Original Text |
Translated Text |
| Source: Folger Shakespeare Library |
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Scene 4Enter Somerset with his army and a Captain
from Talbot’s army. SOMERSET
It is too late; I cannot send them now.
This expedition was by York and Talbot
Too rashly plotted. All our general force
Might with a sally of the very town
Be buckled with. The overdaring Talbot 5
Hath sullied all his gloss of former honor
By this unheedful, desperate, wild adventure.
York set him on to fight and die in shame
That, Talbot dead, great York might bear the name. Enter Sir William Lucy. CAPTAIN
Here is Sir William Lucy, who with me 10
Set from our o’er-matched forces forth for aid. SOMERSET
How now, Sir William, whither were you sent? LUCY
Whither, my lord? From bought and sold Lord Talbot,
Who, ringed about with bold adversity,
Cries out for noble York and Somerset 15
To beat assailing Death from his weak regions;
And whiles the honorable captain there
Drops bloody sweat from his war-wearied limbs
And, in advantage ling’ring, looks for rescue,
You, his false hopes, the trust of England’s honor, 20
Keep off aloof with worthless emulation.
Let not your private discord keep away
The levied succors that should lend him aid,
While he, renownèd noble gentleman,
Yield up his life unto a world of odds. 25
Orleance the Bastard, Charles, Burgundy,
Alanson, Reignier compass him about,
And Talbot perisheth by your default. SOMERSET
York set him on; York should have sent him aid. LUCY
And York as fast upon your Grace exclaims, 30
Swearing that you withhold his levied host
Collected for this expedition. SOMERSET
York lies. He might have sent and had the horse.
I owe him little duty and less love,
And take foul scorn to fawn on him by sending. 35 LUCY
The fraud of England, not the force of France,
Hath now entrapped the noble-minded Talbot.
Never to England shall he bear his life,
But dies betrayed to fortune by your strife. SOMERSET
Come, go. I will dispatch the horsemen straight. 40
Within six hours they will be at his aid. | Somerset finally says he'll send some horsemen, but Sir William Lucy
fears it will be too late, since they will take six hours to get there. |
LUCY
Too late comes rescue; he is ta’en or slain,
For fly he could not if he would have fled;
And fly would Talbot never, though he might. SOMERSET
If he be dead, brave Talbot, then adieu. 45 LUCY
His fame lives in the world, his shame in you. They exit. | Lucy tells Somerset if Talbot is dead that Talbot's courage will be
remembered, but that Talbot would have been ashamed of Somerset's
behavior. |
Scene 5Enter Talbot and John Talbot, his son. TALBOT
O young John Talbot, I did send for thee
To tutor thee in stratagems of war,
That Talbot’s name might be in thee revived
When sapless age and weak unable limbs
Should bring thy father to his drooping chair. 5
But—O, malignant and ill-boding stars!—
Now thou art come unto a feast of Death,
A terrible and unavoided danger.
Therefore, dear boy, mount on my swiftest horse,
And I’ll direct thee how thou shalt escape 10
By sudden flight. Come, dally not, be gone. JOHN TALBOT
Is my name Talbot? And am I your son?
And shall I fly? O, if you love my mother,
Dishonor not her honorable name
To make a bastard and a slave of me! 15
The world will say “He is not Talbot’s blood,
That basely fled when noble Talbot stood.” | Imagine the scene: Talbot is swinging his sword in slow motion, fending off the French who are swarming around him, dodging arrows, all of that. Then suddenly his son arrives. Talbot tells his son that he called him here to teach him arts of war, so that Talbot's courage can live on in his son. But now, Talbot says, his son will die if he stays, and the Talbot line will be cut off. He tells the boy to take his swiftest horse and fly the scene. John Talbot, the son, is having none of it. Hollywood would be all over this dialogue. |
TALBOT
Fly, to revenge my death if I be slain. JOHN TALBOT
He that flies so will ne’er return again. TALBOT
If we both stay, we both are sure to die. 20 JOHN TALBOT
Then let me stay and, father, do you fly.
Your loss is great; so your regard should be.
My worth unknown, no loss is known in me.
Upon my death, the French can little boast;
In yours they will; in you all hopes are lost. 25
Flight cannot stain the honor you have won,
But mine it will, that no exploit have done.
You fled for vantage, everyone will swear;
But if I bow, they’ll say it was for fear.
There is no hope that ever I will stay 30
If the first hour I shrink and run away. He kneels.
Here on my knee I beg mortality,
Rather than life preserved with infamy. | Talbot and his son debate the point, Talbot telling John to flee so that he can revenge his father and John insisting that someone who would fly in these circumstances would never come back for revenge. John says that he'll stay, and his father can flee. |
TALBOT
Shall all thy mother’s hopes lie in one tomb? JOHN TALBOT
Ay, rather than I’ll shame my mother’s womb. 35 TALBOT
Upon my blessing I command thee go. JOHN TALBOT
To fight I will, but not to fly the foe. TALBOT
Part of thy father may be saved in thee. JOHN TALBOT
No part of him but will be shame in me. TALBOT
Thou never hadst renown, nor canst not lose it. 40 JOHN TALBOT
Yes, your renownèd name; shall flight abuse it? TALBOT
Thy father’s charge shall clear thee from that stain. JOHN TALBOT
You cannot witness for me, being slain.
If death be so apparent, then both fly. TALBOT
And leave my followers here to fight and die? 45
My age was never tainted with such shame. JOHN TALBOT
And shall my youth be guilty of such blame?
He rises.
No more can I be severed from your side
Than can yourself yourself in twain divide.
Stay, go, do what you will; the like do I, 50
For live I will not, if my father die. TALBOT
Then here I take my leave of thee, fair son,
Born to eclipse thy life this afternoon.
Come, side by side, together live and die,
And soul with soul from France to heaven fly. 55
They exit. | But of course the older Talbot doesn't agree to this plan. They debate it, each trying to save the other's life, until finally they decide to fight side by side until they die. This is definitely the scene where the music would surge and the camera would pan out for a long zoom showing the grim battlefield and the hopeless odds and the Talbots side by side on white horses. |
Scene 6Alarum. Excursions, wherein Talbot’s son John
is hemmed about, and Talbot rescues him. TALBOT
Saint George, and victory! Fight, soldiers, fight!
The Regent hath with Talbot broke his word
And left us to the rage of France his sword.
Where is John Talbot?—Pause, and take thy breath;
I gave thee life and rescued thee from death. 5 JOHN TALBOT
O, twice my father, twice am I thy son!
The life thou gav’st me first was lost and done
Till with thy warlike sword, despite of fate,
To my determined time thou gav’st new date. TALBOT
When from the Dauphin’s crest thy sword struck fire, 10
It warmed thy father’s heart with proud desire
Of bold-faced victory. Then leaden age,
Quickened with youthful spleen and warlike rage,
Beat down Alanson, Orleance, Burgundy,
And from the pride of Gallia rescued thee. 15
The ireful Bastard Orleance, that drew blood
From thee, my boy, and had the maidenhood
Of thy first fight, I soon encounterèd,
And, interchanging blows, I quickly shed
Some of his bastard blood, and in disgrace 20
Bespoke him thus: “Contaminated, base,
And misbegotten blood I spill of thine,
Mean and right poor, for that pure blood of mine
Which thou didst force from Talbot, my brave boy.”
Here, purposing the Bastard to destroy, 25
Came in strong rescue. Speak, thy father’s care:
Art thou not weary, John? How dost thou fare?
Wilt thou yet leave the battle, boy, and fly,
Now thou art sealed the son of chivalry?
Fly, to revenge my death when I am dead; 30
The help of one stands me in little stead.
O, too much folly is it, well I wot,
To hazard all our lives in one small boat.
If I today die not with Frenchmen’s rage,
Tomorrow I shall die with mickle age. 35
By me they nothing gain, and, if I stay,
’Tis but the short’ning of my life one day.
In thee thy mother dies, our household’s name,
My death’s revenge, thy youth, and England’s fame.
All these and more we hazard by thy stay; 40
All these are saved if thou wilt fly away. | The French nobles rush in at this point and surround John Talbot, but his father swoops in to the rescue, shouting "Saint George and victory!" (4.6.1) The Talbots really are all they're cracked up to be: bold, loyal, courageous, and strong. So the audience is likely to enjoy it when Talbot gives a speech about his son's courage and his rescue effort. He again asks if his son would like to flee so that he can avenge Talbot later, now that John has proven his courage. |
JOHN TALBOT
The sword of Orleance hath not made me smart;
These words of yours draw lifeblood from my heart.
On that advantage, bought with such a shame,
To save a paltry life and slay bright fame, 45
Before young Talbot from old Talbot fly,
The coward horse that bears me fall and die!
And like me to the peasant boys of France,
To be shame’s scorn and subject of mischance!
Surely, by all the glory you have won, 50
An if I fly, I am not Talbot’s son.
Then talk no more of flight, it is no boot;
If son to Talbot, die at Talbot’s foot. TALBOT
Then follow thou thy desp’rate sire of Crete,
Thou Icarus; thy life to me is sweet. 55
If thou wilt fight, fight by thy father’s side,
And commendable proved, let’s die in pride. They exit. | John Talbot says in no uncertain terms that he's ashamed even by the suggestion that he would flee, and that he will stay and die with his father if that's what it takes. Talbot accepts his son's decision and says they will fight side by side until they die, full of pride. More fighting ensues. |
Scene 7Alarum. Excursions. Enter old Talbot
led by a Servant. TALBOT
Where is my other life? Mine own is gone.
O, where’s young Talbot? Where is valiant John?
Triumphant Death, smeared with captivity,
Young Talbot’s valor makes me smile at thee.
When he perceived me shrink and on my knee, 5
His bloody sword he brandished over me,
And like a hungry lion did commence
Rough deeds of rage and stern impatience;
But when my angry guardant stood alone,
Tend’ring my ruin and assailed of none, 10
Dizzy-eyed fury and great rage of heart
Suddenly made him from my side to start
Into the clust’ring battle of the French;
And in that sea of blood, my boy did drench
His over-mounting spirit; and there died 15
My Icarus, my blossom, in his pride. | Talbot starts to talk again, saying that young Talbot rescued him from the French. Talbot describes how his son then leapt into the French, ferociously attacking them, and there died. Talbot is immensely proud of his son. |
Enter Soldiers with John Talbot, borne. SERVINGMAN
O, my dear lord, lo where your son is borne! TALBOT
Thou antic Death, which laugh’st us here to scorn,
Anon from thy insulting tyranny,
Coupled in bonds of perpetuity, 20
Two Talbots, wingèd through the lither sky,
In thy despite shall scape mortality.—
O, thou whose wounds become hard-favored Death,
Speak to thy father ere thou yield thy breath!
Brave Death by speaking, whither he will or no. 25
Imagine him a Frenchman and thy foe.—
Poor boy, he smiles, methinks, as who should say
“Had Death been French, then Death had died
today.”—
Come, come, and lay him in his father’s arms; 30
My spirit can no longer bear these harms.
Soldiers, adieu! I have what I would have,
Now my old arms are young John Talbot’s grave. Dies.
Alarums. Soldiers exit. | Soldiers enter, carrying John Talbot, who is actually not yet dead, but is dying. Talbot celebrates the fact that he and John will escape death together today by entering immortality. This was a standard idea in the Renaissance, since belief in the Christian idea of resurrection after death was widespread. Talbot takes his son in his arms and dies, celebrating courage and valor as he does. |
Enter Charles, Alanson, Burgundy, Bastard,
and Pucelle, with Forces. CHARLES
Had York and Somerset brought rescue in,
We should have found a bloody day of this. 35 BASTARD
How the young whelp of Talbot’s, raging wood,
Did flesh his puny sword in Frenchmen’s blood! PUCELLE
Once I encountered him, and thus I said:
“Thou maiden youth, be vanquished by a maid.”
But with a proud majestical high scorn 40
He answered thus: “Young Talbot was not born
To be the pillage of a giglot wench.”
So, rushing in the bowels of the French,
He left me proudly, as unworthy fight. | The French nobles and Joan turn up. Charles says that if York and Somerset had gotten their act together, it would have been hard on the French. This just underlines what a tragedy it is from the English perspective that the two couldn't cooperate: They might have saved the Talbots and won the battle. The Bastard says that Talbot's son was raging and spilt a lot of French blood. Joan says she tried to fight him, but he refused her as being unworthy to fight and went off to attack the other French forces. |
BURGUNDY
Doubtless he would have made a noble knight. 45
See where he lies inhearsèd in the arms
Of the most bloody nurser of his harms. BASTARD
Hew them to pieces, hack their bones asunder,
Whose life was England’s glory, Gallia’s wonder. CHARLES
O, no, forbear! For that which we have fled 50
During the life, let us not wrong it dead. | Burgundy says that John Talbot would undoubtedly have made a noble knight. The Bastard wants to chop the Talbots to pieces, which seems like a pretty brash insult, but Charles says they should show more respect to the dead bodies of those who made them flee in life. |
Enter Lucy with Attendants and a French Herald. LUCY
Herald, conduct me to the Dauphin’s tent,
To know who hath obtained the glory of the day. CHARLES
On what submissive message art thou sent? LUCY
Submission, dauphin? ’Tis a mere French word. 55
We English warriors wot not what it means.
I come to know what prisoners thou hast ta’en,
And to survey the bodies of the dead. CHARLES
For prisoners askst thou? Hell our prison is.
But tell me whom thou seek’st. 60 LUCY
But where’s the great Alcides of the field,
Valiant Lord Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury,
Created for his rare success in arms
Great Earl of Washford, Waterford, and Valence,
Lord Talbot of Goodrich and Urchinfield, 65
Lord Strange of Blackmere, Lord Verdon of Alton,
Lord Cromwell of Wingfield, Lord Furnival of
Sheffield,
The thrice victorious Lord of Falconbridge,
Knight of the noble Order of Saint George, 70
Worthy Saint Michael, and the Golden Fleece,
Great Marshal to Henry the Sixth
Of all his wars within the realm of France? | Sir William Lucy comes in, wanting to know who has won, who the prisoners are, and who has been killed. Lucy is especially looking for Talbot. Here he lists all of Talbot's titles, which takes upward of ten lines (4.4.172-183). They just go on, including a bunch we haven't even heard before in the play: Earl of Washford, Waterford and Valence; Lord Talbot of Goodrig and Urchinfield; Lord Strange of Blackmere; Lord Verdon of Alton, and more. |
PUCELLE
Here’s a silly stately style indeed.
The Turk, that two-and-fifty kingdoms hath, 75
Writes not so tedious a style as this.
Him that thou magnifi’st with all these titles
Stinking and flyblown lies here at our feet. LUCY
Is Talbot slain, the Frenchmen’s only scourge,
Your kingdom’s terror and black Nemesis? 80
O, were mine eyeballs into bullets turned
That I in rage might shoot them at your faces!
O, that I could but call these dead to life,
It were enough to fright the realm of France.
Were but his picture left amongst you here, 85
It would amaze the proudest of you all.
Give me their bodies, that I may bear them hence
And give them burial as beseems their worth. | Joan says this is a silly way of putting it, and then goes on to call Lucy's style tedious and say that the person Lucy gives all these titles is deader than a doornail. Joan's very brave, but she could work on the chivalry a bit. Lucy cries out in grief. He wishes that his eyes would turn into bullets so he could shoot the French, and that even the picture of Talbot would be a stumbling block to the French. He asks for the bodies of the Talbots and says he'll give them the burial they deserve. |
PUCELLE
I think this upstart is old Talbot’s ghost,
He speaks with such a proud commanding spirit. 90
For God’s sake, let him have him. To keep them here,
They would but stink and putrefy the air. CHARLES
Go, take their bodies hence. LUCY I’ll bear them hence.
But from their ashes shall be reared 95
A phoenix that shall make all France afeard. CHARLES
So we be rid of them, do with him what thou wilt. Lucy, Servant, and Attendants exit,
bearing the bodies. And now to Paris in this conquering vein.
All will be ours, now bloody Talbot’s slain. They exit. | Joan says they should definitely give Lucy the bodies—you know, because otherwise they will stink up the air. Again, you can tell that certain kinds of chivalry aren't her thing. Charles gives the bodies to Lucy, who says that from their ashes will rise a phoenix to terrify the French. Charles heads off to Paris, hopeful that he'll win everything now that Talbot isn't standing in the way. |