No, thou arrant knave. I would to God that I might die, that I might
have thee hanged. Thou hast drawn my shoulder out of joint.
No, you complete rogue. I wish to God I could die if I could see you hanged. You've dislocated my shoulder.
No, you utter bastard. I'd die happy if I could watch you hang for this. You've wrecked my shoulder.
u complete jerk i'd die happy if u hung u dislocated my shoulder
The constables have delivered her over to me, and she shall have
whipping-cheer enough, I warrant her. There hath been a man or two
lately killed about her.
The constables have handed her over to me, and I promise she'll get plenty of whipping. There have been a man or two recently killed near her.
The constables gave her to me, and trust me, she's gonna get whipped plenty. There've been a couple of murders tied to her lately.
she's mine now ill whip her people been dying around her
Nut-hook, nut-hook, you lie! Come on, I’ll tell thee what, thou damned
tripe-visaged rascal, an the child I now go with do miscarry, thou wert
better thou hadst struck thy mother, thou paper-faced villain.
Rogue, rogue, you're lying! Listen here, you damned ugly rascal. If the baby I'm carrying miscarries, you'd have been better off striking your own mother, you pale-faced coward.
You lying cop! Listen, you ugly bastard. If I lose this baby, you better pray, you worthless creep. You'd deserve worse than anything you could do.
liar if i lose this baby you're done u scrawny piece of trash
O the Lord, that Sir John were come! He would make this a bloody day to
somebody. But I pray God the fruit of her womb miscarry!
Oh God, if only Sir John would come! He would make this day bloody for someone. But I pray God the baby she's carrying dies!
God, I wish Sir John would show up! He'd make these guys pay in blood. But honestly, I hope that baby doesn't make it.
wish sir john was here these guys would bleed hope she loses the baby
Doll Tearsheet has no legal recourse, no political connection, and no ability to resist physical arrest. What she has is language. Her insult vocabulary in this scene — 'thin man in a censer,' 'bluebottle rogue,' 'filthy famished correctioner,' 'paper-faced villain,' 'she knight-errant' — is extravagant, inventive, and genuinely funny. Shakespeare is doing something important here: the people who have no power are given extraordinary verbal power. They can't stop what's happening to them, but they can name it, mock it, and refuse to pretend it's acceptable. Doll's rage is her last form of freedom.
If it do, you shall have a dozen of cushions again; you have but eleven
now. Come, I charge you both go with me, for the man is dead that you
and Pistol beat amongst you.
If it does, you'll get a dozen cushions back; you have only eleven now. Come, I order you both to come with me, because a man is dead that you and Pistol beat to death.
If you do lose it, you'll get your dozen cushions back—you're only short one now. Come on, both of you, come with me. A guy's dead from you two beating him up.
you'll get your cushions back a guy's dead from u beating him let's go
I’ll tell you what, you thin man in a censer, I will have you as
soundly swinged for this, you bluebottle rogue, you filthy famished
correctioner, if you be not swinged, I’ll forswear half-kirtles.
I'm telling you, you skinny pipe-like man, I'm going to have you beaten just as badly for this, you fat constable, you filthy starved officer. If you don't get beaten, I'll give up wearing skirts.
Listen here, you skinny jerk in uniform, I'm gonna beat you just as hard for this, you bloated cop. You're disgusting and pathetic. I swear on my clothes, you're gonna regret this.
im gonna beat u down fat cop u disgusting i swear on my skirts
Come, come, you she knight-errant, come.
Come, come, you female adventurer, come.
Come on, you little female warrior, let's go.
come on u tough girl
O God, that right should thus overcome might! Well, of sufferance comes
ease.
Oh God, how can justice overcome strength like this! Well, at least enduring suffering brings relief.
God, why does the law have to be stronger than what's right! But I guess enduring this will bring relief.
why does power win maybe suffering brings peace
Come, you rogue, come, bring me to a justice.
Come, you criminal, take me to a judge.
Come on, you jerk, let's go to court so someone can decide.
take me to court i want a judge
Scene 5-2 showed us the constitutional achievement of the new reign: the Chief Justice reaffirmed, the tide of blood declared turned. Scene 5-4 shows us where that reaffirmation lands first: on Doll Tearsheet and Mistress Quickly, implicated in a tavern brawl they may not have controlled, dragged through the streets. The law's impartiality, celebrated in 5-2, looks rather different when you are on the receiving end of it with no money or connections. Shakespeare places the scenes in deliberate sequence. The same sword that Hal gave back to the Chief Justice is the sword being used on Doll.
Ay, come, you starved bloodhound.
Yes, come on, you hungry vicious dog.
Yeah, come on, you pathetic beast.
yeah come on u monster
Goodman death, goodman bones!
Hello Death, hello Skeleton!
Hello death, you bag of bones!
death skeleton guy
Thou atomy, thou!
You skeleton, you!
You scrawny thing!
u skeleton
Come, you thin thing, come, you rascal!
Come on, you skinny creature, come on, you scoundrel!
Come on, you skin and bones, you jerk!
come on u scrawny jerk
Very well.
Very well.
Very well.
very well.
The Reckoning
This short scene does two things simultaneously: it shows the new order falling on Falstaff's world before Falstaff even arrives in London, and it gives the lowly characters their final moment of defiant voice. There is no justice performed here — only the blunt machinery of law landing on people who have no political protection. Doll's curses are extraordinary. She will not go quietly. The scene is placed here as a dark echo of the order being established: the Chief Justice has been reaffirmed, the sword of justice re-handed. It is already cutting.
If this happened today…
Two women who ran a bar that served drinks to someone involved in a fatal fight are being hauled out by police. One of them swears a blue streak and claims to be pregnant. The other keeps calling for the owner, who is currently racing to London to congratulate the new CEO who has just publicly committed to law enforcement.