Synopsis:
The newly crowned King Henry V keeps his word to the Lord Chief Justice.
From The Folger Shakespeare Library Edition of Henry IV, Part 2
Henry IV, Part 2
Act 5, scene 5
Henry IV, Part 2Henry IV, Part 2
Contents
Characters in the Play
Entire Play
Henry IV, Part 2, continues the story of Henry IV, Part I. Northumberland learns that his son Hotspur is dead, and…
Induction
Following the battle of Shrewsbury (where King Henry and Prince Hal were victorious and Hotspur killed), Rumor spreads the false…
Act 1, scene 1
Northumberland, who had pleaded illness as an excuse for not appearing at the battle of Shrewsbury, learns that his son,…
Act 1, scene 2
Sir John Falstaff is confronted by the Lord Chief Justice. Since Falstaff has come away from Shrewsbury with the reputation…
Act 1, scene 3
At York, the Archbishop discusses with Mowbray, Hastings, and Lord Bardolph whether they can defeat the king’s forces if their…
Act 2, scene 1
Sir John is arrested for the debt he owes Mistress Quickly. He persuades her to drop the charges and to…
Act 2, scene 2
Learning that Falstaff will be dining that night in Eastcheap, Prince Hal and Poins decide to disguise themselves as waiters…
Act 2, scene 3
Northumberland is persuaded by his daughter-in-law, Hotspur’s widow, to abandon the other rebels.
Act 2, scene 4
At Mistress Quickly’s inn in Eastcheap, a fight erupts after Falstaff ’s ensign, Pistol, insults Doll Tearsheet. The disguised Prince Hal…
Act 3, scene 1
An ill and anxious King Henry IV consults with Warwick.
Act 3, scene 2
On his journey through Gloucestershire, Falstaff selects recruits for the army and decides that, on his return, he will fleece…
Act 4, scene 1
The leaders of the rebellion reach Gaultree Forest, where they present their grievances to Westmoreland. After Prince John promises redress…
Act 4, scene 2
Falstaff meets a rebel knight, who surrenders to him. When Prince John reproaches Falstaff for his late arrival, Falstaff turns…
Act 4, scene 3
Just after receiving the good news about the defeat of all the rebel forces, Henry IV falls into a swoon….
Act 5, scene 1
Falstaff observes Shallow and his servants in order to be ready to entertain Prince Hal with amusing stories.
Act 5, scene 2
Prince Hal reassures an anxious Lord Chief Justice.
Act 5, scene 3
On the news of Henry IV’s death, Falstaff and Shallow set off joyfully for London.
Act 5, scene 4
Doll Tearsheet is arrested.
Act 5, scene 5
The newly crowned King Henry V keeps his word to the Lord Chief Justice.
Epilogue
The speaker apologizes for the play and promises another play with Falstaff in it.
⟨Scene 5⟩
⟨Enter two Grooms.⟩⟨FIRST GROOM⟩ More rushes, more rushes.
⟨SECOND GROOM⟩ The trumpets have sounded twice.
⟨FIRST GROOM⟩ ’Twill be two o’clock ere they come
from the coronation. Dispatch, dispatch.
⟨Grooms exit.⟩
Trumpets sound, and the King and his train pass over
the stage. After them enter Falstaff, Shallow, Pistol,
Bardolph, and the ⟨Page.⟩
FALSTAFF 5Stand here by me, Master ⟨Robert⟩ Shallow. I
will make the King do you grace. I will leer upon
him as he comes by, and do but mark the countenance
that he will give me.
PISTOL God bless thy lungs, good knight!
FALSTAFF 10Come here, Pistol, stand behind me.—O, if I
had had time to have made new liveries, I would
have bestowed the thousand pound I borrowed of
you. But ’tis no matter. This poor show doth better.
This doth infer the zeal I had to see him.
⟨SHALLOW⟩ 15It doth so.
FALSTAFF It shows my earnestness of affection—
⌜SHALLOW⌝ It doth so.
FALSTAFF My devotion—
⌜SHALLOW⌝ It doth, it doth, it doth.
FALSTAFF 20As it were, to ride day and night, and not to
deliberate, not to remember, not to have patience
to shift me—
SHALLOW It is best, certain.
⟨FALSTAFF⟩ But to stand stained with travel and sweating
25 with desire to see him, thinking of nothing else,
putting all affairs else in oblivion, as if there were
nothing else to be done but to see him.
237
Henry IV, Part 2
ACT 5. SC. 5
⟨all⟩ in every part.
SHALLOW 30’Tis so indeed.
PISTOL My knight, I will inflame thy noble liver, and
make thee rage. Thy Doll and Helen of thy noble
thoughts is in base durance and contagious prison,
haled thither by most mechanical and dirty hand.
35 Rouse up revenge from ebon den with fell Alecto’s
snake, for Doll is in. Pistol speaks nought but truth.
FALSTAFF I will deliver her.
⌜Shouts within.⌝ ⟨The trumpets sound.⟩
PISTOL
There roared the sea, and trumpet-clangor sounds.
Enter the King and his train.
FALSTAFF
God save thy Grace, King Hal, my royal Hal.
PISTOL
40 The heavens thee guard and keep, most royal
imp of fame!
FALSTAFF God save thee, my sweet boy!
KING
My Lord Chief Justice, speak to that vain man.
CHIEF JUSTICE, ⌜to Falstaff⌝
Have you your wits? Know you what ’tis you
45 speak?
FALSTAFF, ⌜to the King⌝
My king, my Jove, I speak to thee, my heart!
KING
I know thee not, old man. Fall to thy prayers.
How ill white hairs becomes a fool and jester.
I have long dreamt of such a kind of man,
50 So surfeit-swelled, so old, and so profane;
But being awaked, I do despise my dream.
Make less thy body hence, and more thy grace;
239
Henry IV, Part 2
ACT 5. SC. 5
For thee thrice wider than for other men.
55 Reply not to me with a fool-born jest.
Presume not that I am the thing I was,
For God doth know—so shall the world perceive—
That I have turned away my former self.
So will I those that kept me company.
60 When thou dost hear I am as I have been,
Approach me, and thou shalt be as thou wast,
The tutor and the feeder of my riots.
Till then I banish thee, on pain of death,
As I have done the rest of my misleaders,
65 Not to come near our person by ten mile.
For competence of life I will allow you,
That lack of means enforce you not to evils.
And, as we hear you do reform yourselves,
We will, according to your strengths and qualities,
70 Give you advancement. ⌜To the Lord Chief Justice.⌝
Be it your charge, my lord,
To see performed the tenor of my word.—
Set on.
⟨King ⌜and his train⌝ exit.⟩
FALSTAFF Master Shallow, I owe you a thousand pound.
SHALLOW 75Yea, marry, Sir John, which I beseech you to
let me have home with me.
FALSTAFF That can hardly be, Master Shallow. Do not
you grieve at this. I shall be sent for in private to
him. Look you, he must seem thus to the world.
80 Fear not your advancements. I will be the man yet
that shall make you great.
SHALLOW I cannot ⟨well⟩ perceive how, unless you
⟨should⟩ give me your doublet and stuff me out with
straw. I beseech you, good Sir John, let me have five
85 hundred of my thousand.
FALSTAFF Sir, I will be as good as my word. This that
you heard was but a color.
241
Henry IV, Part 2
ACT 5. SC. 5
FALSTAFF Fear no colors. Go with me to dinner.—
90 Come, lieutenant Pistol.—Come, Bardolph.—I
shall be sent for soon at night.
Enter ⌜the Lord Chief⌝ Justice and Prince John, ⌜with
Officers.⌝
CHIEF JUSTICE
Go, carry Sir John Falstaff to the Fleet.
Take all his company along with him.
FALSTAFF My lord, my lord —
CHIEF JUSTICE
95 I cannot now speak. I will hear you soon.—
Take them away.
PISTOL Si fortuna me tormenta, spero ⟨me⟩ contenta.
⌜All but John of⌝ ⟨Lancaster and
Chief Justice⟩ exit.
JOHN OF LANCASTER
I like this fair proceeding of the King’s.
He hath intent his wonted followers
100 Shall all be very well provided for,
But all are banished till their conversations
Appear more wise and modest to the world.
CHIEF JUSTICE And so they are.
JOHN OF LANCASTER
The King hath called his parliament, my lord.
CHIEF JUSTICE 105He hath.
JOHN OF LANCASTER
I will lay odds that, ere this year expire,
We bear our civil swords and native fire
As far as France. I heard a bird so sing,
Whose music, to my thinking, pleased the King.
110 Come, will you hence?
⟨They exit.⟩