Classic Literature

Henry VAct 4, Scene 5

Act 4

Scene V

Another part of the field of battle.

	Enter Constable, Orleans, Bourbon, Dauphin, and Rambures.
Constable	O diable!
Orleans	O seigneur! le jour est perdu, tout est perdu!
Dauphin	Mort de ma vie! all is confounded, all! Reproach and everlasting shame Sits mocking in our plumes. O méchante fortune! Do not run away. A short alarum.
Constable	Why, all our ranks are broke.
Dauphin	O perdurable shame! let’s stab ourselves. Be these the wretches that we play’d at dice for?
Orleans	Is this the king we sent to for his ransom?
Bourbon	Shame and eternal shame, nothing but shame! Let’s die in honour: once more back again; And he that will not follow Bourbon now, Let him go hence, and with his cap in hand, Like a base pandar, hold the chamber-door Whilst by a slave, no gentler than my dog, His fairest daughter is contaminated.
Constable	Disorder, that hath spoil’d us, friend us now! Let us on heaps go offer up our lives.
Orleans	We are enough yet living in the field To smother up the English in our throngs, If any order might be thought upon.
Bourbon	The devil take order now! I’ll to the throng; Let life be short; else shame will be too long. Exeunt.

Companion

Previously

Act 4, Scene 4: Pistol threatens a French soldier while misunderstanding his language, until the Boy interprets an offer of two hundred crowns for ransom. Pistol accepts and leads the captive away, leaving the Boy to condemn his empty threats. The Boy reports that Bardolph and Nym have been hanged and says the camp's baggage is guarded only by boys.

Who's who so far

Chorus Contrasts the armies' night watches, praises Henry's comforting visits to his men and asks the audience to imagine the battle beyond the actors' limited means.
Archbishop of Canterbury Argues that Henry has a lawful claim to France, offers to bear any sin arising from the claim and urges an invasion supported by money from the clergy.
Bishop of Ely Urges Henry to renew the military achievements of his ancestors, whose courage he says the king has inherited.
King Henry Rejects Westmoreland's wish for reinforcements, promises his men honour and brotherhood, refuses ransom and grants York command of the vanguard.
Gloucester Is reported by Gower to command the siege and to be directed by the Irish captain Macmorris.
Bedford Knows about the conspiracy and explains that Henry has learned the traitors' intentions through an interception they do not suspect.
Exeter Is reported to have secured the bridge against the French and sentenced Bardolph to death for stealing from a church.
Warwick Accompanies Henry into the presence chamber and remains a silent member of the gathering.
Westmoreland Wishes for more English soldiers but responds to Henry's speech by wishing that he and the king could fight the battle alone.
First Ambassador Speaks for the French embassy, delivering the Dauphin's rejection of Henry's claims and his mocking gift of tennis-balls.
Corporal Nym Is reported by the Boy to have been hanged, along with Bardolph.
Lieutenant Bardolph Is reported by the Boy to have been hanged, along with Nym.
Ancient Pistol Threatens a French captive's life until the Boy translates an offer of two hundred crowns, which he accepts as ransom.
Hostess (Nell Quickly) Describes tending Falstaff as he died, insists that he is not in hell and says farewell to her husband and his companions.
Boy Interprets between Pistol and his captive, privately condemns Pistol's cowardice and says he must stay with baggage guarded only by boys.
Richard Earl of Cambridge Is condemned for conspiring against Henry and accepts that he took French gold while denying that it was the original cause of his intended treason.
Lord Scroop of Masham Henry's trusted confidant is exposed as a conspirator, asks forgiveness for his fault and is sent away under sentence of death.
Sir Thomas Grey Is condemned for plotting against Henry and says he rejoices that the treason was stopped, asking pardon for his fault rather than his life.
French King Sends his nobles to capture Henry, orders Montjoy to demand a ransom and insists that the Dauphin remain with him in Rouen.
Dauphin Is present in the French camp, lavishly praises his horse and imagines trampling English faces before leaving to arm himself.
Charles Delabreth, Constable of France Mocks the Dauphin's claims to courage after he leaves and treats the nearby English army's hunger as a reason to expect an easy fight.
Duke of Berri Enters with the French court and is among the dukes ordered to strengthen France's defended towns, without speaking in the scene.
Duke of Brittagne Enters with the French court and is among the dukes ordered to strengthen France's defended towns, without speaking in the scene.
Messenger Announces that Henry's ambassadors seek admission and is sent to bring them before the French king.
Captain Fluellen Refuses to seek mercy for Bardolph because discipline must prevail, revises his opinion of Pistol and reports Exeter's success at the bridge to Henry.
Gower Recognises Pistol as a rogue and warns Fluellen that military language and appearance can disguise a false soldier.
Captain Macmorris An Irish captain involved in the siege works resents their interruption, rejects time spent debating and threatens Fluellen after a remark about his nation.
Captain Jamy A Scots captain praised by Fluellen for military knowledge promises to serve bravely or die and wants to hear the captains' debate.
Governor of Harfleur Surrenders Harfleur and its people's lives to Henry's mercy after learning that the Dauphin cannot send forces to lift the siege.
Katherine Takes an English lesson from Alice, repeatedly tests her memory of words for body parts and objects to the indecent sounds she hears in two words.
Alice Has been to England and teaches Katherine English words, correcting some mistakes while praising her pronunciation.
Duke of Bourbon Insults the English as illegitimate Norman descendants and says French women mock their own men's readiness to run away.
Montjoy Brings the Constable's renewed demand for Henry's ransom and leaves with another refusal.
Duke of Orleans Defends the Dauphin's courage against the Constable's mockery, ridicules the English and expects each French lord to take a hundred prisoners by ten o'clock.
Lord Rambures Asks about the Constable's armour, proposes gambling for prisoners and praises the courage of English mastiffs.
Messenger in the French camp Announces to the French nobles that the English are drawn up for battle.
Sir Thomas Erpingham An elderly commander lends Henry his cloak, blesses him and returns to report that the nobles are searching for him.
John Bates A soldier who does not recognise Henry argues that obedience excuses subjects from an unjust royal cause and promises to fight despite his wish to be safely away.
Alexander Court Enters with Bates and Williams and asks whether the light they see is the approaching morning.
Michael Williams Questions the king's responsibility for soldiers' deaths and exchanges gloves with the disguised Henry as pledges of a quarrel if they survive.
Grandpré Describes the English army and its horses as ragged and nearly lifeless while urging the French lords to advance.
Salisbury Takes leave of the English princes before going to his command, then returns to warn Henry that the French are ready to charge.
York Kneels to ask for command of the vanguard and receives Henry's permission to lead it.
French Soldier (Monsieur le Fer) Pistol's captive names himself Monsieur le Fer, offers two hundred crowns for his life and thanks his captor as a distinguished English lord.

Words to know

perdurable: lasting for ever
pandar: someone who arranges sexual encounters for others
throngs: densely packed crowds

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Act 4, Scene 5 in brief

The Constable, Orleans, Bourbon, the Dauphin and Rambures enter amid French disorder. Exclamations of loss replace their earlier confidence, and the Dauphin and Orleans recall gambling for English captives and demanding Henry's ransom. These references make the reversal visible through the nobles' own previous expectations. Bourbon presses the men to fight by imagining a degrading sexual punishment for anyone who refuses to follow him. The Constable hopes their disorder can somehow help them, while Orleans argues that their numbers remain sufficient if they can organise them. Bourbon rejects order and chooses a potentially short life over prolonged shame, so the return to battle proceeds without a shared solution to their confusion.

Key quotes

Be these the wretches that we play’d at dice for?

Why it matters The Dauphin measures the present crisis against the French expectation of easy captives. His question exposes the failure of their earlier assessment.

War and responsibilityReputation and personal change

Let life be short; else shame will be too long.

Why it matters Bourbon treats death as preferable to surviving with humiliation. The balanced alternatives show reputation directing his choice to return to the fighting.

Reputation and personal changeWar and responsibility

Themes in this chapter

War and responsibilityReputation and personal changeNational identity and obedience

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