Introductory matter
Persons Represented.
King Henry the Fifth.
Duke of Gloster [Duke of Gloucester], brother to the king.
Duke of Bedford, brother to the king.
Duke of York, uncle to the king.
Duke of Exeter, uncle to the king.
Earl of Salisbury.
Earl of Westmoreland.
Earl of Warwick.
Archbishop of Canterbury.
Bishop of Ely.
Earl of Cambridge, conspirator against the king.
Lord Scroop, conspirator against the king.
Sir Thomas Grey, conspirator against the king.
Sir Thomas Erpingham, Gower, Fluellen, Mackmorris [Macmorris], Jamy, officers in king Henry's army.
Nym, Bardolph, Pistol, Boy, formerly servants to Falstaff, now soldiers in the king's army.
Bates, Court, Williams, soldiers.
Charles [Charles the Sixth], the Sixth, king of France.
The Dauphin [Lewis].
Duke of Burgundy.
Constable [Constable of France], Orleans [Duke of Orleans], Rambures, Bourbon [Duke of Bourbon], Grandpree [Grandpre], French lords.
Governor of Harfleur.
Montjoy, a herald.
Ambassadors to the king of England.
Isabel, queen of France.
Katharine, daughter to the king of France.
Alice, a lady attending on the princess Katharine.
Quickly [Mrs. Quickly], Pistol's wife, an hostess.
Chorus.
Lords, Messengers, French and English Soldiers, with other Attendants.
[Messenger], [Herald], [Lady], [French Soldier]
The SCENE, at the beginning of the play, lies in England; but afterwards, wholly in France.
-- iii --
note
KING HENRY V.
[Footnote 1:
[Prologue]
CHORUS.
1 note
O, for a muse of fire, that would ascend
The brightest heaven of invention!
A kingdom for a stage, 2 note
princes to act,
And monarchs to behold the swelling scene!
Then should the warlike Harry, like himself,
Assume the port of Mars; and, at his heels,
Leash'd in like hounds, should famine, sword, and fire,
Crouch for employment3 note
. But pardon, gentles all,
The flat unraised spirit, that hath dar'd,
On this unworthy scaffold, to bring forth
So great an object: Can this cock-pit hold
-- iv --
The vasty field of France? or may we cram,
4 noteWithin this wooden O, 5 notethe very casques
That did affright the air at Agincourt?
O, pardon! since a crooked figure may
Attest, in little place, a million;
And let us, cyphers to this great accompt,
6 noteOn your imaginary forces work:
Suppose, within the girdle of these walls
Are now confin'd two mighty monarchies,
7 note
Whose high-upreared and abutting fronts
The perilous narrow ocean parts asunder.
Piece out our imperfections with your thoughts;
-- v --
Into a thousand parts divide one man,
8 note
And make imaginary puissance:
Think, when we talk of horses, that you see them
Printing their proud hoofs i' the receiving earth:
9 note
For 'tis your thoughts that now must deck our kings,
Carry them here and there; jumping o'er times;
Turning the accomplishment of many years
Into an hour-glass; For the which supply,
Admit me chorus to this history;
Who, prologue-like, your humble patience pray,
Gently to hear, kindly to judge, our play.
-- vii --
Samuel Johnson [1778], The plays of William Shakspeare. In ten volumes. With the corrections and illustrations of various commentators; to which are added notes by Samuel Johnson and George Steevens. The second edition, Revised and Augmented (Printed for C. Bathurst [and] W. Strahan [etc.], London) [word count] [S10901].
