1 King Henry IV Act 2, Scene 4

180.

in a funk. don't know why. weird how that happens, right? probably need to go to bed and start new tomorrow. yeah, i think i will do that as soon as i am finished here. ok, ready? me too. go!


act 2, scene 4

Prince Hal is with Poins in a tavern in London, messing around and playing childish pranks on the staff. he discusses Hotspur and how he's not ready to fight battles like Hotspur does. Falstaff and company finally arrive, disheveled and ready for a drink. Falstaff thinks Hal and Poins left them there, saying, 'there lives not three good men unhanged in England, and one of them is fat and grows old, God help the while!' Falstaff concocts a wild story to explain how they lost the money. 'if i fought not with fifty of them, i am a bunch of radish.' the story gets more and more wild as he goes, until Prince Hal reveals the truth to him. Falstaff tries to backtrack and say he knew it all along, but Hal is not fooled. a messenger comes with news for Hal. his father is in trouble and needs him. the plot against Henry is unfolding. while Falstaff and Hal play around at what to do (see quote below) , a sheriff arrives looking for Falstaff, but Hal doesn't give him up. he leaves to meet his father.

weird how the Henry line of things has been dropped for so long. we haven't seen him at all since act 1. i find that so strange. Shakespeare, you are so umpredictable!

i wonder what it was like to experience this back then. was all this riffing totally hilarious to them? were people like, rolling in the aisles? or did it all just seem very fun and clever? or was it major dissing? was any of this scandalous? what would have the reaction been to these stream of insults? i SO want to know!

is Prince Hal drunk? i feel like he must be drunk. or depressed. or both. what do you think? he is obviously massively insecure and unclear about what his relationship to England, the monarchy, and his destiny is/should be. how old is he? a teenager? he's sure acting like one. if you take away all the plot points and just focus on his emotional roller coaster, stupid choices, victimhood to peer pressure, bullying, insecurity, etc. he is your typical teenager. what do you think about all of this?

quote of the day:

'there is a devil haunts thee in the likeness of an old fat man; a tun of man is thy companion. why dost thou converse with that trunk of humors, that bolting-hutch of beastliness, that swollen parcel of dropsies, that huge bombard of sack, that stuffed cloak-bag of guts, that roasted Manningtree ox with the pudding in his belly, that reverend Vice, that gray Iniquity, that father ruffian, that vanity in years? wherein is he good but to taste sack and drink it? wherein neat and cleanly but to carve a capon and eat it? wherein cunning but in craft? wherein crafty but in villainy? wherein villainous but in all things? wherein worthy but in nothing?'

   -Prince Hal as King Henry to himself

for tomorrow: act 3, scene 1

-rebecca may