Yield, cur!
Yield, cur!
Yield, cur!
Yield, cur!
_Je pense que vous êtes le gentilhomme de bonne qualité._
_Je pense que vous êtes le gentilhomme de bonne qualité._
_Je pense que vous êtes le gentilhomme de bonne qualité._
_Je pense que vous êtes le gentilhomme de bonne qualité._
_Qualité? Caleno custore me!_
Art thou a gentleman?
What is thy name? Discuss.
_Qualité? Caleno custore me!_ Art you a gentleman? What is your name? Discuss.
_Qualité? Caleno custore me!_ Art you a gentleman? What 's your name? D'scuss.
_qualité? caleno custore me!_ art you a gentleman? what is your name? discuss.
_O Seigneur Dieu!_
_O Seigneur Dieu!_
_O Seigneur Dieu!_
_O Seigneur Dieu!_
O, Signieur Dew should be a gentleman.
Perpend my words, O Signieur Dew, and mark:
O Signieur Dew, thou diest on point of fox,
Except, O signieur, thou do give to me
Egregious ransom.
O, Signieur Dew should be a gentleman. Perpend my words, O Signieur Dew, and mark: O Signieur Dew, you diest on point of fox, Except, O signieur, you do give to me Egregious ransom.
O, Signieur Dew should be a gentleman. Perpend my words, O Signieur Dew, and mark: O Signieur Dew, you diest on point of fox, Except, O signieur, you do give to me Egregious ransom.
o, signieur dew should be a gentleman. perpend my words, o signieur dew, and mar
_O, prenez miséricorde! Ayez pitié de moi!_
_O, prenez miséricorde! Ayez pitié de moi!_
_O, prenez miséricorde! Ayez pitié de moi!_
_O, prenez miséricorde! Ayez pitié de moi!_
Moy shall not serve; I will have forty moys,
Or I will fetch thy rim out at thy throat
In drops of crimson blood.
Moy shall not serve; I will have forty moys, Or I will fetch your rim out at your throat In drops of crimson blood.
Moy shall not serve; I will have forty moys, Or I will fetch your rim out at your throat In drops of crimson blood.
moy shall not serve; i will have forty moys, or i will fetch your rim out at you
_Est-il impossible d’échapper la force de ton bras?_
_Est-il impossible d’échapper la force de ton bras?_
_Est-il impossible d’échapper la force de ton bras?_
_Est-il impossible d’échapper la force de ton bras?_
Brass, cur!
Thou damned and luxurious mountain goat,
Offer’st me brass?
Brass, cur! Thou damned and luxurious mountain goat, Offer’st me brass?
Brass, cur! Thou damned and luxurious mountain goat, Offer’st me brass?
Brass, cur! Thou damned and luxurious mountain goat, Offer’s
The Boy is one of Shakespeare's most underrated characters. He came with Falstaff's company from 2 Henry IV, where he was already too smart for his companions. Here, forced to translate for Pistol, he does something remarkable: he is completely honest to both sides — telling the French soldier the brutal truth ('he's going to cut your throat') and telling Pistol the flattering truth ('he thinks you're the bravest lord in England'). He improvises diplomatically when he adds 'though it is against his oath to spare prisoners' — softening Pistol's capitulation to greed into a principled decision. He's doing real diplomatic work. His closing speech is devastating: Bardolph and Nym, braver than Pistol, are dead; Pistol is alive because he's too cowardly to steal boldly. The Boy says all this, and then goes to guard the luggage. He doesn't come back.
_O pardonnez-moi!_
_O pardonnez-moi!_
_O pardonnez-moi!_
_O pardonnez-moi!_
Say’st thou me so? Is that a ton of moys?
Come hither, boy; ask me this slave in French
What is his name.
Say’st you me so? Is that a ton of moys? Come hither, boy; ask me this slave in French What is his name.
Say’st you me so? Is that a ton of moys? Come hither, boy; ask me th's slave in French What 's h's name.
say’st you me so? is that a ton of moys? come hither, boy; ask me this slave in
_Écoutez. Comment êtes-vous appelé?_
_Écoutez. Comment êtes-vous appelé?_
_Écoutez. Comment êtes-vous appelé?_
_Écoutez. Comment êtes-vous appelé?_
_Monsieur le Fer._
_Monsieur le Fer._
_Monsieur le Fer._
_Monsieur le Fer._
He says his name is Master Fer.
He says his name is Master Fer.
He says his name is Master Fer.
He says his name is Master Fer.
Master Fer! I’ll fer him, and firk him, and ferret him.
Discuss the same in French unto him.
Master Fer! I’ll fer him, and firk him, and ferret him. Discuss the same in French unto him.
Master Fer! I’ll fer him, and firk him, and ferret him. Discuss the same in French unto him.
Master Fer! I’ll fer him, and firk him, and ferret him. Disc
I do not know the French for fer, and ferret, and firk.
I do not know the French for fer, and ferret, and firk.
I do not know the French for fer, and ferret, and firk.
I do not know the French for fer, and ferret, and firk.
Bid him prepare; for I will cut his throat.
Bid him prepare; for I will cut his throat.
Bid him prepare; for I will cut his throat.
Bid him prepare; for I will cut his throat.
_Que dit-il, monsieur?_
_Que dit-il, monsieur?_
_Que dit-il, monsieur?_
_Que dit-il, monsieur?_
_Il me commande à vous dire que vous faites vous prêt, car ce soldat
ici est disposé tout à cette heure de couper votre gorge._
_Il me commande à vous dire que vous faites vous prêt, car ce soldat ici est disposé tout à cette heure de couper votre gorge._
_Il me commande à vous dire que vous faites vous prêt, car ce soldat ici est disposé tout à cette heure de couper votre gorge._
_Il me commande à vous dire que vous faites vous prêt, car c
Scene 4-4 is placed between the sublime (St. Crispin's Day) and the terrible (4-5, the French lords' collapse; 4-6, the order to kill prisoners). This placement is deliberate. Shakespeare's war is not purely heroic — it contains Pistol threatening to rip out a man's guts while mishearing everything he says. The comedy does not undercut the heroism; it shows the other face of the same coin. Every real battle has both Henry's speech and Pistol's bluster, and Shakespeare will not let us forget it. The Pistol scene is also the most explicitly multilingual scene in the play, and the language barrier is both the joke and the point: the English cannot understand the French, and they are killing each other anyway.
Owy, cuppele gorge, permafoy,
Peasant, unless thou give me crowns, brave crowns;
Or mangled shalt thou be by this my sword.
Owy, cuppele gorge, permafoy, Peasant, unless you give me crowns, brave crowns; Or mangled shalt you be by this my sword.
Owy, cuppele gorge, permafoy, Peasant, unless you give me crowns, brave crowns; Or mangled shalt you be by th's my sword.
owy, cuppele gorge, permafoy, peasant, unless you give me crowns, brave crowns;
_O, je vous supplie, pour l’amour de Dieu, me pardonner! Je suis le
gentilhomme de bonne maison; gardez ma vie, et je vous donnerai deux
cents écus._
_O, je vous supplie, pour l’amour de Dieu, me pardonner! Je suis le gentilhomme de bonne maison; gardez ma vie, et je vous donnerai deux cents écus._
_O, je vous supplie, pour l’amour de Dieu, me pardonner! Je suis le gentilhomme de bonne maison; gardez ma vie, et je vous donnerai deux cents écus._
_O, je vous supplie, pour l’amour de Dieu, me pardonner! Je
What are his words?
What are his words?
What are his words?
What are his words?
He prays you to save his life. He is a gentleman of a good house; and
for his ransom he will give you two hundred crowns.
He prays you to save his life. He is a gentleman of a good house; and for his ransom he will give you two hundred crowns.
He prays you to save his life. He is a gentleman of a good house; and for his ransom he will give you two hundred crowns.
He prays you to save his life. He is a gentleman of a good h
Tell him my fury shall abate, and I
The crowns will take.
Tell him my fury shall abate, and I The crowns will take.
Tell him my fury shall abate, and I The crowns will take.
Tell him my fury shall abate, and I The crowns will take.
_Petit monsieur, que dit-il?_
_Petit monsieur, que dit-il?_
_Petit monsieur, que dit-il?_
_Petit monsieur, que dit-il?_
_Encore qu’il est contre son jurement de pardonner aucun prisonnier;
néanmoins, pour les écus que vous lui avez promis, il est content à
vous donner la liberté, le franchisement._
_Encore qu’il est contre son jurement de pardonner aucun prisonnier; néanmoins, pour les écus que vous lui avez promis, il est content à vous donner la liberté, le franchisement._
_Encore qu’il est contre son jurement de pardonner aucun prisonnier; néanmoins, pour les écus que vous lui avez promis, il est content à vous donner la liberté, le franchisement._
_Encore qu’il est contre son jurement de pardonner aucun pri
_Sur mes genoux je vous donne mille remerciements; et je m’estime
heureux que je suis tombé entre les mains d’un chevalier, je pense, le
plus brave, vaillant, et très distingué seigneur d’Angleterre._
_Sur mes genoux je vous donne mille remerciements; et je m’estime heureux que je suis tombé entre les mains d’un chevalier, je pense, le plus brave, vaillant, et très distingué seigneur d’Angleterre._
_Sur mes genoux je vous donne mille remerciements; et je m’estime heureux que je suis tombé entre les mains d’un chevalier, je pense, le plus brave, vaillant, et très distingué seigneur d’Angleterre._
_Sur mes genoux je vous donne mille remerciements; et je m’e
Expound unto me, boy.
Expound unto me, boy.
Expound unto me, boy.
Expound unto me, boy.
He gives you upon his knees, a thousand thanks; and he esteems himself
happy that he hath fallen into the hands of one, as he thinks, the most
brave, valorous, and thrice-worthy _seigneur_ of England.
He gives you upon his knees, a thousand thanks; and he esteems himself happy that he has fallen into the hands of one, as he thinks, the most brave, valorous, and thrice-worthy _seigneur_ of England.
He gives you upon h's knees, a thousand thanks; and he esteems himself happy that he has fallen into the hands of one, as he thinks, the most brave, valorous, and thrice-worthy _seigneur_ of England.
he gives you upon his knees, a thousand thanks; and he esteems himself happy tha
The Boy says 'the empty vessel makes the greatest sound' — a proverb about hollow things being loudest. It perfectly describes Pistol, who is one of Shakespeare's great boasters in a tradition going back to the Roman 'miles gloriosus' (bragging soldier) — a stock comic type from Plautus. Pistol is also related to the old Vice figure of medieval morality plays: the roaring devil who frightens people with noise but can be defused with a wooden sword. The Boy makes the connection explicit: 'this roaring devil i' the old play, that everyone may pare his nails with a wooden dagger.' Pistol is a theatrical anachronism — a figure from old-fashioned drama dropped into a realistic war play. He doesn't belong, and that's the point.
As I suck blood, I will some mercy show.
Follow me!
As I suck blood, I will some mercy show. Follow me!
As I suck blood, I will some mercy show. Follow me!
As I suck blood, I will some mercy show. Follow me!
_Suivez-vous le grand capitaine._
_Suivez-vous le grand capitaine._
_Suivez-vous le grand capitaine._
_Suivez-vous le grand capitaine._
The Reckoning
This is the comic interlude in the middle of Agincourt, and it is doing real work. Pistol's scene is deliberately bathetic — the grand heroism of the St. Crispin's Day speech measured against a man who can't speak French, threatening to gut someone while mishearing 'Dieu' as a title. The Boy's closing speech is the punchline that isn't funny: Bardolph and Nym, braver than Pistol, are both hanged; and only boys guard the luggage. He's about to be killed.
If this happened today…
A very large, very loud man who doesn't speak French corners a French tourist at a rest stop and mistakes every attempt at communication for an insult. His twelve-year-old nephew has to translate. The nephew quietly tells his friends afterward that his uncle is all bark and no bite — but also that the family car is unlocked and they're the only ones watching it.