Complete Works (Modern Library)

by William Shakespeare

For Prospero what finally matters is kindness. And this is something that the master learns from his pupil: it is Ariel who teaches Prospero about “feeling,” not vice versa. Ariel represents fire and air, concord and music, loyal service. Caliban is of the earth, associated with discord, drunkenness, and rebellion. Ariel’s medium of expression is delicate verse, whilst Caliban’s is for the most part a robust, often ribald, prose like that of the jester Trinculo and drunken butler Stephano. But, astonishingly, it is Caliban who speaks the play’s most beautiful verse when he hears the music of Ariel. Even in prose, Caliban has a wonderful attunement to the natural environment: he knows every corner, every species of the island. Prospero calls him “A devil, a born devil, on whose nature / Nurture can never stick,” yet in the very next speech Caliban enters with the line “Pray you tread softly, that the blind mole may not hear a footfall,” words of such strong imagination that Prospero’s claim is instantly belied.

NORTHUMBERLAND Yea, my good lord. Those prisoners in your highness’ name demanded, 25 Which Harry Percy here at Holmedon took, Were, as he says, not with26 such strength denied As was delivered27 to your majesty, Who either through envy or misprision28 Was guilty of this fault and not my son. 30 HOTSPUR My liege, I did deny no prisoners. To the King But I remember, when the fight was done, When I was dry with rage32 and extreme toil, Breathless and faint, leaning upon my sword, Came there a certain lord, neat34 and trimly dressed, 35 Fresh as a bridegroom, and his chin new reaped35 Showed like a stubble-land at harvest-home.36 He was perfumèd like a milliner,37 And ’twixt his finger and his thumb he held A pouncet-box,39 which ever and anon 40 He gave40 his nose and took’t away again, Who therewith angry,41 when it next came there, Took42 it in snuff. And still he smiled and talked, And as the soldiers bore dead bodies by, He called them untaught44 knaves, unmannerly, 45 To bring a slovenly45 unhandsome corpse Betwixt the wind and his nobility.46 With many holiday47 and lady terms He questioned48 me, among the rest demanded My prisoners in your...

But I remember, when the fight was done, When I was dry with rage32 and extreme toil, Breathless and faint, leaning upon my sword, Came there a certain lord, neat34 and trimly dressed, 35 Fresh as a bridegroom, and his chin new reaped35 Showed like a stubble-land at harvest-home.36 He was perfumèd like a milliner,37 And ’twixt his finger and his thumb he held A pouncet-box,39 which ever and anon 40 He gave40 his nose and took’t away again, Who therewith angry,41 when it next came there, Took42 it in snuff. And still he smiled and talked, And as the soldiers bore dead bodies by, He called them untaught44 knaves, unmannerly, 45 To bring a slovenly45 unhandsome corpse Betwixt the wind and his nobility.46 With many holiday47 and lady terms He questioned48 me, among the rest demanded My prisoners in your majesty’s behalf. 5 I then, all smarting with my wounds being cold,50 To be so pestered with a popinjay,51 Out of my grief52 and my impatience, Answered neglectingly53 I know not what, He should or should not. For he made me mad 55 To see him shine so brisk55 and smell so sweet And talk so like a waiting-gentlewoman56 Of guns and drums and wounds — ...

But with proviso and exception,79 80 That we at our own charge80 shall ransom straight His brother-in-law, the foolish Mortimer, Who, in my soul, hath wilfully betrayed The lives of those that he did lead to fight Against the great magician, damned Glendower, 85 Whose daughter, as we hear, the Earl of March85 Hath lately married. Shall our coffers,86 then, Be emptied to redeem a traitor home? Shall we buy treason, and indent88 with fears When they have lost and forfeited themselves? 90 No, on the barren mountain let him starve, For I shall never hold that man my friend Whose tongue shall ask me for one penny cost To ransom home revolted93 Mortimer. HOTSPUR Revolted Mortimer? 95 He never did fall off,95 my sovereign liege, But by the chance of war. To prove that true Needs no more but one tongue for all those wounds, Those mouthèd98 wounds, which valiantly he took When on the gentle Severn’s sedgy bank,99 100 In single opposition, hand to hand, He did confound101 the best part of an hour In changing hardiment102 with great Glendower. Three times they breathed103 and three times did they drink, Upon agreement,104 of swift Severn’s flood; 105 Who then, affrighted105 with...

I fear my brother Mortimer doth stir71 About his title,72 and hath sent for you To line73 his enterprise. But if you go— HOTSPUR So far afoot, I shall be weary, love. 75 LADY PERCY Come, come, you paraquito,75 answer me Directly unto this question that I shall ask: Indeed, I’ll break thy little finger,77 Harry, If thou wilt not tell me true. HOTSPUR Away, 80 Away, you trifler!80 Love? I love thee not. I care not for thee, Kate. This is no world To play with mammets82 and to tilt with lips. We must have bloody noses and cracked crowns,83 And pass them current84 too.— God’s me, my horse! 85 What say’st thou, Kate? What wouldst thou have with me? LADY PERCY Do ye not love me? Do ye not, indeed? Well, do not then, for since you love me not, I will not love myself. Do you not love me? Nay, tell me if thou speak’st in jest or no. 90 HOTSPUR Come, wilt thou see me ride? And when I am a-horseback, I will swear I love thee infinitely.

PRINCE HENRY That ever this fellow should have fewer words than a parrot, and yet78 the son of a woman! His industry79 is upstairs and downstairs, his eloquence the parcel of a reckoning. I am not yet of Percy’s mind,80 the Hotspur of the north, he that kills me81 some six or seven dozen of Scots at a breakfast, washes his hands, and says to his wife ‘Fie upon this quiet life! I want work.’ ‘O my sweet Harry’, says she, ‘how many hast thou killed today?’ ‘Give my roan horse a drench83’, says he, and answers ‘Some fourteen’, an hour after, ‘a trifle, a trifle’. I prithee call in

PRINCE HENRY O, villain, thy lips are scarce wiped since thou drunk’st last. FALSTAFF All’s116 one for that. He drinks A plague of all cowards, still say I. PRINCE HENRY What’s the matter? FALSTAFF What’s the matter? Here be four of us have ta’en119 a thousand pound this morning. PRINCE HENRY Where is it, Jack? Where is it? FALSTAFF Where is it? Taken from us it is: a hundred upon poor122 four of us. PRINCE HENRY What, a hundred, man? FALSTAFF I am a rogue, if I were not at half-sword124 with a dozen of them two hours together. I have scaped by miracle. I am eight times thrust through the doublet, four through the hose,126 my buckler cut through and through, my sword hacked like a hand-saw127 — ecce signum! I never dealt better since I was a man: all would not do. A plague of all cowards! Let them speak; if they speak more or less than truth, they are villains and the sons of darkness.129 PRINCE HENRY Speak, sirs, how was it? GADSHILL We four set upon some dozen— FALSTAFF Sixteen at least, my lord. GADSHILL And bound them. PETO No, no, they were not bound. FALSTAFF You rogue, they were bound, every man of them, or I am a Jew else, an Ebrew Jew.136 GADSHILL As we were sharing, some six or seven fresh men set upon us— FALSTAFF And unbound the rest, and then come138 in the other. PRINCE HENRY What, fought ye with them all? FALSTAFF A...

scene 8 Enter Hotspur, Worcester, Lord Mortimer and Owen Glendower MORTIMER These promises1 are fair, the parties sure, And our induction2 full of prosperous hope. HOTSPUR Lord Mortimer, and cousin Glendower, Will you sit down? 5 And uncle Worcester — a plague upon it, I have forgot the map! GLENDOWER No, here it is. Shows a map Sit, cousin Percy, sit, good cousin Hotspur — For by that name as oft as Lancaster9 10 Doth speak of you, his cheeks look pale and with A rising sigh he wisheth you in heaven. HOTSPUR And you in hell, as oft as he hears Owen Glendower spoke of. GLENDOWER I cannot blame him: at my nativity The front14 of heaven was full of fiery shapes, 15 Of burning cressets,15 and at my birth The frame and foundation of the earth Shaked like a coward. HOTSPUR Why, so it would have done at the same season, if your mother’s cat had but kittened, though yourself had never been born. 20 GLENDOWER I say the earth did shake when I was born. HOTSPUR And I say the earth was not of my mind, If you suppose as fearing you22 it shook. GLENDOWER The heavens were all on fire, the earth did tremble. HOTSPUR O, then the earth shook to see the heavens on fire, 25 And not in fear of your nativity. Diseasèd nature oftentimes...

MORTIMER Fie, cousin Percy, how you cross147 my father! HOTSPUR I cannot choose:148 sometime he angers me With telling me of the mouldwarp149 and the ant, 150 Of the dreamer150 Merlin and his prophecies, And of a dragon and a finless fish, A clip-winged152 griffin and a moulten raven, A couching153 lion and a ramping cat, And such a deal of skimble-skamble154 stuff 155 As puts155 me from my faith. I tell you what, He held me last night at least nine hours In reck’ning up157 the several devils’ names That were his lackeys:158 I cried ‘Hum’, and ‘Well, go to’, But marked him159 not a word. O, he is as tedious 160 As a tired horse, a railing160 wife, Worse than a smoky house. I had rather live With cheese162 and garlic in a windmill far, Than feed on cates163 and have him talk to me In any summer-house164 in Christendom. 165 MORTIMER In faith,165 he was a worthy gentleman, Exceeding well read, and profited166 In strange concealments, valiant as a lion And wondrous affable and as bountiful As mines of India.169 Shall I tell you, cousin? 170 He holds your temper170 in a high respect And curbs himself even of his natural scope171 When you do172 cross his humour — ’faith, he does. ...

Enter Glendower with the Ladies MORTIMER This is the deadly spite192 that angers me: My wife can speak no English, I no Welsh. GLENDOWER My daughter weeps. She’ll not part with you, 195 She’ll be a soldier too, she’ll to the wars. MORTIMER Good father, tell her that she and my aunt Percy196 Shall follow in your conduct197 speedily. Glendower speaks to her in Welsh, and she answers him in the same GLENDOWER She is desperate here:198 a peevish self-willed harlotry, One that no persuasion can do good upon. The Lady speaks in Welsh 200 MORTIMER I understand thy looks: that pretty Welsh200 Which thou pour’st down from these swelling heavens201 I am too perfect202 in, and, but for shame, In such a parley203 should I answer thee. The Lady [speaks] again in Welsh I understand thy kisses and thou mine, 205 And that’s a feeling disputation.205 But I will never be a truant,206 love, Till I have learned thy language, for thy tongue Makes Welsh as sweet as ditties highly penned,208 Sung by a fair queen in a summer’s bower, 210 With ravishing division,210 to her lute. GLENDOWER Nay, if thou melt,211 then will she run mad. The Lady speaks again in Welsh MORTIMER O, I am ignorance itself in this!212 GLENDOWER She bids you on th...

KING HENRY IV Heaven pardon thee! Yet let me wonder,29 Harry, 30 At thy affections,30 which do hold a wing Quite from the flight of all thy ancestors. Thy place in council thou hast rudely32 lost, Which by thy younger brother is supplied,33 And art almost an alien34 to the hearts 35 Of all the court and princes of my blood. The hope and expectation of thy time36 Is ruined, and the soul of every man Prophetically do forethink38 thy fall. Had I so lavish of my presence been, 40 So common-hackneyed40 in the eyes of men, So stale and cheap to vulgar company, Opinion,42 that did help me to the crown, Had43 still kept loyal to possession And left me in reputeless44 banishment, 45 A fellow of no mark45 nor likelihood. By being seldom seen, I could not stir But like a comet I was wondered at, That men would tell their children, ‘This is he.’ Others would say, ‘Where? Which is Bullingbrook?’ 50 And then I stole50 all courtesy from heaven, And dressed myself in such humility That I did pluck allegiance from men’s hearts, Loud shouts and salutations from their mouths, Even in the presence of the crownèd king. 55 Thus I did keep my person fresh and new; ...

Why, Harry, do I tell thee of my foes, Which art my near’st and dearest124 enemy? 125 Thou that art like125 enough, through vassal fear, Base inclination126 and the start of spleen, To fight against me under Percy’s pay, To dog his heels and curtsy128 at his frowns, To show how much thou art degenerate. 130 PRINCE HENRY Do not think so. You shall not find it so. And heaven forgive them that so much have swayed Your majesty’s good thoughts away from me! I will redeem all this on Percy’s head133 And in134 the closing of some glorious day 135 Be bold to tell you that I am your son, When I will wear a garment all of blood And stain my favours137 in a bloody mask, Which, washed away, shall scour138 my shame with it. And that shall be the day, whene’er it lights,139 140 That this same child of honour and renown, This gallant Hotspur, this all-praisèd knight, And your unthought-of142 Harry chance to meet. For every honour sitting on his helm,143 Would they were multitudes, and on my head 145 My shames redoubled! For the time will come, That I shall make this northern youth exchange His glorious deeds for my indignities. Percy is but my factor,148 good my lord, ...

Exeunt all but Prince and Falstaff FALSTAFF Hal, if thou see me down in the battle and bestride122 me, so; ’tis a point of friendship. PRINCE HENRY Nothing but a colossus124 can do thee that friendship. Say thy prayers, and farewell. FALSTAFF I would it were bedtime, Hal, and all well. PRINCE HENRY Why, thou ow’st heaven a death.127 [Exit Prince Henry] FALSTAFF ’Tis not due yet. I would be loath to pay him before his day. What need I be so forward129 with him that calls not on me? Well, ’tis no matter, honour pricks me on. But how if honour prick me off130 when I come on? How then? Can honour set to a leg? No. Or an arm? No. Or take away the grief131 of a wound? No. Honour hath no skill in surgery, then? No. What is honour? A word. What is that word ‘honour’? Air. A trim133 reckoning! Who hath it? He that died o’Wednesday. Doth he feel it? No. Doth he hear it? No. Is it insensible,134 then? Yea, to the dead. But will it not live with the living? No. Why? Detraction135 will not suffer it. Therefore I’ll none of it. Honour is a mere scutcheon:136 and so ends my catechism. Exit

WORCESTER The Prince of Wales stepped forth before the king, And, nephew, challenged you to single fight. HOTSPUR O, would49 the quarrel lay upon our heads, 50 And that no man might draw short breath50 today But I and Harry Monmouth!51 Tell me, tell me, How showed his talking? Seemed it in contempt? VERNON No, by my soul. I never in my life Did hear a challenge urged54 more modestly, 55 Unless a brother should a brother dare To gentle56 exercise and proof of arms. He gave you all the duties of57 a man, Trimmed58 up your praises with a princely tongue, Spoke your deservings like a chronicle,59 60 Making60 you ever better than his praise By still dispraising praise valued with you. And, which became him like a prince indeed, He made a blushing cital63 of himself, And chid64 his truant youth with such a grace 65 As if he mastered there a double65 spirit Of teaching and of learning instantly. There did he pause. But let me tell the world, If he outlive the envy68 of this day, England did never owe69 so sweet a hope, 70 So much misconstrued in his wantonness.70 HOTSPUR Cousin, I think thou art enamourèd On72 his follies: never did I hear Of any prince so73 wild a liberty. ...

The Prince killeth Percy [Hotspur] HOTSPUR O, Harry, thou hast robbed me of my youth! I better brook the loss of brittle79 life 80 Than those proud titles80 thou hast won of me. They wound my thoughts worse than the sword my flesh: But thought’s the slave of life, and life, time’s fool; And time that takes survey of all the world Must have a stop. O, I could prophesy,84 85 But that the earth and the cold hand of death Lies on my tongue. No, Percy, thou art dust And food for— Dies

PRINCE HENRY For worms, brave Percy. Farewell, great heart! Ill-weaved89 ambition, how much art thou shrunk? 90 When that this body did contain a spirit, A kingdom for it was too91 small a bound, But now two paces of the vilest earth Is room enough. This earth that bears thee dead Bears not alive so stout94 a gentleman. 95 If thou wert sensible95 of courtesy, I should not make so great a show of zeal,96 But let my favours97 hide thy mangled face, Covers Hotspur’s face And, even in thy behalf, I’ll thank myself For doing these fair rites of tenderness. 100 Adieu, and take thy praise with thee to heaven! Thy ignominy101 sleep with thee in the grave, But not remembered in thy epitaph!—

Falstaff riseth up FALSTAFF Embowelled! If thou embowel me today, I’ll give you leave to powder112 me and eat me too tomorrow. ’Twas time to counterfeit, or that hot termagant113 Scot had paid me scot and lot114 too. Counterfeit? I am no counterfeit; to die, is to be a counterfeit, for he is but the counterfeit of a man who hath not the life of a man. But to counterfeit dying, when a man thereby liveth, is to be no counterfeit, but the true and perfect image of life indeed. The better part of valour is discretion,117 in the which better part I have saved my life. I am afraid of this gunpowder118 Percy, though he be dead. How, if he should counterfeit too and rise? I am afraid he would prove the better counterfeit: therefore I’ll make him sure, yea, and I’ll swear I killed him. Why may not he rise as well as I? Nothing confutes121 me but eyes, and nobody sees me. Stabs him Therefore, sirrah, with a new wound in your thigh, come you along with me. Takes Hotspur on his back

Enter Prince and John of Lancaster PRINCE HENRY Come, brother John, full bravely hast thou fleshed124 125 Thy maiden125 sword. PRINCE JOHN But, soft! Who have we here? Did you not tell me this fat man was dead? PRINCE HENRY I did. I saw him dead, Breathless and bleeding on the ground.— 130 Art thou alive? Or is it fantasy130 To Falstaff That plays upon our eyesight? I prithee speak. We will not trust our eyes without our ears. Thou art not what thou seem’st. FALSTAFF No, that’s certain: I am not a double man.134 But if I be not Jack135 Falstaff, then am I a jack. There is Percy. Throws the body down If your father will do me any honour, so: if not, let him kill the next Percy himself. I look to be either earl or duke, I can assure you. PRINCE HENRY Why, Percy I killed myself and saw thee dead. FALSTAFF Didst thou? Lord, Lord, how the world is given to lying! I grant you I was down and out of breath, and so was he. But we rose both at an instant139 and fought a long hour by Shrewsbury clock.140 If I may be believed, so: if not, let them that should reward valour bear the sin upon their own heads. I’ll take’t141 on my death, I gave him this wound in the thigh: if the man were alive and would deny it, I would make him eat a piece of my sword. PRINCE JOHN This is the strangest tale that e’er I heard. 145 PRINCE HENRY This is the strang...

Only in his dreams does Richard stop acting. And when that happens, his identity collapses. Since he has forged his identity through acting, Richard denies the possibility of an essential being that is anterior to performance. He cannot sustain a language of being—“I am,” “I am not”—because he keeps coming back to particular roles (“villain”) and actions (murdering). The moment when an authentic self ought to be asserted, as in a deathbed repentance, becomes that when the self collapses. This is an actor-dramatist’s way of looking at the nature of human being.