READ STUDY GUIDE: Act I, Scene i |
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Act I, Scene i
| [Alarum. Enter DUKE of YORK, EDWARD, RICHARD, NORFOLK, MONTAGUE, WARWICK, and Soldiers.] |
| WARWICK.: |
| I wonder how the king escap'd our hands. |
| YORK.: |
| While we pursued the horsemen of the North, |
| He slyly stole away and left his men, |
| Whereat the great Lord of Northumberland, |
| Whose warlike ears could never brook retreat, |
| Cheer'd up the drooping army; and himself, |
| Lord Clifford, and Lord Stafford, all abreast, |
| Charg'd our main battle's front, and breaking in, |
| Were by the swords of common soldiers slain. |
| EDWARD.: |
| Lord Stafford's father, Duke of Buckingham, |
| Is either slain or wounded dangerously; |
| I cleft his beaver with a downright blow. |
| That this is true, father, behold his blood. |
| [Showing his bloody sword.] |
| MONTAGUE.: |
| And, brother, here 's the Earl of Wiltshire's blood, |
| [To York, showing his.] |
| Whom I encounter'd as the battles join'd. |
| RICHARD.: |
| Speak thou for me, and tell them what I did. |
| [Throwing down the Duke of Somerset's head.] |
| YORK.: |
| Richard hath best deserv'd of all my sons.— |
| But is your grace dead, my Lord of Somerset? |
| NORFOLK.: |
| Such hope have all the line of John of Gaunt! |
| RICHARD.: |
| Thus do I hope to shake King Henry's head. |
| WARWICK.: |
| And so do I.—Victorious Prince of York, |
| Before I see thee seated in that throne |
| Which now the house of Lancaster usurps, |
| I vow by heaven these eyes shall never close. |
| This is the palace of the fearful king, |
| And this the regal seat; possess it, York, |
| For this is thine, and not King Henry's heirs'. |
| YORK.: |
| Assist me, then, sweet Warwick, and I will; |
| For hither we have broken in by force. |
| NORFOLK.: |
| We'll all assist you; he that flies shall die. |
| YORK.: |
| Thanks, gentle Norfolk.—Stay by me, my lords;— |
| And, soldiers, stay and lodge by me this night. |
| WARWICK.: |
| And when the king comes, offer him no violence, |
| Unless he seek to thrust you out perforce. |
| [They retire.] |
| YORK.: |
| The queen this day here holds her parliament, |
| But little thinks we shall be of her council. |
| By words or blows here let us win our right. |
| RICHARD.: |
| Arm'd as we are, let 's stay within this house. |
| WARWICK.: |
| The bloody parliament shall this be call'd, |
| Unless Plantagenet, Duke of York, be king, |
| And bashful Henry depos'd, whose cowardice |
| Hath made us bywords to our enemies. |
| YORK.: |
| Then leave me not, my lords; be resolute. |
| I mean to take possession of my right. |
| WARWICK.: |
| Neither the king, nor he that loves him best, |
| The proudest he that holds up Lancaster, |
| Dares stir a wing if Warwick shake his bells. |
| I'll plant Plantagenet, root him up who dares.— |
| Resolve thee, Richard; claim the English crown. |
| [Warwick leads York to the throne, who seats himself.] |
| [Flourish. Enter KING HENRY, CLIFFORD, NORTHUMBERLAND,WESTMORELAND, EXETER, and the rest.] |
| KING HENRY.: |
| My lords, look where the sturdy rebel sits, |
| Even in the chair of state! belike he means, |
| Back'd by the power of Warwick, that false peer, |
| To aspire unto the crown and reign as king.— |
| Earl of Northumberland, he slew thy father; |
| And thine, Lord Clifford; and you both have vow'd revenge |
| On him, his sons, his favourites, and his friends. |
| NORTHUMBERLAND.: |
| If I be not, heavens be reveng'd on me! |
| CLIFFORD.: |
| The hope thereof makes Clifford mourn in steel. |
| WESTMORELAND.: |
| What! shall we suffer this? let 's pluck him down; |
| My heart for anger burns; I cannot brook it. |
| KING HENRY.: |
| Be patient, gentle Earl of Westmoreland. |
| CLIFFORD.: |
| Patience is for poltroons, such as he; |
| He durst not sit there had your father liv'd. |
| My gracious lord, here in the parliament |
| Let us assail the family of York. |
| NORTHUMBERLAND.: |
| Well hast thou spoken, cousin; be it so. |
| KING HENRY.: |
| Ah, know you not the city favours them, |
| And they have troops of soldiers at their beck? |
| EXETER.: |
| But when the duke is slain, they'll quickly fly. |
| KING HENRY.: |
| Far be the thought of this from Henry's heart, |
| To make a shambles of the parliament-house! |
| Cousin of Exeter, frowns, words, and threats |
| Shall be the war that Henry means to use.— |
| [They advance to the duke.] |
| Thou factious Duke of York, descend my throne, |
| And kneel for grace and mercy at my feet; |
| I am thy sovereign. |
| YORK.: |
| I am thine. |
| EXETER.: |
| For shame, come down; he made thee Duke of York. |
| YORK.: |
| 'T was my inheritance, as the earldom was. |
| EXETER.: |
| Thy father was a traitor to the crown. |
| WARWICK.: |
| Exeter, thou art a traitor to the crown |
| In following this usurping Henry. |
| CLIFFORD.: |
| Whom should he follow, but his natural king? |
| WARWICK.: |
| True, Clifford; and that 's Richard, Duke of York. |
| KING HENRY.: |
| And shall I stand, and thou sit in my throne? |
| YORK.: |
| It must and shall be so. |
| Content thyself. |
| WARWICK.: |
| Be Duke of Lancaster; let him be king. |
| WESTMORELAND.: |
| He is both king and Duke of Lancaster; |
| And that the Lord of Westmoreland shall maintain. |
| WARWICK.: |
| And Warwick shall disprove it. You forget |
| That we are those which chas'd you from the field, |
| And slew your fathers, and with colours spread |
| March'd through the city to the palace gates. |
| NORTHUMBERLAND.: |
| Yes, Warwick, I remember it to my grief; |
| And, by his soul, thou and thy house shall rue it. |
| WESTMORELAND.: |
| Plantagenet, of thee, and these thy sons, |
| Thy kinsmen, and thy friends, I'll have more lives |
| Than drops of blood were in my father's veins. |
| CLIFFORD.: |
| Urge it no more; lest that instead of words |
| I send thee, Warwick, such a messenger |
| As shall revenge his death before I stir. |
| WARWICK.: |
| Poor Clifford! how I scorn his worthless threats! |
| YORK.: |
| Will you we show our title to the crown? |
| If not, our swords shall plead it in the field. |
| KING HENRY.: |
| What title hast thou, traitor, to the crown? |
| Thy father was, as thou art, Duke of York; |
| Thy grandfather, Roger Mortimer, Earl of March. |
| I am the son of Henry the Fifth, |
| Who made the Dauphin and the French to stoop, |
| And seiz'd upon their towns and provinces. |
| WARWICK.: |
| Talk not of France, sith thou hast lost it all. |
| KING HENRY.: |
| The lord protector lost it, and not I; |
| When I was crown'd I was but nine months old. |
| RICHARD.: |
| You are old enough now, and yet, methinks, you lose.— |
| Father, tear the crown from the usurper's head. |
| EDWARD.: |
| Sweet father, do so; set it on your head. |
| MONTAGUE.: |
| Good brother, as thou lov'st and honourest arms, |
| Let's fight it out and not stand cavilling thus. |
| RICHARD.: |
| Sound drums and trumpets, and the king will fly. |
| YORK.: |
| Sons, peace! |
| KING HENRY.: |
| Peace thou, and give King Henry leave to speak. |
| WARWICK.: |
| Plantagenet shall speak first; hear him, lords, |
| And be you silent and attentive too, |
| For he that interrupts him shall not live. |
| KING HENRY.: |
| Think'st thou that I will leave my kingly throne, |
| Wherein my grandsire and my father sat? |
| No! first shall war unpeople this my realm; |
| Ay, and their colours—often borne in France, |
| And now in England, to our heart's great sorrow— |
| Shall be my winding sheet.—Why faint you, lords? |
| My title's good, and better far than his. |
| WARWICK.: |
| Prove it, Henry, and thou shalt be king. |
| KING HENRY.: |
| Henry the Fourth by conquest got the crown. |
| YORK.: |
| 'T was by rebellion against his king. |
| KING HENRY.: |
| [Aside.] I know not what to say; my title's weak.— |
| Tell me, may not a king adopt an heir? |
| YORK.: |
| What then? |
| KING HENRY.: |
| An if he may, then am I lawful king; |
| For Richard, in the view of many lords, |
| Resign'd the crown to Henry the Fourth, |
| Whose heir my father was, and I am his. |
| YORK.: |
| He rose against him, being his sovereign, |
| And made him to resign his crown perforce. |
| WARWICK.: |
| Suppose, my lords, he did it unconstrain'd, |
| Think you 't were prejudicial to his crown? |
| EXETER.: |
| No; for he could not so resign his crown |
| But that the next heir should succeed and reign. |
| KING HENRY.: |
| Art thou against us, Duke of Exeter? |
| EXETER.: |
| His is the right, and therefore pardon me. |
| YORK.: |
| Why whisper you, my lords, and answer not? |
| EXETER.: |
| My conscience tells me he is lawful king. |
| KING HENRY.: |
| [Aside.] All will revolt from me and turn to him. |
| NORTHUMBERLAND.: |
| Plantagenet, for all the claim thou lay'st, |
| Think not that Henry shall be so depos'd. |
| WARWICK.: |
| Depos'd he shall be, in despite of all. |
| NORTHUMBERLAND.: |
| Thou art deceiv'd; 't is not thy southern power, |
| Of Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk, nor of Kent, |
| Which makes thee thus presumptuous and proud, |
| Can set the duke up in despite of me. |
| CLIFFORD.: |
| King Henry, be thy title right or wrong, |
| Lord Clifford vows to fight in thy defence. |
| May that ground gape and swallow me alive, |
| Where I shall kneel to him that slew my father! |
| KING HENRY.: |
| O Clifford, how thy words revive my heart! |
| YORK.: |
| Henry of Lancaster, resign thy crown.— |
| What mutter you, or what conspire you, lords? |
| WARWICK.: |
| Do right unto this princely Duke of York, |
| Or I will fill the house with armed men, |
| And over the chair of state where now he sits |
| Write up his title with usurping blood. |
| [He stamps, and the soldiers show themselves.] |
| KING HENRY.: |
| My Lord of Warwick, hear but one word: |
| Let me for this my lifetime reign as king. |
| YORK.: |
| Confirm the crown to me, and to mine heirs, |
| And thou shalt reign in quiet while thou liv'st. |
| KING HENRY.: |
| I am content; Richard Plantagenet, |
| Enjoy the kingdom after my decease. |
| CLIFFORD.: |
| What wrong is this unto the prince your son! |
| WARWICK.: |
| What good is this to England and himself! |
| WESTMORELAND.: |
| Base, fearful, and despairing Henry! |
| CLIFFORD.: |
| How hast thou injur'd both thyself and us! |
| WESTMORELAND.: |
| I cannot stay to hear these articles. |
| NORTHUMBERLAND.: |
| Nor I. |
| CLIFFORD.: |
| Come, cousin, let us tell the queen these news. |
| WESTMORELAND.: |
| Farewell, faint-hearted and degenerate king, |
| In whose cold blood no spark of honour bides. |
| NORTHUMBERLAND.: |
| Be thou a prey unto the house of York, |
| And die in bands for this unmanly deed! |
| CLIFFORD.: |
| In dreadful war mayst thou be overcome, |
| Or live in peace abandon'd and despis'd! |
| [Exeunt Northumberland, Clifford, and Westmoreland.] |
| WARWICK.: |
| Turn this way, Henry, and regard them not. |
| EXETER.: |
| They seek revenge, and therefore will not yield. |
| KING HENRY.: |
| Ah, Exeter! |
| WARWICK.: |
| Why should you sigh, my lord? |
| KING HENRY.: |
| Not for myself, Lord Warwick, but my son, |
| Whom I unnaturally shall disinherit.— |
| But be it as it may, I here entail |
| The crown to thee, and to thine heirs for ever; |
| Conditionally, that here thou take an oath |
| To cease this civil war, and whilst I live |
| To honour me as thy king and sovereign, |
| And neither by treason nor hostility |
| To seek to put me down and reign thyself. |
| YORK.: |
| This oath I willingly take and will perform. |
| [Coming from the throne.] |
| WARWICK.: |
| Long live King Henry!—Plantagenet, embrace him. |
| KING HENRY.: |
| And long live thou, and these thy forward sons! |
| YORK.: |
| Now York and Lancaster are reconcil'd. |
| EXETER.: |
| Accurs'd be he that seeks to make them foes! |
| [Sennet. The Lords come forward.] |
| YORK. Farewell, my gracious lord; I'll to my castle. |
| WARWICK.: |
| And I'll keep London with my soldiers. |
| NORFOLK.: |
| And I to Norfolk with my followers. |
| MONTAGUE.: |
| And I unto the sea from whence I came. |
| [Exeunt York and his Sons, Warwick, Norfolk, Montague, Soldiers, and Attendants.] |
| KING HENRY.: |
| And I, with grief and sorrow, to the court. |
| [Enter QUEEN MARGARET and the PRINCE OF WALES.] |
| EXETER.: |
| Here comes the queen, whose looks bewray her anger. |
| I'll steal away. |
| KING HENRY.: |
| Exeter, so will I. |
| [Going.] |
| QUEEN MARGARET.: |
| Nay, go not from me; I will follow thee. |
| KING HENRY.: |
| Be patient, gentle queen, and I will stay. |
| QUEEN MARGARET.: |
| Who can be patient in such extremes? |
| Ah, wretched man! would I had died a maid, |
| And never seen thee, never borne thee son, |
| Seeing thou hast prov'd so unnatural a father! |
| Hath he deserv'd to lose his birthright thus? |
| Hadst thou but lov'd him half so well as I, |
| Or felt that pain which I did for him once, |
| Or nourish'd him as I did with my blood, |
| Thou wouldst have left thy dearest heart-blood there |
| Rather than have made that savage duke thine heir |
| And disinherited thine only son. |
| PRINCE.: |
| Father, you cannot disinherit me. |
| If you be king, why should not I succeed? |
| KING HENRY.: |
| Pardon me, Margaret;—pardon me, sweet son; |
| The Earl of Warwick and the duke enforc'd me. |
| QUEEN MARGARET.: |
| Enforc'd thee! art thou king, and wilt be |
| forc'd? |
| I shame to hear thee speak. Ah, timorous wretch! |
| Thou hast undone thyself, thy son, and me, |
| And given unto the house of York such head |
| As thou shalt reign but by their sufferance. |
| To entail him and his heirs unto the crown, |
| What is it but to make thy sepulchre |
| And creep into it far before thy time? |
| Warwick is chancellor and the lord of Calais; |
| Stern Falconbridge commands the narrow seas; |
| The duke is made protector of the realm; |
| And yet shalt thou be safe? such safety finds |
| The trembling lamb environed with wolves. |
| Had I been there, which am a silly woman, |
| The soldiers should have toss'd me on their pikes |
| Before I would have granted to that act. |
| But thou prefer'st thy life before thine honour; |
| And seeing thou dost, I here divorce myself, |
| Both from thy table, Henry, and thy bed, |
| Until that act of parliament be repeal'd |
| Whereby my son is disinherited. |
| The northern lords that have forsworn thy colours |
| Will follow mine if once they see them spread; |
| And spread they shall be to thy foul disgrace |
| And utter ruin of the house of York. |
| Thus do I leave thee.—Come, son, let's away: |
| Our army is ready; come, we'll after them. |
| KING HENRY.: |
| Stay, gentle Margaret, and hear me speak. |
| QUEEN MARGARET.: |
| Thou hast spoke too much already; get thee gone. |
| KING HENRY.: |
| Gentle son Edward, thou wilt stay with me? |
| QUEEN MARGARET.: |
| Ay, to be murther'd by his enemies. |
| PRINCE.: |
| When I return with victory from the field |
| I'll see your grace; till then I'll follow her. |
| QUEEN MARGARET.: |
| Come, son, away! we may not linger thus. |
| [Exeunt Queen Margaret and the Prince.] |
| KING HENRY.: |
| Poor queen! how love to me and to her son |
| Hath made her break out into terms of rage! |
| Reveng'd may she be on that hateful duke |
| Whose haughty spirit, winged with desire, |
| Will cost my crown, and like an empty eagle |
| Tire on the flesh of me and of my son. |
| The loss of those three lords torments my heart; |
| I'll write unto them, and entreat them fair.— |
| Come, cousin, you shall be the messenger. |
| EXETER.: |
| And I, I hope, shall reconcile them all. |
| [Exeunt.] |
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