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| Character | Prince Henry?Poins??? | |
|---|---|---|
| Scene type / Who are | Friends, Colleagues, Persuading somebody, Master/Servant | |
| Type | Dramatic | |
| Period | Renaissance | |
| Genre | Historical, Drama | |
| Description | Poins accuses Prince Henry of being an hypocrite | |
| Location | ACT II, Scene 2 | |
Summary
In Henry IV part 1 King Henry IV had to deal with a rebel army trying to depose him. The king's army had fought the rebel army, led by Hotspur, at Shrewsbury. Part 2 starts with the rebels losing the battle against the king but they soon reorganize under the leadership of the Archbishop of York, Thomas Mowbray, Lord Hastings and Lord Bardolph.
In this scene Prince Henry has just come back from the battle of Shrewsbury with his friend Poins, one of the people the prince has been spending some time with drinking at various taverns. Another member of their group is Falstaff, a funny, aging small time criminal.
In this scene Prince Henry argues that he regrets the time he wasted hanging out with them at the taverns and is sorry that his father, the king, is feeling sick. They argue as Poins tells him he thinks he is being an hypocrite.
In this scene Prince Henry has just come back from the battle of Shrewsbury with his friend Poins, one of the people the prince has been spending some time with drinking at various taverns. Another member of their group is Falstaff, a funny, aging small time criminal.
In this scene Prince Henry argues that he regrets the time he wasted hanging out with them at the taverns and is sorry that his father, the king, is feeling sick. They argue as Poins tells him he thinks he is being an hypocrite.
Written by Administrator
| Excerpt |
|---|
| [London. Another street.] [Enter PRINCE HENRY and POINS] PRINCE HENRY Before God, I am exceeding weary. POINS Is't come to that? I had thought weariness durst not have attached one of so high blood. PRINCE HENRY Faith, it does me; though it discolours the complexion of my greatness to acknowledge it. Doth it not show vilely in me to desire small beer? POINS Why, a prince should not be so loosely studied as to remember so weak a composition. PRINCE HENRY Belike then my appetite was not princely got; for, by my troth, I do now remember the poor creature, small beer. But, indeed, these humble considerations make me out of love with my greatness. What a disgrace is it to me to remember thy name! or to know thy face to-morrow! or to take note how many pair of silk stockings thou hast, viz. these, and those that were thy peach-coloured ones! or to bear the inventory of thy shirts, as, one for superfluity, and another for use! But that the tennis-court-keeper knows better than I; for it is a low ebb of linen with thee when thou keepest not racket there; as thou hast not done a great while, because the rest of thy low countries have made a shift to eat up thy holland: and God knows, whether those that bawl out the ruins of thy linen shall inherit his kingdom: but the midwives say the children are not in the fault; whereupon the world increases, and kindreds are mightily strengthened. POINS How ill it follows, after you have laboured so hard, you should talk so idly! Tell me, how many good young princes would do so, their fathers being so sick as yours at this time is? PRINCE HENRY Shall I tell thee one thing, Poins? POINS Yes, faith; and let it be an excellent good thing. PRINCE HENRY It shall serve among wits of no higher breeding than thine. POINS Go to; I stand the push of your one thing that you will tell. PRINCE HENRY Marry, I tell thee, it is not meet that I should be sad, now my father is sick: albeit I could tell thee, as to one it pleases me, for fault of a better, to call my friend, I could be sad, and sad indeed too. POINS Very hardly upon such a subject. PRINCE HENRY By this hand thou thinkest me as far in the devil's book as thou and Falstaff for obduracy and persistency: let the end try the man. But I tell thee, my heart bleeds inwardly that my father is so sick: and keeping such vile company as thou art hath in reason taken from me all ostentation of sorrow. POINS The reason? PRINCE HENRY What wouldst thou think of me, if I should weep? POINS I would think thee a most princely hypocrite. PRINCE HENRY It would be every man's thought; and thou art a blessed fellow to think as every man thinks: never a man's thought in the world keeps the road-way better than thine: every man would think me an hypocrite indeed. And what accites your most worshipful thought to think so? POINS Why, because you have been so lewd and so much engraffed to Falstaff. PRINCE HENRY And to thee. POINS By this light, I am well spoke on; I can hear it with my own ears: the worst that they can say of me is that I am a second brother and that I am a proper fellow of my hands; and those two things, I confess, I cannot help. By the mass, here comes Bardolph. |
