Original Text |
Translated Text |
| Source: Folger Shakespeare Library |
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Enter Pucelle disguised, with four Soldiers with sacks
upon their backs. PUCELLE
These are the city gates, the gates of Roan,
Through which our policy must make a breach.
Take heed. Be wary how you place your words;
Talk like the vulgar sort of market men
That come to gather money for their corn. 5
If we have entrance, as I hope we shall,
And that we find the slothful watch but weak,
I’ll by a sign give notice to our friends,
That Charles the Dauphin may encounter them. SOLDIER
Our sacks shall be a mean to sack the city, 10
And we be lords and rulers over Roan;
Therefore we’ll knock. Knock. | Back to France, where some sneaky spy stuff is going down. Joan Pucelle turns up in disguise—she and a few soldiers are trying to sneak into the city of Rouen disguised as poor farmers selling corn. |
WATCH, within
Qui là? PUCELLE Paysans la pauvre gens de France:
Poor market folks that come to sell their corn. 15 WATCH
Enter, go in. The market bell is rung. PUCELLE, aside
Now, Roan, I’ll shake thy bulwarks to the ground. They exit. Enter Charles, Bastard, Alanson, Reignier,
and Soldiers. CHARLES
Saint Dennis bless this happy stratagem
And once again we’ll sleep secure in Roan. BASTARD
Here entered Pucelle and her practisants. 20
Now she is there, how will she specify
“Here is the best and safest passage in”? REIGNIER
By thrusting out a torch from yonder tower,
Which, once discerned, shows that her meaning is:
No way to that, for weakness, which she entered. 25 | The Watch of the city is totally fooled, and lets them in. Apparently the Watch didn't watch their James Bond… The French nobles turn up and wait for a signal from Joan. She'll hold out a torch from the window of a tower to show the weakest place to attack, and then they'll storm the town. |
Enter Pucelle on the top, thrusting out a torch burning. PUCELLE
Behold, this is the happy wedding torch
That joineth Roan unto her countrymen,
But burning fatal to the Talbonites. BASTARD
See, noble Charles, the beacon of our friend;
The burning torch, in yonder turret stands. 30 CHARLES
Now shine it like a comet of revenge,
A prophet to the fall of all our foes! REIGNIER
Defer no time; delays have dangerous ends.
Enter and cry “The Dauphin!” presently,
And then do execution on the watch. 35 Alarum. They exit. | They charge in, planning to kill the watchmen and take over. |
An Alarum. Enter Talbot in an excursion. TALBOT
France, thou shalt rue this treason with thy tears,
If Talbot but survive thy treachery.
Pucelle, that witch, that damnèd sorceress,
Hath wrought this hellish mischief unawares,
That hardly we escaped the pride of France. 40 He exits. An alarum. Excursions. Bedford brought in sick in
a chair, carried by two Attendants. Enter Talbot
and Burgundy without; within, Pucelle with a sack
of grain, Charles, Bastard, Alanson, and Reignier
on the walls. PUCELLE, to those below
Good morrow, gallants. Want you corn for bread?
She scatters grain on those below.
I think the Duke of Burgundy will fast
Before he’ll buy again at such a rate.
’Twas full of darnel. Do you like the taste? | Talbot realizes what's happening and rallies to fight. He blames Joan Pucelle and says she's a witch.
Soon Joan and the French nobles are on the walls of the town, proving they've taken it over. She taunts the English and Burgundy, now outside the city. |
BURGUNDY
Scoff on, vile fiend and shameless courtesan! 45
I trust ere long to choke thee with thine own,
And make thee curse the harvest of that corn. CHARLES
Your Grace may starve, perhaps, before that time. BEDFORD
O, let no words, but deeds, revenge this treason. PUCELLE
What will you do, good graybeard? Break a lance 50
And run a-tilt at Death within a chair? TALBOT
Foul fiend of France and hag of all despite,
Encompassed with thy lustful paramours,
Becomes it thee to taunt his valiant age
And twit with cowardice a man half dead? 55
Damsel, I’ll have a bout with you again,
Or else let Talbot perish with this shame. | Burgundy insults her back, saying she's a fiend and courtesan (prostitute). He basically says, "You'll regret this!" Charles gets in on the act, taunting Burgundy as well, and pretty soon the insults are flying back and forth from all over. It gets particularly bad when an older English lord who has to be carried in a chair says something and Joan picks on him about his age. This enrages Talbot, who calls her "Foul fiend of France and hag of all despite" (3.2.52); he says she shouldn't pick on a brave old man and challenges her to combat. |
PUCELLE
Are you so hot, sir? Yet, Pucelle, hold thy peace,
If Talbot do but thunder, rain will follow.
Those below whisper together in council.
God speed the Parliament! Who shall be the Speaker? 60 TALBOT
Dare you come forth and meet us in the field? PUCELLE
Belike your Lordship takes us then for fools,
To try if that our own be ours or no. TALBOT
I speak not to that railing Hecate,
But unto thee, Alanson, and the rest. 65
Will you, like soldiers, come and fight it out? ALANSON Seigneur, no. TALBOT
Seigneur, hang! Base muleteers of France,
Like peasant footboys do they keep the walls
And dare not take up arms like gentlemen. 70 PUCELLE
Away, captains. Let’s get us from the walls,
For Talbot means no goodness by his looks.—
Goodbye, my lord. We came but to tell you
That we are here. They exit from the walls. | She says the French aren't going to fight for what's already theirs. Talbot says he's not talking to her, but to the French lords. They also decline to fight. The French leave the walls and go about their business. |
TALBOT
And there will we be too, ere it be long, 75
Or else reproach be Talbot’s greatest fame.—
Vow, Burgundy, by honor of thy house,
Pricked on by public wrongs sustained in France,
Either to get the town again or die.
And I, as sure as English Henry lives, 80
And as his father here was conqueror,
As sure as in this late-betrayèd town
Great Coeur-de-lion’s heart was burièd,
So sure I swear to get the town or die. BURGUNDY
My vows are equal partners with thy vows. 85 | Talbot encourages Burgundy to take the town again, and then promises to take it himself or die. He lists English heroes who make him want to fight: the current king, the king's father Henry V who took Rouen originally, and Richard the lionhearted, whose heart was buried in Rouen. Burgundy says he'll vow just as strongly as Talbot to take Rouen back. |
TALBOT
But, ere we go, regard this dying prince,
The valiant Duke of Bedford.—Come, my lord,
We will bestow you in some better place,
Fitter for sickness and for crazy age. BEDFORD
Lord Talbot, do not so dishonor me. 90
Here will I sit, before the walls of Roan,
And will be partner of your weal or woe. BURGUNDY
Courageous Bedford, let us now persuade you— BEDFORD
Not to be gone from hence, for once I read
That stout Pendragon, in his litter sick, 95
Came to the field and vanquishèd his foes.
Methinks I should revive the soldiers’ hearts
Because I ever found them as myself. TALBOT
Undaunted spirit in a dying breast,
Then be it so. Heavens keep old Bedford safe!— 100
And now no more ado, brave Burgundy,
But gather we our forces out of hand
And set upon our boasting enemy. He exits with Burgundy.
Bedford and Attendants remain. | Talbot offers to move the ailing Bedford to somewhere more comfortable,
and Bedford insists on staying with them before the walls and suffering
with them. Talbot congratulates his courage and invites Burgundy to
gather the troops and charge. They fight. |
An alarum. Excursions. Enter Sir John Fastolf
and a Captain. CAPTAIN
Whither away, Sir John Fastolf, in such haste? FASTOLF
Whither away? To save myself by flight. 105
We are like to have the overthrow again. CAPTAIN
What, will you fly and leave Lord Talbot? FASTOLF Ay,
All the Talbots in the world, to save my life. He exits. CAPTAIN
Cowardly knight, ill fortune follow thee. 110 He exits. Retreat. Excursions. Pucelle, Alanson, and Charles
enter, pursued by English Soldiers, and fly. BEDFORD
Now, quiet soul, depart when heaven please,
For I have seen our enemies’ overthrow.
What is the trust or strength of foolish man?
They that of late were daring with their scoffs
Are glad and fain by flight to save themselves. 115 Bedford dies, and is carried
in by two in his chair. | Sir John Fastolfe runs away from battle. Again. Even though his side wins—he isn't sure who's winning, so he deserts the lines. Bedford dies, proud that the English are winning. |
An alarum. Enter Talbot, Burgundy, and the rest. TALBOT
Lost and recovered in a day again!
This is a double honor, Burgundy.
Yet heavens have glory for this victory. BURGUNDY
Warlike and martial Talbot, Burgundy
Enshrines thee in his heart, and there erects 120
Thy noble deeds as valor’s monuments. TALBOT
Thanks, gentle duke. But where is Pucelle now?
I think her old familiar is asleep.
Now where’s the Bastard’s braves and Charles his
gleeks? 125
What, all amort? Roan hangs her head for grief
That such a valiant company are fled.
Now will we take some order in the town,
Placing therein some expert officers,
And then depart to Paris to the King, 130
For there young Henry with his nobles lie. BURGUNDY
What wills Lord Talbot pleaseth Burgundy. TALBOT
But yet, before we go, let’s not forget
The noble Duke of Bedford late-deceased,
But see his exequies fulfilled in Roan. 135
A braver soldier never couchèd lance,
A gentler heart did never sway in court.
But kings and mightiest potentates must die,
For that’s the end of human misery. They exit. |
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