Keep in a little life? Poor Jack, farewell!
I could have better spared a better man.
O, I should have a heavy miss of thee,
If I were much in love with vanity!
Death hath not struck so fat a deer today,
Though many dearer, in this bloody fray.
Embowelled will I see thee by and by:
Till then in blood by noble Percy lie.
Exit
Falstaff riseth up
FALSTAFF Embowelled! If thou embowel me today, I’ll give you
leave to powder me and eat me too tomorrow. ’Twas time to
counterfeit, or that hot termagant Scot had paid me scot and
lot too. Counterfeit? I am no counterfeit; to die, is to be a
counterfeit, for he is but the counterfeit of a man who hath
not the life of a man. But to counterfeit dying, when a man
thereby liveth, is to be no counterfeit, but the true and
perfect image of life indeed. The better part of valour is
discretion, in the which better part I have saved my life. I am
afraid of this gunpowder Percy, though he be dead. How, if
he should counterfeit too and rise? I am afraid he would
prove the better counterfeit: therefore I’ll make him sure,
yea, and I’ll swear I killed him. Why may not he rise as well
as I? Nothing confutes me but eyes, and nobody sees me.
Therefore, sirrah, with a new wound in your
Stabs him
thigh, come you along with me.
Takes Hotspur on his back
Enter Prince and John of Lancaster
PRINCE HENRY Come, brother John, full bravely hast thou fleshed
Thy maiden sword.
PRINCE JOHN But, soft! Who have we here?
Did you not tell me this fat man was dead?
PRINCE HENRY I did. I saw him dead,
Breathless and bleeding on the ground.—
Art thou alive? Or is it fantasy
To Falstaff
That plays upon our eyesight? I prithee speak.
We will not trust our eyes without our ears.
Thou art not what thou seem’st.
FALSTAFF No, that’s certain: I am not a double man. But if I be
not Jack Falstaff, then am I a jack. There is
Throws the body down
Percy. If your father will do me any honour,
so: if not, let him kill the next Percy himself. I look to be
either earl or duke, I can assure you.
PRINCE HENRY Why, Percy I killed myself and saw thee dead.
FALSTAFF Didst thou? Lord, Lord, how the world is given to
lying! I grant you I was down and out of breath, and so was
he. But we rose both at an instant and fought a long hour by
Shrewsbury clock. If I may be believed, so: if not, let them
that should reward valour bear the sin upon their own
heads. I’ll take’t on my death, I gave him this wound in the
thigh: if the man were alive and would deny it, I would make
him eat a piece of my sword.
PRINCE JOHN This is the strangest tale that e’er I heard.
PRINCE HENRY This is the strangest fellow, brother John.—
Come, bring your luggage nobly on your back.
To Falstaff
For my part, if a lie may do thee grace,
I’ll gild it with the happiest terms I have.—
A retreat is sounded
The trumpets sound retreat, the day is ours.—
Come, brother, let’s to the highest of the field,
To see what friends are living, who are dead.
Exeunt [Prince Henry and Lancaster]
FALSTAFF I’ll follow, as they say, for reward. He that rewards
me, heaven reward him! If I do grow great again, I’ll grow
less, for I’ll purge, and leave sack, and live cleanly as a
nobleman should do.
Exit
Act 5 Scene 4
running scene 16 continues
The trumpets sound. Enter the King, Prince of Wales, Lord John of Lancaster, Earl of Westmorland [and others], with Worcester and Vernon prisoners
KING HENRY IV Thus ever did rebellion find rebuke.
Ill-spirited Worcester, did we not send grace,
Pardon and terms of love to all of you?
And wouldst thou turn our offers contrary?
Misuse the tenor of thy kinsman’s trust?
Three knights upon our party slain today,
A noble earl and many a creature else
Had been alive this hour,
If like a Christian thou hadst truly borne
Betwixt our armies true intelligence.
WORCESTER What I have done my safety urged me to,
And I embrace this fortune patiently,
Since not to be avoided it falls on me.
KING HENRY IV Bear Worcester to death and Vernon too:
Other offenders we will pause upon.
Exeunt Worcester and Vernon, [guarded]
How goes the field?
PRINCE HENRY The noble Scot, Lord Douglas, when he saw
The fortune of the day quite turned from him,
The noble Percy slain, and all his men
Upon the foot of fear, fled with the rest;
And falling from a hill, he was so bruised
That the pursuers took him. At my tent
The Douglas is, and I beseech your grace
I may dispose of him.
KING HENRY IV With all my heart.
PRINCE HENRY Then, brother John of Lancaster, to you
This honourable bounty shall belong:
Go to the Douglas, and deliver him
Up to his pleasure, ransomless and free:
His valour shown upon our crests today
Hath taught us how to cherish such high deeds
Even in the bosom of our adversaries.
KING HENRY IV Then this remains, that we divide our power.—
You, son John, and my cousin Westmorland
Towards York shall bend you with your dearest speed,
To meet Northumberland and the prelate Scroop,
Who, as we hear, are busily in arms.—
Myself and you, son Harry, will towards Wales,
To fight with Glendower and the Earl of March.
Rebellion in this land shall lose his way,
Meeting the check of such another day.
And since this business so fair is done,
Let us not leave till all our own be won.
Exeunt
TEXTUAL NOTES
Q = First Quarto text of 1598
Q5 = Fifth Quarto text of 1613
Q7 = Seventh Quarto text of 1632
F = First Folio text of 1623
F2 = a correction introduced in the Second Folio text of 1632
F3 = a correction introduced in the Third Folio text of 1663–64
Ed = a correction introduced by a later editor
SD = stage direction
SH = speech heading (i.e. speaker’s name)
List of Parts = Ed BARDOLPH = F. Q = Bardoll
1.1.64 Stained = Q. F = Strain’d 66 welcome = Q. F = welcomes 76 In…is = Ed. F includes at end of king’s speech, making his answer his own rhetorical question
1.2.0 SD Falstaff = Ed. F = Falstaffe and Pointz (it is conceivable that Poins enters here and remains silently in the background during the first 98 lines of dialogue, but more likely that he enters when his name is mentioned at line 94) 38 of Hybla = Q. Not in F 72 similes = Q5. F = smiles 80 for…it = F. Q = for wisedome cries out in the streets and no man regards it 94 Poins set as a speech heading in F 110 had been = Q. F = had 145 Peto, Bardolph = Ed. F = Haruey, Rossill (Shakespeare’s original names for these characters) 195 foil = Q. F = soyle
1.3.24 name = Q. Not in F 27 As…son = F. Q = As is deliuered to
your maiestie. / Either enuie therefore, or misprision, / Is guiltie of this fault, and not my sonne (F is more likely to be purposeful revision than compositorial error) 43 bore = Q. F = bare 45 corpse spelled Coarse in F 68 this = F. Q = his 78 yet he doth= Q. F = yet doth 136 downfall = F. Q = down-trod 164 wore = F. Q = weare 239 poisoned him = F. Q = him poisoned 256 candy = Q. F = caudie 303 Lord = Ed. F = loe
2.1.31 SH FIRST CARRIER = Ed. F = Car.
2.2.0 SD and Bardolph (not in F but implied by Q’s “and Peto &c.”) 10 thief’s = Q. F = Theefe 12 square spelled squire in F 27 me my = Q. F = my 46 SH BARDOLPH = Ed. F = Bardolfe, what newes? (continuation of Poins’ speech) 47 SH GADSHILL = Ed. F = Bar. 71 SH FIRST TRAVELLER = Ed. F = Tra. 76 Ah, whoreson = Ed. F = a whorson
2.3.1 SH HOTSPUR = Ed. Not in F 15 our friends = Q. F = our Friend 54 beads = Q. F = beds 108 well believe = Q. F = will beleeue 110 far will = Q. F = farre wilt
2.4.106 and foot them = Q. Not in F 114 with lime in’t F (uncorrected) reads with in’t F (corrected) reads with lime 132 SH POINS = Q. F = Prin. 178 ward = Q. F = word 208 the = F. Q = their 221 plentiful = Q. F = plentie 305 talon spelled Talent in F 308 Braby = F. Q = Bracy 309 That = Q. F = The 316 that = Q. F = the 364 tristful = Ed. F = trustfull 378 sun spelled Sonne in F 444 most = Q. F = most most 502 march = Q. F = Match
3.1.46 the = F. Q = he 67 sent = Q. F = hent 135 on = Ed. Q/F = an 193 our = Q. F = your 220 ’twixt = Q. F = betwixt 228 hence = Q. F = thence
3.2.113 swaddling spelled swathing in F 154 heaven…survive = F. Q = God I promise heere, / The which if he be pleasd I shall performe (F alteration due to 1606 Parliamentary “Act to Restrain the Abuses of Players”) 158 bonds spelled Bands in F.
3.2.20 my = Q. F = thy 31 son spelled Sunne in F 49 tithe = Ed. F = tight 65 your = Q. F = you: 76 sneak-cup = F. Q = sneakeup 120 owed spelled ought in F 156 and cherish = F. Q = cherish (F sets this speech as verse, though it is prose in Q; seems to have been added in an attempt to create a pentameter line) 158 prithee = Q. F = I prithee
4.1.21 I his mind = F. Q = I my mind. Ed = I, my lord 45 not. His = Ed. F = not his 63 hair = Q. F = Heire 81 our = Q. F = your 88 as = Q. F = Atdream = F. Q = tearme 92 with him = Q. F = with 127 hot = Q. F = not
4.2.3 Coldfield = Ed. F = cop-hill 18 fowl = Q. F = Foole 31 tattered = F3. F = totter’d
4.4.0 SD Michael spelled Michell in F
5.1.47 swore = Q. F = sware 72 your younger = Q. F = yonger 136 Is it = F. Q = tis
5.2.8 other = Q. F = others 31 news = Q. F = newe- 52 talking = F. Q = tasking 73 a liberty = Q. F = at Liberty 79 Than = Q. F = That 89 are = Q. F = is 139 ragamuffins = Ed. F = rag of Muffins 143 lies = Q. F = likes
5.3.6 Lest your = Q. F = Least you 63 that = F. Q = the 93 thee dead = Q7. Q/F = the dead 127 with me = Q. F = me
OATHS FROM THE QUARTO
The following oaths were altered in the Folio text as a result of the Parliamentary Act to Restrain the Abuses of Players (spelling has been modernized in this list):
SCENE-BY-SCENE ANALYSIS
ACT 1 SCENE 1
King Henry despairs at the civil unrest that has dominated his reign. He describes the “civil butchery,” establishing the motif of “blood” that highlights both the violent conflict and the theme of lineage and inheritance. He declares his intention to lead a long-planned Crusade to the Holy Land. He talks of the Crucifixion, “fourteen hundred years ago,” and of the “twelvemonth” plan he has had to make his Crusade, establishing the motif of time, which functions to place the events of the play in a wider historical context, as well as drawing attention to the brevity of individual man’s existence within this.
Westmorland informs Henry that the English forces, led by the “noble Mortimer,” have been defeated by the Welsh rebels, led by Glendower. Henry realizes he must put his plans for a Crusade aside, and Westmorland tells him of more fighting between Scottish insurgents and “the gallant Hotspur…/ Young Harry Percy.” Henry updates Westmorland: Hotspur defeated the “bold Scots” and took many noble prisoners: “an honourable spoil.” This emphasizes the theme of “honour,” further reinforced by Henry’s comparisons between Hotspur and his own son, Prince Henry (also called Harry): the shared name establishes the deliberate paralleling and comparison between the two young men.
Lineage and father–son relationships are addressed as the king envies Hotspur’s father, Lord Northumberland, whose son is “the theme of honour’s tongue,” while “riot and dishonour stain the brow” of his own. He also comments, however, on Hotspur’s “pride” in only sending one noble prisoner to the king and keeping the rest. Westmorland suggests that this is due to the influence of his uncle, Worcester, who is “Malevolent” toward the king. Henry has sent for Hotspur to explain his actions.
ACT 1 SCENE 2
Lines 1–98: Providing a comic contrast to the political/military concerns of the previous scene, Prince Henry and Falstaff exchange rapid-fire, quick-witted banter. Henry comments on his friend’s corrupt lifestyle spent drinking and visiting brothels. Despite the accusation that Falstaff is “fat-witted,” his responses show that he can be quick and entertaining in his use of language, although both men speak in prose, reflecting the “low” nature of their subject matter. Falstaff is revealed as a robber and a freeloader, but he appears good-natured and fond of Prince Henry, sometimes addressing him in a paternal tone that serves to highlight the estranged relationship between the prince and his father. Falstaff refers to the future, when Henry will be king, reminding the audience of the obligations of birth and rank that Henry is neglecting.
Lines 99–174: They are joined by Poins, who reveals that he plans to rob a party of traveling pilgrims and traders, all “with fat purses,” the next morning. Falstaff agrees to join him, but Henry refuses. Poins asks Falstaff to leave them while he convinces Henry to participate. Poins explains that he has planned “a jest”: Falstaff, Peto, Bardolph, and Gadshill will commit the robbery, after which Poins and Henry will rob them of their ill-gotten gains. Henry objects that the others will know them by their horses, “and by every other appointment,” raising the question of appearance and identity. Poins suggests they leave their horses and disguise their “outward garments” with outfits of buckram. Henry agrees to the plan and Poins goes to prepare.
Lines 175–197: Henry’s soliloquy reveals a different side to his character. Speaking in blank verse, an indication of his noble status, he compares himself to the sun (a repeated image, associated with royalty), which has permitted “the base contagious clouds / To smother up his beauty from the world.” Using repeated images of concealment, disguise, and revelation, he explains that he is hiding his true character in order to appear even greater when the world witnesses his “reformation.” Despite revealing a strong sense of his social status and responsibility, he is deliberately deceiving his friends and family and seems more concerned with creating a “glittering” appearance than with his obligations.
ACT 1 SCENE 3
Lines 1–124: At court Hotspur has responded to King Henry’s summons, accompanied by his father, Northumberland, and his uncle, Worcester. The king announces that he has been too “temperate,” and that Hotspur has taken advantage of his “patience.” He declares that from now on he will be “Mighty and to be feared.” Worcester argues that their family does not deserve to be punished, particularly as they helped Henry to achieve his “greatness.” Henry sends Worcester out and Northumberland pleads on his son’s behalf, arguing that there has been some “envy or misprision” in the representation of his actions over the prisoners. Hotspur offers an explanation that shows his eloquence, but acknowledges his potentially rash temper. He tells Henry that, “dry with rage and extreme toil” after the lengthy battle, with his wounds still raw and “smarting,” he was approached by a courtier, a “popinjay,” whose foppish behavior and demands for the prisoners at that moment provoked him into rudeness. Sir Walter Blunt suggests that under such circumstances, Hotspur’s actions might be overlooked, but Henry i
s still angry, revealing that Hotspur retains the prisoners and refuses to return them unless the king ransoms Mortimer, Hotspur’s brother-in-law, from Glendower. Citing Mortimer’s marriage to Glendower’s daughter as evidence of treachery, Henry refuses to ransom “revolted Mortimer.” Hotspur furiously defends his brother-in-law, describing his bravery in the “bloody” battle with Glendower and accusing the king of slander. Henry forbids Hotspur to mention Mortimer again and, demanding the immediate delivery of the prisoners, he leaves.
Lines 125–310: Hotspur announces that even if “the devil come and roar for them” he will not hand over the prisoners. His father urges him to calm down as Worcester returns, but Hotspur ignores him, calling Henry an “unthankful king.” Hotspur describes Henry’s reaction to the mention of Mortimer, and Worcester reveals that Richard II (who was deposed by Henry, and murdered shortly after) named Mortimer as his successor. Hotspur now understands Henry’s reluctance to help Mortimer, but is angry with his family for their role in deposing “that sweet lovely rose,” Richard, and replacing him with “this thorn, this canker, Bullingbrook,” and with Henry for his ingratitude for the “shames” that the family has undergone on his behalf.
Worcester tries to tell Hotspur of a “deep and dangerous” plan, but Hotspur ignores him, continuing to rail against Henry. Northumberland tells his son that he is “wasp-tongued and impatient.” Eventually, Worcester is able to outline his plan to ally with the Scottish and Welsh forces against Henry. He advises Hotspur to release his Scottish prisoners without ransom and to form an alliance with the Earl of Douglas. Worcester tells Northumberland to enlist the help of the Archbishop of York, Lord Scroop, whose brother was executed by Henry. Worcester himself will go to Wales to Glendower and Mortimer, promising to arrange a meeting of all of their “powers.”
ACT 2 SCENE 1
At an innyard on the London–Canterbury road, two Carriers are preparing their horses. Once again, the motif of time is dominant, establishing the night setting of the scene and reinforcing the wider temporal concerns of the play. The Carriers are interrupted by Gadshill, asking for a lantern but, suspicious of his motives, they refuse and leave. The references to darkness emphasize secrecy and deception: both the comic deception of Falstaff by Poins, and the more serious plotting against King Henry. The inn’s chamberlain arrives and informs Gadshill that there are wealthy guests preparing to leave. Gadshill sets off to organize the robbery.
Henry IV, Part 1 Page 13