” The rebels remind Prince John of the list of grievances that they sent him and ask him to “answer them directly.” The prince argues that his “father’s purposes have been mistook,” but promises that “these griefs shall be with speed redressed.” He calls for the rebels to discharge their armies, promising that the royal forces will do the same. They all toast each other, and the rebel soldiers are heard cheering the “word of peace.” The prince sends Westmorland to discharge the royal army. He returns to report that the prince’s men will not leave until they have heard him give the order, just as Hastings returns to announce that the rebel armies have dispersed. Westmorland arrests the rebels for “high treason” and, when they protest, the prince reminds them that he promised to redress their grievances, and that he will do this “with a most Christian care,” but that they are traitors to the king and will be executed.

  Lines 363–480: Falstaff meets with a rebel knight, Coleville, and persuades him to surrender, relying on his false reputation for having killed Hotspur (seeHenry IV Part I). Prince John and his followers arrive, and the prince accuses Falstaff of keeping out of the way until everything is over. Falstaff argues that he has, with “pure and immaculate valour,” taken Coleville prisoner, but the prince remains cynical. Westmorland brings the news that the rebels have retreated, and Prince John sends Coleville to be executed. Falstaff asks permission to go to Gloucester and begs the prince to give a “good report” of him to the court. Prince John agrees, reluctantly, and leaves. Alone, Falstaff muses on the prince’s dislike of him, blaming his “sober-blooded” disposition on the fact that he “drinks no wine.” He dwells on the faults of those who do not drink, and, through this roundabout and lengthy diatribe, passes negative comment on both the prince and King Henry, who both have “cold blood” and are like “lean, sterile and bare land.” He leaves for Gloucester, aiming to get money from Justice Shallow.

  ACT 4 SCENE 2

  Lines 1–82: Although extremely ill, King Henry talks with Warwick and two of his sons, Clarence and Gloucester, about his plans for a crusade once the rebels are “underneath the yoke of government.” He asks after Prince Henry and advises Clarence that, as the brother who is closest to Henry, he must act as guide and mediator to him. He asks why Clarence is not with Henry and learns that he is dining with Poins. The king complains that his son is “overspread” with “weeds,” but Warwick argues that “in the perfectness of time” Henry will “Cast off his followers.”

  Lines 83–228: Westmorland brings news from Prince John that the rebel leaders have been executed and that “peace puts forth her olive everywhere.” Harcourt follows, announcing that Northumberland and Lord Bardolph are defeated. Despite his joy, the king grows more unwell. He calls for his crown to be set upon his pillow. Prince Henry arrives and Clarence reports that their father is “Exceeding ill.” The others withdraw, leaving Henry with his sleeping father. The prince sees the crown and muses on the pressures of kingship, seeing the crown as a “Golden care” and echoing his father’s words in Act 3 Scene 1, as he considers how much sounder common men must sleep without the “pinch” of “majesty.” Believing King Henry to be dead, he places the crown on his own head before leaving.

  The king wakes and calls for his sons and followers, demanding to know why he has been left alone. Clarence explains that Henry was there. Seeing his crown missing, the king sends Warwick to find Prince Henry, furious at his apparent haste to succeed to the throne. As Warwick searches, the king laments sons who “revolt” against their fathers. Warwick finds Henry weeping in the next room. The prince returns, holding the crown, and the king sends everyone out so that they may speak privately.

  Lines 229–379: Angry and disappointed, the king accuses Prince Henry of wishing him dead. He claims that Henry did not need to steal the crown, as it will be his anyway “after some few hours,” and laments that he will be leaving his “poor kingdom” in the hands of a sinful, irresponsible king. Deeply moved, Henry replaces the crown on his father’s pillow and kneels beside him. He explains that he thought his father had died, and that this thought “struck” his heart “cold.” He tells the king of the speech that he made to the crown, rebuking it for placing the burden of care on his father to the extent that it “Hast eat the bearer up.” He describes how he put the crown on, not out of greed, but to “try” it as “an enemy,” and to test his own response, looking for “pride” or an inclination to enjoy “the might of it.” Instead, he feels the same “awe and terror” of any subject in the face of its power.

  King Henry asks his son to sit beside him, promising that however “troublesome” the crown sat on his own head, it will “descend with better quiet” upon the prince. Echoing Northumberland’s meta-theatrical imagery in Act 1 Scene 1, he describes his reign as “a scene / Acting that argument” of civil war. He describes his own ascension to the throne as “purchased,” but argues that it “falls upon” Prince Henry “in a more fairer sort.” He warns his son that he is inheriting a troubled kingdom “since griefs are green,” and advises him to unite the country through “foreign quarrels.” He dwells on “how [he] came by the crown,” but the prince reassures him that he “won it, wore it, kept it,” and that when he himself inherits it, he will rightfully maintain possession of it. Prince John arrives, accompanied by Warwick, and they take the king to the “Jerusalem chamber,” where he wishes to die, having had it prophesied that he “should not die but in Jerusalem.”

  ACT 5 SCENE 1

  Falstaff is greeted by Shallow, who insists that he stay the night. Briefly alone, Falstaff mocks Shallow for his resemblance to his own serving men, observing that “wise bearing or ignorant carriage is caught, as men take diseases…therefore let men take heed of their company,” an ironic statement in the light of Prince Henry’s forthcoming rejection of Falstaff.

  ACT 5 SCENE 2

  The Lord Chief Justice and Warwick discuss the death of King Henry IV and their own positions. Warwick agrees that the Lord Chief Justice is right to be concerned as the new king, Henry V, “loves you not.” Henry’s three brothers arrive and Warwick observes that Henry has the “worst” temperament of all of the old king’s sons. The two men worry for the future, fearin
g that “all will be overturned.” The princes, Warwick, and the Lord Chief Justice are discussing their sorrow at recent events, when the new king himself enters. Henry’s language reflects the change in his character: he shows humility in his description of how “This new and gorgeous garment majesty” does not sit “easy” on him.

  He sees that his brothers are mourning, but also that they seem afraid of him and he reassures them that he intends to look after them: “I’ll be your father and your brother too.” His listeners seem unconvinced, and the Lord Chief Justice openly acknowledges that he is aware that Henry does not like him. Henry asks why he should, when in the past he has seen fit to “Rate, rebuke, and roughly send to prison / Th’immediate heir of England.” The Lord Chief Justice replies that, in the past, he was acting on behalf of “law and justice” in the name of Henry IV. He asks Henry what, under those circumstances, he did wrong. Surprisingly, Henry replies that the Lord Chief Justice was right, and insists that he wishes him to continue in his current role. He gives the Lord Chief Justice his hand and assures them all that although his blood has “flowed in vanity” in the past, it will “flow henceforth in formal majesty,” an image which signals a shift in focus from the all-dominating past to a more hopeful future.