Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

BOURBON

in Henry the Fifth — Shakespeare, William

Metadata

PlayHenry the Fifth
AuthorShakespeare, William
Year (catalogued)1600
First performance1599
Decade1600s
GenreHistory
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyLord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men
Speech prefix(es)Bur. | Burbon. | Burb.
Words227
Characters1121
Typicality0.31 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA11975
BritDrama no.1183
ClusterCluster 22 — Ghosts, curses & horror voices

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

Normans, basterd Normans, mor du And if they pass vnfoughtwithall, I'll fell my Dukedom for a foggy farm In that short nook I'll of England. And of the heat, a the Ginger. Turn all the sands into eloquent tongues , And my horse is argument for them all: I once writ a Sonnet in the praise of my horse, And began thus. Wonder of nature. I bearing me. I tell thee Lord Constable, My mistress wears her own hair. Tut thou wilt make use of any thing. Will it never be morning? He ride too morrow a nule, And my way shall be paved with English faces. Well isle go arm my self, hay. Oh lour dei houte all is gone, all is lost. A plague of order, once more to the field, And he that will not follow Burbon now, Let him go home, and with his cap in hand, Like a base leno hold the chamber door, Why least by a slave no gentler then my dog, His fairest daughter is contamuracke. Now you talk of a horse, I have a steed Like the Palfrey of the sun, nothing but pure air and fire, And hath none of this dull element of earth within him. Why then did they imitate that Which I writ in praise of my horse, For my horse is my mistress.

Plot summary

Plot — Henry the Fifth
Faced with the prospect of parliamentary legislation to sequester church lands, the Bishop of Canterbury encourages King Henry V to consider his claim to the French throne: he demonstrates that the Salic law debarring succession through the female line does not apply to France, and promises the church's financial support for a war. The Dauphin hears of Henry's ambitions and sends him a mocking gift of tennis balls; annoyed by the suggestion tl1at he should go away and play, Henry gathers his troops. The French bribe three noblemen to assassinate him before he leaves England, but he discovers the plot and has the traitors put to death. The French prepare for battle, but the Dauphin scornfully underestimates Henry. Exeter, sent as ambassador to the French King, demands surrender and delivers to the Dauphin Henry's personal contempt. The French offer a few dukedoms and a marriage alliance if Henry will withdraw. He considers this inadequate, and attacks Harfleur. The Dauphin and his troops fail to arrive in time to relieve the town, so its Governor surrenders to Henry. Exeter is left in command while Henry takes his disease-ridden troops back to winter in Calais, but the French force a battle en route at Agincourt. The night before, the French anticipate victory over the bedraggled English. Henry tours his army and listens to their worries about the battle. He quarrels with one of his soldiers, Williams, and they agree to settle their differences after their battle: they will know one another by the gloves they exchange. The French offer Henry the chance to surrender, but he refuses and battle ensues. The English do well, but when the French regroup for a new assault, Henry orders his troops to kill their prisoners. The French attack the baggage-train and kill the boys who are guarding it. The English are victorious, with remarkably few casualties. Henry persuades Fluellen to wear Williams's glove, claiming it is a battle trophy which will be challenged only by a traitor; the n-vo soldiers are about to fight when the King intervenes and reveals the truth. Henry later agrees a peace with France, is adopted as heir to the French throne, and marries Princess Catherine. In a subsidiary action, Henry's former lowlife associates do less well. Rejected by the King, Falstaff dies, broken-hearted. Pistol, Nim, and Bardolph join the expedition to France, accompanied by Falstaff's boy. Bardolph and Nim are hanged for theft, and the boy killed in the French attack on…