Henry VI. - FIRST PART E-Book

William Shakespeare

• Herausgeber: ShadowPOET
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

SCENE I.
Westminster Abbey
Dead March.
Enter the funeral of KING HENRY THE FIFTH, attended on by the DUKE OF BEDFORD, Regent of France, the DUKE OF
GLOUCESTER, Protector, the DUKE OF EXETER, the EARL OF
WARWICK, the BISHOP OF WINCHESTER
BEDFORD. Hung be the heavens with black, yield day to night! Comets, importing change of times and states, Brandish your crystal tresses in the sky And with them scourge the bad revolting stars That have consented unto Henry's death!
King Henry the Fifth, too famous to live long!
England ne'er lost a king of so much worth.
GLOUCESTER. England ne'er had a king until his time.

Leseprobe

HENRY VI

FIRST PART

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

Table of Contents

Dramatis Personae

ACT I.

SCENE I.

SCENE II.

SCENE III.

SCENE IV.

SCENE V.

SCENE VI.

ACT II.

SCENE I.

SCENE II.

SCENE III.

SCENE IV.

SCENE V.

ACT III

SCENE I.

SCENE II.

SCENE III.

SCENE IV.

ACT IV.

SCENE I.

SCENE II.

SCENE III.

SCENE IV.

SCENE V.

SCENE VI.

SCENE VII.

ACT V.

SCENE I.

SCENE II.

SCENE III.

SCENE IV.

SCENE V.

Dramatis Personae

KING HENRY THE SIXTH

DUKE OF GLOUCESTER, uncle to the King, and ProtectorDUKE OF BEDFORD, uncle to the King, and Regent of FranceTHOMAS BEAUFORT, DUKE OF EXETER, great-uncle to the kingHENRY BEAUFORT, great-uncle to the King, BISHOP OF

WINCHESTER, and afterwards CARDINAL

JOHN BEAUFORT, EARL OF SOMERSET, afterwards DukeRICHARD PLANTAGENET, son of Richard late Earl of Cambridge,afterwards DUKE OF YORK

EARL OF WARWICK

EARL OF SALISBURY

EARL OF SUFFOLK

LORD TALBOT, afterwards EARL OF SHREWSBURY

JOHN TALBOT, his son

EDMUND MORTIMER, EARL OF MARCH

SIR JOHN FASTOLFE

SIR WILLIAM LUCY

SIR WILLIAM GLANSDALE

SIR THOMAS GARGRAVE

MAYOR of LONDON

WOODVILLE, Lieutenant of the TowerVERNON, of the White Rose or York factionBASSET, of the Red Rose or Lancaster factionA LAWYER

GAOLERS, to Mortimer

CHARLES, Dauphin, and afterwards King of FranceREIGNIER, DUKE OF ANJOU, and titular King of NaplesDUKE OF BURGUNDY

DUKE OF ALENCON

BASTARD OF ORLEANS

GOVERNOR OF PARIS

MASTER-GUNNER OF ORLEANS, and his SON

GENERAL OF THE FRENCH FORCES in BordeauxA FRENCH SERGEANT

A PORTER

AN OLD SHEPHERD, father to Joan la PucelleMARGARET, daughter to Reignier, afterwards married toKing Henry

COUNTESS OF AUVERGNE

JOAN LA PUCELLE, Commonly called JOAN OF ARC

Lords, Warders of the Tower, Heralds, Officers, Soldiers,Messengers, English and French Attendants. Fiends appearingto La Pucelle

SCENE: England and France

ACT I.

SCENE I.

Westminster Abbey

Dead March.

Enter the funeral of KING HENRY THE FIFTH, attended on by theDUKE OF BEDFORD, Regent of France, the DUKE OF

GLOUCESTER, Protector, the DUKE OF EXETER, the EARL OF

WARWICK, the BISHOP OF WINCHESTER

BEDFORD. Hung be the heavens with black, yield day to night! Comets, importing change of times and states, Brandish your crystal tresses in the sky And with them scourge the bad revolting stars That have consented unto Henry's death!

King Henry the Fifth, too famous to live long!

England ne'er lost a king of so much worth.

GLOUCESTER. England ne'er had a king until his time.

Virtue he had, deserving to command; His brandish'd sword did blind men with his beams; His arms spread wider than a dragon's wings; His sparkling eyes, replete with wrathful fire, More dazzled and drove back his enemies Than mid-day sun fierce bent against their faces.

What should I say? His deeds exceed all speech: He ne'er lift up his hand but conquered.

EXETER. We mourn in black; why mourn we not in blood?

Henry is dead and never shall revive.

Upon a wooden coffin we attend;

And death's dishonourable victory

We with our stately presence glorify, Like captives bound to a triumphant car.

What! shall we curse the planets of mishap That plotted thus our glory's overthrow?

Or shall we think the subtle-witted French Conjurers and sorcerers, that, afraid of him, By magic verses have contriv'd his end?

WINCHESTER. He was a king bless'd of the King of kings; Unto the French the dreadful judgment-day So dreadful will not be as was his sight.

The battles of the Lord of Hosts he fought; The Church's prayers made him so prosperous.

GLOUCESTER. The Church! Where is it? Had not churchmen pray'd,

His thread of life had not so soon decay'd.

None do you like but an effeminate prince, Whom like a school-boy you may overawe.

WINCHESTER. Gloucester, whate'er we like, thou art Protector

And lookest to command the Prince and realm.

Thy wife is proud; she holdeth thee in awe

More than God or religious churchmen may.

GLOUCESTER. Name not religion, for thou lov'st the flesh; And ne'er throughout the year to church thou go'st, Except it be to pray against thy foes.

BEDFORD. Cease, cease these jars and rest your minds in peace; Let's to the altar. Heralds, wait on us.

Instead of gold, we'll offer up our arms, Since arms avail not, now that Henry's dead.

Posterity, await for wretched years, When at their mothers' moist'ned eyes babes shall suck, Our isle be made a nourish of salt tears, And none but women left to wail the dead.

HENRY the Fifth, thy ghost I invocate: Prosper this realm, keep it from civil broils, Combat with adverse planets in the heavens.

A far more glorious star thy soul will make Than Julius Caesar or bright

Enter a MESSENGER

MESSENGER. My honourable lords, health to you all!

Sad tidings bring I to you out of France, Of loss, of slaughter, and discomfiture: Guienne, Champagne, Rheims, Orleans, Paris, Guysors, Poictiers, are all quite lost.

BEDFORD. What say'st thou, man, before dead Henry's corse?

Speak softly, or the loss of those great towns Will make him burst his lead and rise from death.

GLOUCESTER. Is Paris lost? Is Rouen yielded up?

If Henry were recall'd to life again, These news would cause him once more yield the ghost.

EXETER. How were they lost? What treachery was us'd?

MESSENGER. No treachery, but want of men and money.

Amongst the soldiers this is muttered That here you maintain several factions; And whilst a field should be dispatch'd and fought, You are disputing of your generals: One would have ling'ring wars, with little cost; Another would fly swift, but wanteth wings; A third thinks, without expense at all, By guileful fair words peace may be obtain'd.

Awake, awake, English nobility!

Let not sloth dim your honours, new-begot.

Cropp'd are the flower-de-luces in your arms; Of England's coat one half is cut away.

EXETER. Were our tears wanting to this funeral, These tidings would call forth their flowing tides.

BEDFORD. Me they concern; Regent I am of France.

Give me my steeled coat; I'll fight for France.

Away with these disgraceful wailing robes!

Wounds will I lend the French instead of eyes, To weep their intermissive miseries.

Enter a second MESSENGER

SECOND MESSENGER. Lords, view these letters full of bad mischance.

France is revolted from the English quite,

Except some petty towns of no import.

The Dauphin Charles is crowned king in Rheims; The Bastard of Orleans with him is join'd; Reignier, Duke of Anjou, doth take his part; The Duke of Alencon flieth to his side.

EXETER. The Dauphin crowned king! all fly to him!

O, whither shall we fly from this reproach?

GLOUCESTER. We will not fly but to our enemies' throats.

Bedford, if thou be slack I'll fight it out.

BEDFORD. Gloucester, why doubt'st thou of my forwardness?

An army have I muster'd in my thoughts, Wherewith already France is overrun.

Enter a third MESSENGER

THIRD MESSENGER. My gracious lords, to add to your laments,

Wherewith you now bedew King Henry's hearse, I must inform you of a dismal fight Betwixt the stout Lord Talbot and the French.

WINCHESTER. What! Wherein Talbot overcame? Is't so?

THIRD MESSENGER. O, no; wherein Lord Talbot was o'erthrown.

The circumstance I'll tell you more at large.

The tenth of August last this dreadful lord, Retiring from the siege of Orleans, Having full scarce six thousand in his troop, By three and twenty thousand of the French Was round encompassed and set upon.

No leisure had he to enrank his men; He wanted pikes to set before his archers; Instead whereof sharp stakes pluck'd out of hedges They pitched in the ground confusedly To keep the horsemen off from breaking in.

More than three hours the fight continued; Where valiant Talbot, above human thought, Enacted wonders with his sword and lance: Hundreds he sent to hell, and none durst stand him; Here, there, and everywhere, enrag'd he slew The French exclaim'd the devil was in arms; All the whole army stood agaz'd on him.

His soldiers, spying his undaunted spirit,

'A Talbot! a Talbot!' cried out amain, And rush'd into the bowels of the battle.

Here had the conquest fully been seal'd up If Sir John Fastolfe had not play'd the coward.

He, being in the vaward plac'd behind With purpose to relieve and follow them-Cowardly fled, not having struck one stroke; Hence grew the general wreck and massacre.

Enclosed were they with their enemies.

A base Walloon, to win the Dauphin's grace, Thrust Talbot with a spear into the back; Whom all France, with their chief assembled strength, Durst not presume to look once in the face.

BEDFORD. Is Talbot slain? Then I will slay myself,

For living idly here in pomp and ease, Whilst such a worthy leader, wanting aid, Unto his dastard foemen is betray'd.

THIRD MESSENGER. O no, he lives, but is took prisoner, And Lord Scales with him, and Lord Hungerford; Most of the rest slaughter'd or took likewise.

BEDFORD. His ransom there is none but I shall pay.

I'll hale the Dauphin headlong from his throne; His crown shall be the ransom of my friend; Four of their lords I'll change for one of ours.

Farewell, my masters; to my task will I; Bonfires in France forthwith I am to make To keep our great Saint George's feast withal.

Ten thousand soldiers with me I will take, Whose bloody deeds shall make an Europe quake.

THIRD MESSENGER. So you had need; for Orleans is besieg'd; The English army is grown weak and faint; The Earl of Salisbury craveth supply And hardly keeps his men from mutiny, Since they, so few, watch such a multitude.

EXETER. Remember, lords, your oaths to Henry sworn, Either to quell the Dauphin utterly, Or bring him in obedience to your yoke.

BEDFORD. I do remember it, and here take my leave To go about my preparation.

Exit

GLOUCESTER. I'll to the Tower with all the haste I can

To view th' artillery and munition; And then I will proclaim young Henry king.

Exit

EXETER. To Eltham will I, where the young King is, Being ordain'd his special governor; And for his safety there I'll best devise.

Exit

WINCHESTER. Aside Each hath his place and function to attend:

I am left out; for me nothing remains.