Original Text |
Translated Text |
| Source: Folger Shakespeare Library |
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Enter Fluellen and Gower. FLUELLEN Kill the poys and the luggage! ’Tis expressly
against the law of arms. ’Tis as arrant a piece of
knavery, mark you now, as can be offert, in your
conscience now, is it not? GOWER ’Tis certain there’s not a boy left alive, and 5
the cowardly rascals that ran from the battle ha’
done this slaughter. Besides, they have burned
and carried away all that was in the King’s tent,
wherefore the King, most worthily, hath caused
every soldier to cut his prisoner’s throat. O, ’tis a 10
gallant king! | As the battle wages on, we learn that a group of French soldiers just attacked the English camp, where they set fire to it and slaughtered all of the young boys (including the kid who used to be Falstaff's errand boy) who were left there to guard the equipment and supplies. Fluellen and Gower declare this to be a cowardly act and say they're glad King Henry made the decision to slit the throats of all the French war prisoners. |
FLUELLEN Ay, he was porn at Monmouth, Captain
Gower. What call you the town’s name where
Alexander the Pig was born? GOWER Alexander the Great. 15 FLUELLEN Why, I pray you, is not “pig” great? The pig,
or the great, or the mighty, or the huge, or the
magnanimous, are all one reckonings, save the
phrase is a little variations. GOWER I think Alexander the Great was born in Macedon. 20
His father was called Philip of Macedon, as I
take it. FLUELLEN I think it is in Macedon where Alexander is
porn. I tell you, captain, if you look in the maps of
the ’orld, I warrant you sall find, in the comparisons 25
between Macedon and Monmouth, that the
situations, look you, is both alike. There is a river in
Macedon, and there is also, moreover, a river at
Monmouth. It is called Wye at Monmouth, but it is
out of my prains what is the name of the other river. 30
But ’tis all one; ’tis alike as my fingers is to my
fingers, and there is salmons in both. If you mark
Alexander’s life well, Harry of Monmouth’s life is
come after it indifferent well, for there is figures in
all things. Alexander, God knows and you know, in 35
his rages and his furies and his wraths and his
cholers and his moods and his displeasures and his
indignations, and also being a little intoxicates in
his prains, did, in his ales and his angers, look you,
kill his best friend, Cleitus. 40 GOWER Our king is not like him in that. He never
killed any of his friends. | Fluellen compares Henry to Alexander the Great, which is funny because Fluellen refers to him as "Alexander the pig." (Whoops. We think he meant to say "Alexander the Big.") Gower argues that Henry is nothing like him because, unlike Alexander the Great, Henry never killed any of his buddies. |
FLUELLEN It is not well done, mark you now, to take
the tales out of my mouth ere it is made and
finished. I speak but in the figures and comparisons 45
of it. As Alexander killed his friend Cleitus, being in
his ales and his cups, so also Harry Monmouth,
being in his right wits and his good judgments,
turned away the fat knight with the great-belly
doublet; he was full of jests and gipes and knaveries 50
and mocks—I have forgot his name. GOWER Sir John Falstaff. FLUELLEN That is he. I’ll tell you, there is good men
porn at Monmouth. GOWER Here comes his Majesty. 55 | Fluellen reminds Gower that, actually, Henry banished his old friend, the "fat knight," whose name Fluellen has forgotten. Gower helps him out. The name of the now dead "fat knight" is Sir John Falstaff. (The guy who died of a broken heart after Henry banished him.) |
Alarum. Enter King Harry, Exeter, Warwick, Gloucester,
Heralds and Bourbon with other prisoners. Flourish. KING HENRY
I was not angry since I came to France
Until this instant. Take a trumpet, herald.
Ride thou unto the horsemen on yond hill.
If they will fight with us, bid them come down,
Or void the field. They do offend our sight. 60
If they’ll do neither, we will come to them
And make them skirr away as swift as stones
Enforcèd from the old Assyrian slings.
Besides, we’ll cut the throats of those we have,
And not a man of them that we shall take 65
Shall taste our mercy. Go and tell them so. | The scene cuts to King Henry, who is furious after learning that the young boys have been slaughtered at the camp. Henry declares no mercy for the French soldiers who refuse to surrender and then repeats that he wants the throats of all the war prisoners slit open. |
Enter Montjoy. EXETER
Here comes the herald of the French, my liege. GLOUCESTER
His eyes are humbler than they used to be. KING HENRY
How now, what means this, herald? Know’st thou
not 70
That I have fined these bones of mine for ransom?
Com’st thou again for ransom? MONTJOY No, great king.
I come to thee for charitable license,
That we may wander o’er this bloody field 75
To book our dead and then to bury them,
To sort our nobles from our common men,
For many of our princes—woe the while!—
Lie drowned and soaked in mercenary blood.
So do our vulgar drench their peasant limbs 80
In blood of princes, and the wounded steeds
Fret fetlock deep in gore, and with wild rage
Yerk out their armèd heels at their dead masters,
Killing them twice. O, give us leave, great king,
To view the field in safety and dispose 85
Of their dead bodies. KING HENRY I tell thee truly, herald,
I know not if the day be ours or no,
For yet a many of your horsemen peer
And gallop o’er the field. 90 MONTJOY The day is yours. | Montjoy (the French messenger) approaches and asks if the French can have permission to go onto the battlefield and sort their dead, since it wouldn't be right if the corpses of the mere commoners got to soak up any of the blood of the dead noblemen. (Hmm. Looks like the French soldiers don't consider themselves a "band of brothers.") King Henry allows this but first, he makes Montjoy admit that the English have won the battle. |
KING HENRY
Praised be God, and not our strength, for it!
What is this castle called that stands hard by? MONTJOY They call it Agincourt. KING HENRY
Then call we this the field of Agincourt, 95
Fought on the day of Crispin Crispianus. FLUELLEN Your grandfather of famous memory, an ’t
please your Majesty, and your great-uncle Edward
the Plack Prince of Wales, as I have read in the
chronicles, fought a most prave pattle here in 100
France. KING HENRY They did, Fluellen. FLUELLEN Your Majesty says very true. If your Majesties
is remembered of it, the Welshmen did good
service in a garden where leeks did grow, wearing 105
leeks in their Monmouth caps, which, your Majesty
know, to this hour is an honorable badge of the
service. And I do believe your Majesty takes no
scorn to wear the leek upon Saint Tavy’s day. KING HENRY
I wear it for a memorable honor, 110
For I am Welsh, you know, good countryman. FLUELLEN All the water in Wye cannot wash your
Majesty’s Welsh plood out of your pody, I can tell
you that. God pless it and preserve it as long as it
pleases his Grace and his Majesty too. 115 KING HENRY Thanks, good my countryman. FLUELLEN By Jeshu, I am your Majesty’s countryman,
I care not who know it. I will confess it to all the
’orld. I need not to be ashamed of your Majesty,
praised be God, so long as your Majesty is an 120
honest man. KING HENRY
God keep me so.—Our heralds, go with him.
Bring me just notice of the numbers dead
On both our parts. Montjoy, English Heralds, and Gower exit. | Fluellen and Henry reminisce about how the King's great uncle, Edward the Black Prince, once defeated the French nearby. Fluellen reminds the King that he (Henry) was born in Wales (where Fluellen is from) and declares that he's proud to be Henry's countryman. (Go Britain!) |
Enter Williams. Call yonder fellow hither. 125 EXETER Soldier, you must come to the King. KING HENRY Soldier, why wear’st thou that glove in thy
cap? WILLIAMS An ’t please your Majesty, ’tis the gage of
one that I should fight withal, if he be alive. 130 KING HENRY An Englishman? WILLIAMS An ’t please your Majesty, a rascal that
swaggered with me last night, who, if alive and ever
dare to challenge this glove, I have sworn to take
him a box o’ th’ ear, or if I can see my glove in his 135
cap, which he swore, as he was a soldier, he would
wear if alive, I will strike it out soundly. KING HENRY What think you, Captain Fluellen, is it fit
this soldier keep his oath? FLUELLEN He is a craven and a villain else, an ’t 140
please your Majesty, in my conscience. KING HENRY It may be his enemy is a gentleman of
great sort, quite from the answer of his degree. FLUELLEN Though he be as good a gentleman as the
devil is, as Lucifer and Beelzebub himself, it is 145
necessary, look your Grace, that he keep his vow
and his oath. If he be perjured, see you now, his
reputation is as arrant a villain and a Jack Sauce as
ever his black shoe trod upon God’s ground and His
earth, in my conscience, la. 150 KING HENRY Then keep thy vow, sirrah, when thou
meet’st the fellow. | Williams shows up on the scene, and he's wearing the King's glove in his cap. (Remember, Henry and Williams exchanged gloves after getting into an argument.) Henry spots the glove and decides it would be loads of fun to play a practical joke on Williams. (Looks like Hal the prankster is up to his old tricks, don't you think?) Henry asks Williams about the glove in his cap and Williams replies that it belongs to a jerk he met the nigth before. Williams promises that, when he sees the man, he's going to get a smack. He'll recognize the guy because he'll be wearing Williams' glove in his cap. |
WILLIAMS So I will, my liege, as I live. KING HENRY Who serv’st thou under? WILLIAMS Under Captain Gower, my liege. 155 FLUELLEN Gower is a good captain, and is good knowledge
and literatured in the wars. KING HENRY Call him hither to me, soldier. WILLIAMS I will, my liege. He exits. KING HENRY, giving Fluellen Williams’s glove Here, 160
Fluellen, wear thou this favor for me, and stick it in
thy cap. When Alençon and myself were down
together, I plucked this glove from his helm. If any
man challenge this, he is a friend to Alençon and an
enemy to our person. If thou encounter any such, 165
apprehend him, an thou dost me love. FLUELLEN, putting the glove in his cap Your Grace
does me as great honors as can be desired in the
hearts of his subjects. I would fain see the man that
has but two legs that shall find himself aggriefed at 170
this glove, that is all; but I would fain see it once, an
please God of His grace that I might see. KING HENRY Know’st thou Gower? FLUELLEN He is my dear friend, an please you. KING HENRY Pray thee, go seek him, and bring him to 175
my tent. FLUELLEN I will fetch him. He exits. KING HENRY
My Lord of Warwick and my brother Gloucester,
Follow Fluellen closely at the heels.
The glove which I have given him for a favor 180
May haply purchase him a box o’ th’ ear.
It is the soldier’s. I by bargain should
Wear it myself. Follow, good cousin Warwick.
If that the soldier strike him, as I judge
By his blunt bearing he will keep his word, 185
Some sudden mischief may arise of it,
For I do know Fluellen valiant
And, touched with choler, hot as gunpowder,
And quickly will return an injury.
Follow, and see there be no harm between them.— 190
Go you with me, uncle of Exeter. They exit. | Henry sends Williams off on an errand and then gives Fluellen Williams'
glove and asks him to wear it in his cap. Henry fibs and says the glove
belonged to a Frenchman and, if anyone confronts Fluellen about the
glove, it means that they're a traitor. |