Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

MORTIMER

in 1 Henry the Fourth — Shakespeare, William

Metadata

Play1 Henry the Fourth
AuthorShakespeare, William
Year (catalogued)1598
First performance1597
Decade1590s
GenreHistory
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyLord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men
Speech prefix(es)Mor. | Mor | M • r.
Words444
Characters2404
Typicality0.29 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA11966
BritDrama no.1059
ClusterCluster 8 — Martial kings & Roman gravity

Important excerpts

No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).

Full speech

These promises are fair, the parties sure, 1 line Peace cousin Percy, you will make him mad. Come, come, no more of this unprofitable chat. The Archdeacon hath divided it Into three limits very equally: England from Trent, and S verne hitherto, By South and East is to my partly assigned: All westward, Wales beyond the Severn shore, And all the fertile land within that bound To Owen Glendower: and deer coose to you The remnant Northward lying off from Trent, And our indentures tripartite are drawn, Which being S All enterchangeably, (A business that this night may execute:) To morrow cousin Percy you and I And my good Lord of Worcester will set forth To meet your father and the Scottish power, As is appointed us at Shrewsbury. My father Glendower is not ready yet, Nor shall we needs his help these fourteen days, Within that space you may have drawn together Your tenants, friends, and neighbouring gentlemen. Fie cousin Percy, how you cross my father. In says he is a worthy gentleman, Exceedingly well read and profited In strange concealments, valiant as a lion, And wondrous affable; and as bountiful As mines of India; shall I tell you cousin, He holds your temper in a high respect And curbs himself even of his natural scope, When you come cross his humour, faith he does, I warrant you that man is not alive Might so have tempted him as you have done, Without the taste of danger and reproof, But do not use it oft, let me entreat you. This is the deadly spite that anger's me, My wife can speak no English, I no Welsh. Good father tell her, that she and my Aunt Percy Shall follow in your conduct speed lie. I understand thy looks, that pretty Welsh, Which thou powerest down from these swelling heavens, I am too perfect in, and but for shame In such a parley should I answer thee. I understand thy kisses, and thou mine, And thats a feeling disputation, But I will never be a truant love, Till I have learned thy language, for thy tongue Makes Welsh as sweet as ditties highly pend, Sung by a fair Queen in a summer's bower, With ravishing division to her Lute. Oh I am ignorance it self in this. With all my heart. Exeunt. Yea, but mark bow he bears his course, and runs me up with Like advantage on the other side, gelding the opposed continent as much as on the other side it takes from you. With all my heartile fit and hear her sing, By that time will our book I think be drawn.

Plot summary

Plot — 1 Henry the Fourth
Civil war has ended in England, and King H@nryiliV intends to take an English army on a crusade to liberate the Holy Land. The enterprise is delayed by continuing military instability on England’s borders. Lord MOGrfimer has been defeated in battle by Owen Glemd@Wer and taken a prisoner to Wales. In the north, H@#Splr has had better success against the Scots, but refuses to hand over his prisoners until King Henry ransoms Mortimer. But Mortimer has thrown in his lot with Glendower, so Henry refuses. TH@IPEFGy family suspects an ulterior motive: Mortimer was proclaimed heir to the throne during the previous reign, so the King has good reason to want him off the scene. Led by tH@IBAPINSPIWSreeSter, the Percies plan to put together an alliance to rise in rebellion against the King; to that end, Hotspur releases his Scottish prisoners without ransom. THEMPHNCeMSMWales spends his time idly with . BaIStaif and Poyntz, secretly intending to use his bad reputation as a foil to a subsequent reformation. They plan and execute a highway robbery, but the Prince and Poyntz disguise themselves and rob Falstaff in turn. In the tavern afterwards, Falstaffs account of these events grows progressively more inflated and extravagant; but, when confronted with the truth, he claims he knew it was the Prince all the time. News of the Percies’ plans reaches the King, and Prince Henry is summoned to court. Falstaff helps the Prince with a rehearsal: at first he plays the King, but his performance is over-partial towards himself, so the Prince takes over the part and declares that he will banish Falstaff. A hue and cry after the robbery leads the SHEfiffito the tavern, but the Prince puts him off and later pays back the stolen money; he then plans to obtain a military commission for Falstaff. The rebel lords meet to agree the division of the kingdom, but Hotspur is not satisfied with his share. The Prince tells his admonishing father that he will redeem himself in battle. Troops are mobilized, and the armies meet at Shrewsbury. The rebels are depleted: Glendower’s forces are not ready and N@rthumiberland falls sick; Hotspur sees greater honour in the longer odds, WGreester only greater risk. In the parleys before battle, the Prince offers to settle things in single combat with Hotspur, but Worcester and WerniGn, knowing that the King will never trust them again, decide to keep this from Hotspur. In the battle, many of the King’s troops are dressed in bis colours, and are killed in…