Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

DAVY

in 2 Henry the Fourth — Shakespeare, William

Metadata

Play2 Henry the Fourth
AuthorShakespeare, William
Year (catalogued)1600
First performance1597
Decade1600s
GenreHistory
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyLord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men
Speech prefix(es)Dauy
Words273
Characters1405
Typicality0.41 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA11974
BritDrama no.1083
ClusterCluster 0 — Clowns, beggars & street sellers

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

Here sir. Marry sir thus, those precepts can not be served, and again sir, shall we sow the hade land with wheat? Yes sir, here is now the Smiths note for shooing and plough-irons. Now sir, a new link to the bucket must needs be had: and sir, do you mean to stop any of Williams wages, a bout the sack he lost at Hunkly Fair? Does the man of war stay all night sir? No worse then they are back-bitten sir, for they have marvels foul linen. I beseech you sir to countenance William Visor of Woncote against Clement Perks a'th hill. I grant your worship that he is a knave sir: but yet God forbid sir, but a knave should have some countenance at his friends request, and honest man sir is able to speak for him self, when a knave is not: I have served your worship truly sir this eight years and I cannot once, or twice in a quarter bear out a knave against and honest man, I have little credit with your worship: the knave is mine honest friend sir, therefore I beseech you let him be countenaunst. Sweet sir fit, isle be with you anon, most sweet sir fit, master Page good master Page fit: proface, what you want in meat, weel have in drink, but you must bear, the heart's all. Theres a dish of Leather-coats for you. Your worship: I'll be with you straight, a cup of wine sir. I hope to see London once ere I die. And to please your worship, theres one Pistol come from the court with news. enter Pistol.

Plot summary

Plot — 2 Henry the Fourth
After the battle of Shrewsbury, there are contradictory rumours abroad as to the outcome: some say that the King and his son have vanquished Lord Hotspur of Lancaster, whereas in fact they won. Now Lord John of Lancaster is travelling north with a power, including Sir John Falstaff, to crush the regrouping remnants of the Percy rebellion. Mistress Quickly tries to have Falstaff arrested for debt, while threatens to prevent him setting out for London, but he talks his way out of it. Back from a military expedition in Wales, Prince Henry and Poins disguise themselves as drawers and eavesdrop on Falstaff’s conversation: he says uncomplimentary things about them, but Falstaff excuses himself inventively when confronted. Northumberland’s family persuade him to flee to Scotland rather than join the other northern rebels. Falstaff musters troops in Gloucestershire, but the best men bribe their way out, leaving him with the least suitable soldiers. Prince John sees the rebels and agrees to redress their grievances if they disband their army; but when they do so, he has them arrested for treason. Falstaff arrives in the north late, but meets the rebel Sir John Colville, who promptly surrenders without a fight, having heard Falstaff’s reputation. Prince John returns to court, but Falstaff goes via Gloucestershire to visit Justice Shallow. The sickly King prepares for death, and worries about the kingdom’s future in the hands of his eldest son. News arrives of the defeat of all the rebels. Prince Henry finds his father asleep with the crown beside him, and, thinking him dead, tries it on. The King wakes to find his crown gone. Brought back, the Prince excuses himself, and the King gives deathbed advice: he should pursue an aggressive foreign policy to distract from internal dissent. He dies in the Jerusalem chamber, fulfilling a prophecy that he will die in Jerusalem. Henry V is not the King everyone expected the Prince to be. He confirms in office the Lord Chief Justice, who had imprisoned him for his misdemeanours. Pistol brings to Gloucestershire news of his accession, and Falstaff anticipates power for himself and his associates. He is disappointed: when he accosts the King at his coronation, Henry refuses to acknowledge him, and banishes him — though with a pension to ensure that poverty does not lead him back into crime. Falstaff is convinced that this is only a public show of rejection, which will later be countermanded in private; but in fact he and his crew…