By cock and pie, sir, you shall not away tonight.
What, Davy, I say!
By God, sir, you won't leave tonight. What, Davy, I say!
No way you're leaving tonight, sir. What, Davy!
staying hey davy
You must excuse me, Master Robert Shallow.
I need to leave you, Master Robert Shallow.
I really need to get going, Master Shallow.
gotta leave sorry
I will not excuse you, you shall not be excused. Excuses shall not be
admitted, there is no excuse shall serve, you shall not be excused.
Why, Davy!
I won't allow you to leave, you won't be excused. No excuses will be accepted, there is no excuse that will work, you won't be excused. Why, Davy!
You're not going anywhere, no excuses accepted. I don't care what you say, you're staying. Davy!
staying no excuses no leaving
Davy is Shallow's servant — practical, efficient, and completely comfortable asking his master to corrupt justice on behalf of a known knave because that knave is Davy's friend. His logic is unanswerable: an honest man can speak for himself; only a knave needs someone to speak for him.
Here, sir.
Here, sir.
Here, sir.
here, sir.
Davy, Davy, Davy, Davy, let me see, Davy, let me see, Davy, let me see.
Yea, marry, William cook, bid him come hither. Sir John, you shall not
be excused.
Davy, Davy, Davy, Davy, let me think, Davy, let me think, Davy, let me consider. Yes indeed, William cook, call him over here. Sir John, you won't be excused.
Davy, Davy, hold on, let me think about this. Yeah, I need to call over William the cook. Sir John, definitely no getting out of this.
davy davy davy call william stay put
Marry, sir, thus: those precepts cannot be served; and again, sir—shall
we sow the hade land with wheat?
Well sir, this is it: those orders can't be carried out; and also, sir—should we plant wheat on the fallow land?
Well, the thing is, we can't follow through on those instructions; and should we plant wheat on that other field?
those orders don't work wheat on the field?
With red wheat, Davy. But for William cook, are there no young pigeons?
With red wheat, Davy. But regarding William cook, don't you have any young pigeons?
Use red wheat, Davy. And hey, does William the cook have any young pigeons available?
red wheat got pigeons?
Yes, sir. Here is now the smith’s note for shoeing and plough-irons.
Yes, sir. Here's the blacksmith's bill now for horseshoeing and plow-irons.
Yes sir, here's the blacksmith's invoice for horseshoes and plow equipment.
smith's bill shoes & plow parts
Let it be cast and paid. Sir John, you shall not be excused.
Get it added up and pay the bill. Sir John, you're not getting out of this.
Pay it and settle up. And Sir John, you're still not getting out of here.
pay it stay here
Davy's request to protect his dishonest friend Visor is one of the play's most quietly devastating comic moments. His logic is perfectly constructed: an honest man can speak for himself; a knave needs advocacy. An honest man needs no help; therefore, helping a knave is the only place advocacy is required. He's been loyal for eight years. Surely this earns him the right to occasionally corrupt the justice process for a friend. Shallow grants it without hesitation. The exchange is funny and also a precise portrait of how local justice actually worked — and how it still works. Davy is not wrong about loyalty. He is entirely wrong about what to do with it.
Now, sir, a new link to the bucket must needs be had. And, sir, do you
mean to stop any of William’s wages, about the sack he lost the other
day at Hinckley fair?
Now sir, we need a new chain link for the bucket. And sir, do you intend to deduct from William's pay for the sack he lost the other day at Hinckley fair?
Oh, and we need a new chain for the bucket. Also, are you going to dock William's wages for that sack he lost at Hinckley fair?
bucket needs chain dock william's pay for lost sack?
He shall answer it. Some pigeons, Davy, a couple of short-legged hens,
a joint of mutton, and any pretty little tiny kickshaws, tell William
cook.
He'll pay for it. Tell William the cook—some pigeons, Davy, a couple of those short-legged hens, a joint of mutton, and any nice little fancy dishes.
He'll settle it. Tell William the cook we need pigeons, a couple of those short-legged hens, some mutton, and maybe some fancy little dishes.
he'll pay tell cook: pigeons hens mutton fancy stuff
Doth the man of war stay all night, sir?
Is the soldier staying the whole night, sir?
Is the soldier staying all night, sir?
soldier staying all night?
Yea, Davy, I will use him well: a friend i’ th’ court is better than a
penny in purse. Use his men well, Davy, for they are arrant knaves, and
will backbite.
Yes, Davy, I'll treat him well: a friend at court is better than money in your pocket. Treat his men well, Davy, because they are complete scoundrels and they will gossip meanly about people.
Yeah, Davy, I'll treat him great—you know, a friend in power is worth more than cash. Take care of his soldiers though, because they're basically jerks and they love to trash-talk people.
treat him right friend > money his men are jerks
No worse than they are backbitten, sir, for they have marvellous foul
linen.
They deserve it, sir, since they have remarkably dirty clothes.
They talk behind people's backs, but honestly with their filthy clothes they asked for it.
they trash-talk but their clothes stink
Well conceited, Davy. About thy business, Davy.
That's clever, Davy. Get to your work, Davy.
That's a smart observation, Davy. Now go handle your business.
clever get to work
I beseech you, sir, to countenance William Visor of Woncot against
Clement Perkes o’ th’ hill.
I'm asking you, sir, to support William Visor of Woncot against Clement Perkes of the hill.
Please back William Visor against Clement Perkes.
support william visor vs clement perkes
There is many complaints, Davy, against that Visor. That Visor is an
arrant knave, on my knowledge.
There are many complaints, Davy, against that Visor. That Visor is a complete scoundrel, as far as I know.
Look, there are tons of complaints about Visor. The guy's basically a crook.
visor's a jerk lots of complaints
I grant your worship that he is a knave, sir, but yet, God forbid, sir,
but a knave should have some countenance at his friend’s request. An
honest man, sir, is able to speak for himself, when a knave is not. I
have served your worship truly, sir, this eight years; and if I cannot
once or twice in a quarter bear out a knave against an honest man, I
have but a very little credit with your worship. The knave is mine
honest friend, sir; therefore I beseech your worship let him be
countenanced.
I admit he's a scoundrel, sir, but please, even a scoundrel should get support when his friend asks for it. An honest man can defend himself, but a scoundrel cannot. I have served you faithfully for eight years now; and if I cannot once or twice a quarter help a scoundrel against an honest man, then I have very little standing with your worship. The scoundrel is my honest friend, sir; so please support him.
Look, I know Visor's a crook, but come on—even a crook deserves backing from his friends sometimes. An honest person can look out for himself, but a crook needs someone in his corner. I've been loyal to you eight years, and if I can't help my friend out now and then, what good am I? He's my buddy, so please just support him.
yeah he's bad but he needs help i've served 8 years please back him
Go to; I say he shall have no wrong. Look about, Davy.
Alright then; I say he shall not be wronged. Look around, Davy.
Alright, fine. He'll get fair treatment. Now keep your eyes open, Davy.
ok he gets support stay alert
Falstaff's observation about Shallow's household — that master and servants have infected each other with the same foolishness — is his most serious comic insight in these scenes. 'Either wise bearing or ignorant carriage is caught, as men take diseases, one of another.' This is a sociological observation that goes beyond mockery: environments shape people, and being around a certain kind of foolishness makes you foolish. The punch line — 'therefore let men take heed of their company' — is aimed directly at Falstaff's relationship with Hal. If he understood his own warning, he would see that Hal has been taking heed of exactly this advice. Hal is choosing his company — and Falstaff is about to be excluded.
Where are you, Sir John? Come, come, come, off with your boots.
Give me your hand, Master Bardolph.
Sir John, where are you? Get over here—come on now. Those boots need to come off. Let me shake your hand, Master Bardolph.
Sir John, where are you? Come on over here now. Get those boots off. Here, shake my hand, Master Bardolph.
sir john where u at? get over here boots off shake my hand
I am glad to see your worship.
I'm glad to see you, sir.
Good to see you, sir.
glad to see u
I thank thee with all my heart, kind Master Bardolph; and welcome, my
tall fellow [_to the Page_]. Come, Sir John.
I thank you with all my heart, kind Master Bardolph; and welcome, my tall fellow. Come, Sir John.
Thanks so much, Bardolph; great to see you. Come on, Sir John.
thanks let's go
I’ll follow you, good Master Robert Shallow.
I'm right at your heels, good Master Robert Shallow.
Right behind you, Master Shallow.
coming
Bardolph, look to our horses.
Bardolph, look after our horses.
Bardolph, make sure our horses are taken care of.
bardolph watch the horses
If I were sawed into quantities, I should make four dozen of such
bearded hermits’ staves as Master Shallow. It is a wonderful thing to
see the semblable coherence of his men’s spirits and his. They, by
observing of him, do bear themselves like foolish justices: he, by
conversing with them, is turned into a justice-like serving-man. Their
spirits are so married in conjunction with the participation of society
that they flock together in consent, like so many wild-geese. If I had
a suit to Master Shallow, I would humour his men with the imputation of
being near their master: if to his men, I would curry with Master
Shallow that no man could better command his servants. It is certain
that either wise bearing or ignorant carriage is caught, as men take
diseases, one of another. Therefore let men take heed of their company.
I will devise matter enough out of this Shallow to keep Prince Harry in
continual laughter the wearing out of six fashions, which is four
terms, or two actions, and he shall laugh without intervallums. O, it
is much that a lie with a slight oath and a jest with a sad brow will
do with a fellow that never had the ache in his shoulders! O, you shall
see him laugh till his face be like a wet cloak ill laid up!
If I were cut into pieces, I could make four dozen walking sticks like Master Shallow. It's remarkable to see how his servants' personalities match his own. They copy his foolish behavior like it's contagious; he's picked up their mannerisms and now acts like a foolish servant. They're so connected they move like a flock of wild geese. If I needed something from Shallow, I'd flatter his men by saying they're just like their master; if I needed something from his men, I'd praise Shallow by saying he's an amazing commander. Here's the truth: wisdom or foolishness spreads between people like a disease. So people must be careful about their company. I could get enough material from this Shallow character to keep Prince Harry laughing nonstop for two years, laughing continuously the whole time. It's incredible how much a small lie with a casual oath and a serious joke will work on someone who's never actually suffered. You'll see him laugh so hard his face looks like a wet, poorly folded cloak!
If I got cut up into pieces, I could make four dozen sticks that look exactly like Master Shallow. It's wild how his servants all act just like him. They copy his foolish behavior; he's picked up theirs in return, and now he acts like a foolish servant too. They're so connected they move like a flock of wild geese. If I needed something from Shallow, I'd butter up his men by saying they're just like their boss; if I needed something from his men, I'd flatter Shallow by saying he's an amazing commander. Here's the thing: wisdom or stupidity spreads between people like a disease. So people need to watch out about who they spend time with. I could get enough stories from this Shallow character to keep Prince Harry laughing nonstop for two years straight. It's incredible how much a little lie told seriously with a casual oath will work on someone who's never actually suffered in life. You're going to see him laugh so hard his face looks like a wet cloak that's been crumpled up!
if shallow got cut up i'd have sticks 4 days his servants r just like him they copy him he copies them all the same foolishness spreads like disease watch ur company i got stories bout shallow prince will laugh 4ever people fall 4 lies easy he'll laugh til his face is wet
[_Within_.] Sir John!
Sir John!
Sir John!
sir john!
I come, Master Shallow, I come, Master Shallow.
I'm coming, Master Shallow, I'm coming, Master Shallow.
I'm on my way, Master Shallow, I'm on my way right now.
coming rn
The Reckoning
This is the comic calm before the storm. The scene is warm, gentle, and very funny — Davy's request to protect a dishonest friend, Shallow's running double-track conversation about hospitality and farm management, Falstaff playing the gracious guest. The soliloquy is important: Falstaff is planning to use Shallow to amuse the Prince, still confident that the old relationship with Hal will continue. He does not know that the King is dead.
If this happened today…
A sales executive has stopped off at an old contact's house on his way back from a business trip. The host insists on putting on a dinner. While he's getting dinner organized, his assistant keeps interrupting with farm management questions. The executive gives in and stays. Alone for a moment, he confides to himself: 'This guy is gold material — I'll describe him to the CEO and we'll laugh about him for months.' He doesn't yet know the CEO died this afternoon.