1 Henry IV Act 4, Scenes 1-4

177.

yeah baby! i read the whole act today. booya! and i'm going to try to do the same tomorrow. i can do it, right? hell yes i can.

act 4, scene 1

Hotspur, Worcester, and Douglas meet at their camp. as Hotspur and Douglas express their mutual love for one another, when a messenger delivers news of Hotspur's father's sickness. Hotspur is upset that this might affect his chances of winning the battle against King Henry. he soon turns the situation around in his mind, however. he decides it's good because it means that not all of their powers are being used all at one time. they will have a back up plan. Worcester is concerned that people will think they don't have him on their side, which will make them look weaker. Vernon arrives that King Henry is marching toward them. in even worse news, Prince Hal is with him. Hotspur is upset. (see quote below.) in even worse news than that, they learn that Glendower cannot bring his men for another two weeks. Hotspur's response is: BRING IT ON.

act 4, scene 2

Falstaff talks. a lot. and i'm not really sure what he's talking about.

act 4, scene 3

Vernon and Worcester try to convince Hotspur and Douglas that they should wait for morning to attack, but Hotspur is impatient and wants to attack right away. Blunt arrives from the King's camp to figure out what Hotspur and co. have against them. Hotspur lays into him, saying that Henry used them, lied to them, and then cast them aside. Blunt relays sentiments of grace, love, and forgiveness from the king. Hotspur sends Blunt back without an answer either way.

act 4, scene 4

the Archbishop that helped Hotspur's camp is freaking out. he has heard about the army that the King has raised, and he thinks the King will win this battle. he feels that he's about to be in big trouble. when the King wins, he will be after the Archbishop next. the Archbishop is desperately trying to send out letters to save his butt.

Hotspur? really? you're more concerned about the battle than your father? NICE. this guy is going down.

can anyone help me with act 4, scene 2? i'm pretty lost.

act 4, scene 3 was a little weird. Hotspur goes on this rant about Henry. he talks forever and ever in classic Hotspur style. but then Blunt says one comment about peace and love and suddenly Hotspur says he has to take time to think about it. wasn't he just saying he was ready to fight like... 2 seconds ago? does he have an emotional imbalance, is he really a bit of a softy at heart, is he scared, or what? what do you think?

i just realized that i am completely ambivalent about who wins this battle. i don't care about Henry. i certainly don't care about Hotspur. i guess the only one i care about is Hal, but not exceedingly. ambivalence is probably not the feeling one hopes to feel about the main conflict in a play. hm... yikes.

quote of the day:

'no more, no more! worse than the sun in March

this praise doth nourish agues. let them come.

they come like sacrifices in their trim,

and to the fire-eyed maid of smoky war

all hot and bleeding will we offer them.'

   -Hotspur; act 4, scene 1

for tomorrow: act 5

-rebecca may

1 Henry IV Act 3, Scenes 2 and 3

178.

dear rebecca, you better start reading more Shakespeare or you're not going to make it by December 31. love, rebecca.


act 3, scene 2

King Henry chides Prince Hal privately for his wanton ways. Hal tries to submit himself humbly to his father, but Henry obviously needs to get this off his chest. he berates Hal for the following missteps: losing his place on the council, being seen to much in public and in low company, improper conduct. i mean, Hotspur is better fit for the throne than he is. everyone is against him, and he can't even count on his son to help. Prince Hal vows to help his father and to bring Hotspur down. either he or Hotspur will die. King Henry is proud to hear it. his other son recently set out for battle. Hal will follow, and he will follow Hal.

act 3, scene 3

Falstaff and Bardolph are chillin' in another tavern. Falstaff claims that he is wasting away, near death. he sings his own praises-- sort of. (see quote below.) he starts insulting Bardolph, really laying into him, until the Hostess enters. he owes the tavern money, but he's claiming that a pickpocket has stolen his money and a ring he received from his father. the Hostess calls his bluff and they bicker until Prince Hal arrives. Falstaff tries to get Hal on his side, which of course doesn't work, and Falstaff and the Hostess continue to argue. when she finally leaves them alone, Hal reveals that he has paid back all the money that they stole. Falstaff is very unhappy about this. Hal's other news is that he has managed for Falstaff to be in command of a company of infantrymen. Hal asks Falstaff to meet him the next day to receive his orders, and they part ways.

fun fact #1: apparently, the reason that Prince Hal isn't in favor with the council is because... get this... Hal boxed the ears of the Lord Chief Justice. AHAHAHAHA.

fun fact #2: Falstaff calls the Hostess a Maid Marian. he means this with a negative connotation. i love this because to me, Robin Hood is a hero and Maid Marian was a righteous babe who chose love over propriety and station and comfort. Falstaff uses it as an insult because from his perspective, Maid Marian was a woman of ill repute. she was dishonorable and loose. AHAHAHAHA.

why is Falstaff so mean to Bardolph? and why would Hal trust Falstaff with a company of foot soldiers? he's old, fat, and definitely not trustworthy. blind hope? he must truly care for him. like a lot. what do you think about all of this?

quote of the day:

'why, there is it. come sing me a bawdy song; make me merry. i was as virtuously given as a gentleman need to be, virtuous enough: swore little, diced not above seven times-- a week, went to a bawdy house not above once in a quarter-- of an hour, paid money that i borrowed--- three or four times, lived well and in good compass; and now i live out of all order, out of all compass.'

   -Falstaff; act 3, scene 3

for tomorrow: act 4!

-rebecca may

1 Henry IV Act 3, Scene 1

179.

i am so excited! i have 3 days off! wowsaaaaaa. and Sean and i are going to look at wedding locations tomorrowwwwwww! we haven't had a day off together in a month! and we haven't had a full day off alone together since... may probably? SO EXCITED!  will somehow have to squeeze Shakespeare into the day. eep! okie dokie, let's get a move on.

act 3, scene 1

Hotspur, Worcester, Mortimer, and Glendower are all gathered to make their plans. Hotspur constantly needles proud Glendower, angering Worcester and Mortimer in the process. Glendower is confident they will beat Henry. after all, he has beaten him before. he has a map of all of Henry's land. he has had it split three ways between himself, Mortimer, and Hotspur. Hotspur, of course, isn't happy with his piece which begins yet another quarrel. as they plan for their departure, Glendower goes to round up their wives so they can all say goodbye. Hotspur has a few choice words to say about him. (see quote below.) Mortimer disagrees with Hotspur, adding that he is lucky Glendower didn't punish Hotspur for his disrespect and anger. Glendower returns with the wives, and a mushy scene takes place. we learn that Mortimer's wife speaks no English and he speaks no Welsh, so Glendower must translate for them. it still manages to be pretty romantic. she starts to sing to him. (weird. i know.) Hotspur and Kate have a less romantic goodbye. the couples leave for a bit together to say a proper goodbye.

Hotspur!!!!!! shut uuuuuuuuuup! how is he getting away with his serious attitude problem? i do not get it. he needs to get what's coming to him. for real.

who marries someone who speaks a different language from them? marriage of convenience much? this whole end of the scene with the wives is very odd. like... why is it necessary? what is its function? what do you think?

at the end of the scene, are they off for a quickie? just sayin', that's what it seems like.

quote of the day:

'o, he is as tedious

as a tired horse, a railing wife,

worse than a smoky house. i had rather live

with cheese and garlic in a windmill, far,

than feed on cates and have him talk to me

in any summer house in Christendom.'

   -Hotspur

for tomorrow: the rest of the act!

-rebecca may

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

1 King Henry IV Act 2, Scenes 1-3

181.

hey howdy hey lovely people. i got another jam packed day on my hands, but this time of fun stuff! i'm making some beignets, reading some Shakespeare, going to a LUSH party, and finishing my day with a tv date with my roommate. what could be sweeter? oh yeah, i get to spend the whole day with Sean. and what could be sweeter than that? it's rainiiiiing! i love storms. they're so soothing. yay. okay, reading time!


act 2, scene 1

Gadshill and Chamberlain plan their upcoming thievery. Chamberlain has heard of some people who will be travelling with a large sum of money who will be leaving soon. they agree to work together.

act 2, scene 2

Poins and Prince Hal have played a little joke on Falstaff by hiding his horse from him. he is frustrated and hilarious. Gadshill comes in and they discuss the upcoming thievery. Poins and Prince Hal go a different way, telling the rest of the thieves that they are doing so just in case the travelers escape. the travelers arrive and Falstaff robs them. they exit bound and Prince Hal and Poins come in and rob Falstaff.

act 2, scene 3

Hotspur has a letter urging him not to carry through his plans to overthrow the king. although the letter has a lot of good points, Hotspur won't listen to any of the advice. his wife, Kate enters. she is struggling to understand what is going on with her husband. he isn't himself at all. she tries to make him tell her what's going on, and he freaks out. (see quote below.) he backtracks, although he will not tell her what's going on. he leaves and promises he will have her follow the next day.

as for act 2, scene 1... WHAT?!?! i barely comprehended that scene at ALL. if i didn't have those footnotes, i would've been COMPLETELY lost. do people ever cut this scene? i wonder. in my last post i talked about how every scene felt so necessary and chock full of action and understandable, and BAM! very next scene is like WHA?!?

as for scene 2, i find it so interesting how the play changes when Falstaff is around. is it just me? the pace quickens, the flow changes, the play takes a little loop-de-loop. is anyone with me on this one? he gives the play character like none other. so interesting.

and on to scene 3 and Hotspur... he needs. to SHUT. UP. Hotspur is the perfect name for him. he disregards any opinion that challenges his own. he has zero patience. ignoring that letter will be his downfall. watch. as will talking too much and not listening enough. as will not listening to his wife. he like freaks out on her! i think Hotspur has a serious emotional imbalance. he should seek psychiatric help immediately. oh wait...

quote of the day:

'away,

away, you trifler! love? i love thee not;

i care not for thee, Kate. this is no world

to play with mammets and to tilt with lips.

we must have bloody noses and cracked crowns,

and pass them current too. gods me, my horse!

what sayst thou, Kate? what wouldst thou have with me?'

   -Hotspur; act 2, scene 3

for tomorrow: act 2, scene 4

-rebecca may

1 Henry IV Act 1, Scene 3

182.

hey there, people! i have to say, this play is shaping up to be a good'n. i've only just finished act 1 and i am dying to find out what happens in act 2. that's a good thing considering i need to make up for that lost time in June. perhaps i will read a little extraaa tomorrow! (look at me go!) if you haven't read this one, i'm telling you, pick it up. so good. check it out...

act 1, scene 3

King Henry tells Northumberland, Hotspur, etc. that he has been too soft, but he will not be any longer. he wants the hostages Hotspur took, and he wants them now. Hotspur explains what supposedly happened, claiming that the message Henry received was a lot more harsh than he intended it to be. he claims he was down and out in the battlefield with bodies lying all around him when some hoity toity noble pranced up to him demanding the hostages. he was just tired and impatient when he said no so rudely to him. King Henry isn't taking the bait. he points out that Hotspur is still not giving over the hostages, and is demanding the release of Mortimer from the Scots. he feels that Mortimer isn't worthy of being ransomed. Hotspur stands up for Mortimer saying that he fought hand to hand with Glendower (the Scottish guy who captured him) before he was captured. Henry doesn't believe that for a second. he demands the hostages, warning Northumberland to keep his son in check. Henry leaves, and as soon as he does, Hotspur starts talking crap about him. (see quote below.) Worcester comes in, and Hotspur tells him that he vows to help Mortimer, who just happens to be his brother-in-law. Worcester comments that they can't blame Henry for not wanting Mortimer around. Mortimer was, after all, proclaimed by Richard to be the rightful heir to the throne. Hotspur is outraged and he goes on and on about it. Worcester is trying to tell him something, but Hotspur won't shut up long enough to hear it. when he finally does settle down, Worcester lets him in on his plan to overthrow Henry. Hotspur and Northumberland will get the Archbishop (whose brother died because of Henry), the Scots, and Mortimer all rallied together. they will all meet up and overthrow Henry.

Hotspur needs to shut. up. his mouth is going to be the death of him, i swear. just listen for two seconds, you fool! mark my words, he's going down.

i'm a little confused about the plan. who is getting who? and what is Worcester doing? i am all kinds of confused. maybe it will all become clear as it actually happens? if it actually happens? it all just happened so fast! that's actually something i really like about this play so far- it's dense. and by dense, i mean that a lot happens in every scene. granted, i've only read 3 scenes so far, but the pace is great. i hope it stays like this. does it make the play harder to understand in performance? i wonder...

who will win this? Henry or Northumberland and co.? what do you think?

quote of the day:

'an if the devil come and roar for them

i will not send them. i will after straight

and tell him so, for i will ease my heart,

albeit i make a hazard of my head.'

   -Hotspur

for tomorrow: on to act 2, scenes 1-3

-rebecca may

1 Henry IV Act 1, Scenes 1 and 2

183.

hello Shakespeare readers! new play today! wahoo! i'm super stoked. i am also stoked to go visit my friend today- she had twins! who does that? then on to work for a closing shift. woot. i also just realized that there's less than a month left of Summer. i really need to kick my reading into high gear and make up for some of that lost time in June. i can do it! okay, i know i'm super scattered today, so let's just move on...

act 1, scene 1

King Henry gives a speech to his people, explaining that they would all like to have a time of peace, and that no more civil war will rip England apart. they will all work together against a common enemy- the pagans in the holy lands. Henry asks Westmorland for news regarding their upcoming voyage, but Westmorland delivers very different news: Mortimer has been captured in Wales by Glendower and Hotspur has gotten himself into a battle with the Scots. Henry acknowledges that this probably isn't the best time to leave England, and relays news he has heard of Hotspur's bravery. he also comments, half-jokingly, that he wishes Hotspur were his own son instead of Prince Hal. (see quote below.) the bad news from Hotspur is that he won't give Henry the prisoners. he is keeping them. Westmorland warns Henry that this must be the bad influence of Hotspur's uncle, Worcester. Henry will wait for an explanation From Hotspur.

act 1, scene 2

Prince Hal are hanging out in London, chatting it up. their conversation is a constant battle of wits. they tease each other incessantly, with an undercurrent of: what will happen to Falstaff when Hal becomes king? Poins comes in, asking them to join him on a little adventure. they are going to leave town for a bit to have some adventures in robbery. Hal doesn't want to go. Poins get Falstaff to leave so they can talk in private and reveals the true plan: to play a major trick on Falstaff and the other fools in the group. they will separate themselves from them after they leave town. the group will go through with the robbery, but Poins and Hal will disguise themselves and rob Falstaff and the rest of the group. when they meet up later and ask Falstaff how the robbery went, he and the rest of them will boast about the adventure. calling them on their bluff will be the jest. Prince Hal agrees to join him.

i L-O-V-E that things are going down just as Richard said they would. we have a phrase that we use that totally fits this situation: once a cheater, always a cheater. in this case it'd be, once a committer of treason... weird though how i once felt kinda bad for Richard even though he sucked at his job and now i'm kind of feeling bad for Henry. like i said, Shakespeare is SO good at making you shift your sympathies.

i don't understand a lot of what Hal and Falstaff are saying. i think it would take some great actors for me to really get it. but what i do get is their closeness and the tenuousness of it all. what WILL happen to Falstaff when Hal becomes king? can Hal really do anything to help him? would we blame him if he didn't? i love where the conversation goes around line 50. Shakespeare creates this complicated multi-layer conversation. how much are they just messing around talking about nothing? and how much is it about Falstaff actually having a place once Henry is king? and how much is it about the grim reality that thieves are hung? people like Falstaff are hung by people like Hal. sad and intriguing. must be fun for actors to play with!

predictions so far: Hotspur and Falstaff will meet ugly ends. we shall see!

quote of the day:

'yeah, there thou mak'st me sad, and mak'st me sin

in envy that my lord Northumberland

should be the father to so blest a son--

a son who is the theme of honor's tongue,

amongst a grove the very straightest plant,

who is sweet Fortune's minion and her pride,

whilst i, by looking on the praise of him,

see riot and dishonor stain the brow

of my young Harry. o, that it could be proved

that some night-tripping fairy had exchanged

in cradle clothes our children where they lay,

and called mine Percy, his Plantagenet!'

   -King Henry; act 1, scene 1

for tomorrow: the rest of act 1

-rebecca may