Henry V - Act Two “Now all the youth of England are on fire…”

Henry V Act Two – “Now all the youth of England are on fire…”

Act Two of ‘Henry V’ starts with a stirring speech by The Chorus which informs the audience of King Henry V’s preparations for his invasion of France but also warns us of the corrupt traitors amongst the English noblemen including the Earl of Cambridge, the Lord Scrope of Masham and Sir Thomas Grey of Northumberland who plan to kill King Henry V before he leaves English soil. 

We leave The Chorus and the world of devious and shifty nobles and head to a tavern in Eastcheap where Lieutenant Bardolph and Corporal Nim, who were once low-life crooks prepare to leave for France. They get into an argument with Pistol who has married the Hostess of the Boar Head Tavern, Mistress Quickly. Suddenly, news arrives that their old friend, Falstaff, is sick and presumed to be dying in bed. Elizabethan audiences would remember Falstaff with fondness from ‘Henry IV Part 1’, ‘Henry IV Part 2’ and 'The Merry Wives of Windsor' as the incorrigible low life companion of the wayward Prince Hal (later to become King Henry V). The audience would have been waiting for him to appear, so when they hear that he is sick and the Hostess goes off to tend to him, the audience would feel anticipation. But Shakespeare knows to hold onto this anticipation a little longer and we only hear that these men believe that King Henry V is the cause of Falstaff’s demise into a near death state and the audience is left anxiously wondering whether the legendary Falstaff will appear in this play after all.

Back in Southampton, King Henry V has, unbeknown to Cambridge, Scrope, and Grey, discovered their treacherous plans. The King cleverly tells the traitors that he is thinking of releasing a drunkard who he has had arrested the previous day for speaking ill of him the King and asks their advice. They advise that the man should be fully punished. Henry frees the man and reveals to the traitors that he knows their plans and has written evidence. They ask for his regal mercy but Henry points out that they had moments before said that he should show no mercy for the drunkard. Henry can barely believe that they would sell his life for money—especially Scrope, who has been a close friend—and orders the trio to be executed. Taking the discovery of the traitors as a sign that God is on the side of the English, Henry orders his fleet to sail for France at last. But before, we leave for France, we switch once more back to Pistol, Bardolph, Nim, and the Hostess back in London where the Hostess reports on the last moments of Falstaff before his death. The audience would sigh at this point. Falstaff will not appear in this play. His end is revealed where he cursed the two loves (or indulgences) of his life, wine and women. These men then bid the Mistress goodbye as they leave to war in France.

We move onto France, where the King of France, King Charles VI, meets with the Dauphin and his advisers to contemplate his next move. The Dauphin derides King Henry V as youthful and unfocused but some in the French camp have more convinced of the power and determination of Henry.

A message arrives from King Henry V (who has newly arrived in France) with Exeter and King Henry V is offering no concessions and forcefully demands that the French crown and all lands and titles be given to him or he and his English army will take it by force. Charles is confronted by this and announces that he will give his answer to King Henry V in the morning: 

“A night is but small breath and little pause

To answer matters of this consequence.”