Wednesday, May 26, 2021

Henry lV, part 1

Henry IV, part 1 is one of Shakespeare's historical plays. You can read the play online here. It begins:
SCENE I. London. The palace.

Enter KING HENRY, LORD JOHN OF LANCASTER, the EARL of WESTMORELAND, SIR WALTER BLUNT, and others

KING HENRY IV

So shaken as we are, so wan with care,
Find we a time for frighted peace to pant,
And breathe short-winded accents of new broils
To be commenced in strands afar remote.
No more the thirsty entrance of this soil
Shall daub her lips with her own children's blood;
Nor more shall trenching war channel her fields,
Nor bruise her flowerets with the armed hoofs
Of hostile paces: those opposed eyes,
Which, like the meteors of a troubled heaven,
All of one nature, of one substance bred,
Did lately meet in the intestine shock
And furious close of civil butchery
Shall now, in mutual well-beseeming ranks,
March all one way and be no more opposed
Against acquaintance, kindred and allies:
The edge of war, like an ill-sheathed knife,
No more shall cut his master. Therefore, friends,
As far as to the sepulchre of Christ,
Whose soldier now, under whose blessed cross
We are impressed and engaged to fight,
Forthwith a power of English shall we levy;
Whose arms were moulded in their mothers' womb
To chase these pagans in those holy fields
Over whose acres walk'd those blessed feet
Which fourteen hundred years ago were nail'd
For our advantage on the bitter cross.
But this our purpose now is twelve month old,
And bootless 'tis to tell you we will go:
Therefore we meet not now. Then let me hear
Of you, my gentle cousin Westmoreland,
What yesternight our council did decree
In forwarding this dear expedience.

WESTMORELAND

My liege, this haste was hot in question,
And many limits of the charge set down
But yesternight: when all athwart there came
A post from Wales loaden with heavy news;
Whose worst was, that the noble Mortimer,
Leading the men of Herefordshire to fight
Against the irregular and wild Glendower,
Was by the rude hands of that Welshman taken,
A thousand of his people butchered;
Upon whose dead corpse there was such misuse,
Such beastly shameless transformation,
By those Welshwomen done as may not be
Without much shame retold or spoken of.

KING HENRY IV

It seems then that the tidings of this broil
Brake off our business for the Holy Land.

WESTMORELAND

This match'd with other did, my gracious lord;
For more uneven and unwelcome news
Came from the north and thus it did import:
On Holy-rood day, the gallant Hotspur there,
Young Harry Percy and brave Archibald,
That ever-valiant and approved Scot,
At Holmedon met,
Where they did spend a sad and bloody hour,
As by discharge of their artillery,
And shape of likelihood, the news was told;
For he that brought them, in the very heat
And pride of their contention did take horse,
Uncertain of the issue any way.

This was recorded live:

22 comments:

  1. I read this in college and I off the top of my head can't remember what happened. I should watch the video. I'mm off to the allergist and errand running today but maybe when I get home. Have a great day!

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    1. I love the live plays and tv/film adaptations more than reading them. I hope your day goes well. Rain's predicted for here, so I'm postponing my grocery trip.

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  2. ...something that I have never gotten into.

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  3. For me, Shakespeare was always best taken as short quotes. I have tried many times to read the plays, to see the plays performed, alas my ode of love has never taken.

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    1. Reading his plays has never worked for me, but I enjoy seeing them.

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  4. I haven't read this since college!

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  5. I have always had a hard time with Shakespeare.

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  6. Guess it´s too much for me. Is being German an excuse? ;-)

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    1. Definitely a reason. The language is hard for native English speakers. Modern adaptations are definitely helpful. I remember the footnotes at the bottoms of the pages in high school explaining what those archaic terms meant.

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  7. I love Shakespeare in all forms, thanks for sharing. Valerie

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    1. I just re-watched the Tennant Doctor Who with Shakespeare in it. Fun!

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  8. I love a bit of Shakespeare, thanks for sharing 😁. Happy wishes! Hugs, Jo x

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  9. I have a tricky time reading it and sometimes even following it live. Prefer live but have to be in the mood to focus that intently for a long period of time. ;)

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    1. They do sometimes go on for a long time. It helps if I'm familiar with the plot ahead of time.

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