Up Fish Street! Down Saint Magnus’ Corner! Kill and knock down! Throw
them into Thames! [_Sound a parley_.] What noise is this I hear? Dare
any be so bold to sound retreat or parley when I command them kill?
Up Fish Street! Down Saint Magnus' Corner! Kill and knock them down! Throw Them into the Thames! What noise is this I hear? Does anyone dare to sound a retreat or negotiate when I command them to kill?
Go up Fish Street! Clear Saint Magnus' Corner! Kill everybody! Throw Them into the Thames! What's that noise? Who dares to call for a ceasefire or negotiations when I've ordered them to kill?
kill everyone throw them in the thames who dares stop the killing
Ay, here they be that dare and will disturb thee.
Know, Cade, we come ambassadors from the King
Unto the commons, whom thou hast misled,
And here pronounce free pardon to them all
That will forsake thee and go home in peace.
Yes, here we are, and we dare to challenge you. Know, Cade, we come as messengers from the King To the people, whom you have misled, And here we announce a free pardon for all Who will leave you and go home in peace.
Yes, we're here to stand against you. Listen, Cade, we're sent from the King To speak to these people you've tricked, And we're offering a full pardon to anyone Who will abandon you and go back to their homes in peace.
we represent the king u misled these people we pardon anyone who leaves u and goes home in peace
What say ye, countrymen? Will ye relent
And yield to mercy whilst ’tis offered you,
Or let a rebel lead you to your deaths?
Who loves the King and will embrace his pardon,
Fling up his cap, and say “God save his Majesty!”
Who hateth him and honours not his father,
Henry the Fifth, that made all France to quake,
Shake he his weapon at us and pass by.
What do you say, countrymen? Will you change your minds And accept mercy while it's being offered, Or will you let a rebel lead you to your deaths? Whoever loves the King and will take his pardon, Throw up his cap and say 'God save the King!' Whoever hates him and disrespects his father, Henry the Fifth, who made all France tremble, Let him shake his weapon at us and leave.
What's your decision, fellow citizens? Will you come to your senses And accept the King's mercy while you still can, Or will you follow a rebel to the grave? If you love the King and want his pardon, Throw your caps up and shout 'God save the King!' If you hate him and dishonor his father, Henry the Fifth, who made France shake with fear, Then come at us with your weapons and try.
come to your senses accept the king's mercy or follow this rebel to death if u love the king throw up ur caps if u hate him come at us
The rapid swing of Cade's followers — from 'We'll follow Cade!' to 'A Clifford! A Clifford!' in less than twenty lines — is Shakespeare's most direct demonstration of the instability of mob politics. Clifford doesn't offer anything Cade didn't: both make promises about the future, both appeal to emotion, both invoke English identity. The difference is that Clifford invokes Henry V — the most potent symbol of English military glory — while Cade can only offer plunder and personal loyalty. The crowd chooses the larger story over the smaller one. Shakespeare is not being cynical about this; the followers are making a reasonable calculation. What he is showing is that charismatic leaders who rise quickly on crowd enthusiasm can fall just as quickly when a more compelling charisma arrives. Cade built his movement on performance; Clifford out-performs him.
God save the King! God save the King!
God keep the King safe! God keep the King safe!
God protect the King! God protect the King!
long live the king
What, Buckingham and Clifford, are ye so brave? And you, base peasants,
do ye believe him? Will you needs be hanged with your pardons about
your necks? Hath my sword therefore broke through London gates, that
you should leave me at the White Hart in Southwark? I thought ye would
never have given out these arms till you had recovered your ancient
freedom; but you are all recreants and dastards, and delight to live in
slavery to the nobility. Let them break your backs with burdens, take
your houses over your heads, ravish your wives and daughters before
your faces. For me, I will make shift for one, and so God’s curse light
upon you all!
What, Buckingham and Clifford, are you so brave? And you, base peasants, Do you believe him? Will you just accept a pardon and give up? Didn't my sword break through London's gates so that You would abandon me at the White Hart in Southwark? I thought you would Never put down your weapons until you had recovered your ancient Freedom; but you are all cowards and traitors, and you love living in Slavery to the nobility. Let them break your backs with heavy burdens, seize Your houses, rape your wives and daughters in front of you. For me, I will survive, And God's curse upon you all!
So, Buckingham and Clifford, you think you're so brave? And you people, Do you really believe him? You'll accept his pardon and just go home? My sword didn't fight through London's gates so You could desert me at the White Hart in Southwark! I thought you'd Never surrender until you'd won back your freedom from the nobles, But you're all cowards and traitors who actually love being Slaves to the nobility. Let them break your backs with work, take away Your homes, abuse your women in front of you. Me? I'll get by, And may God curse every one of you!
u cowards u betrayed me u love slavery let the nobles take ur homes and ur women go ahead and die with ur pardons
We’ll follow Cade! We’ll follow Cade!
We will follow Cade! We will follow Cade!
We'll stick with Cade! We'll stick with Cade!
we follow cade
Is Cade the son of Henry the Fifth,
That thus you do exclaim you’ll go with him?
Will he conduct you through the heart of France
And make the meanest of you earls and dukes?
Alas, he hath no home, no place to fly to,
Nor knows he how to live but by the spoil,
Unless by robbing of your friends and us.
Were ’t not a shame that whilst you live at jar
The fearful French, whom you late vanquished,
Should make a start o’er seas and vanquish you?
Methinks already in this civil broil
I see them lording it in London streets,
Crying “_Villiago!_” unto all they meet.
Better ten thousand base-born Cades miscarry
Than you should stoop unto a Frenchman’s mercy.
To France, to France, and get what you have lost!
Spare England, for it is your native coast.
Henry hath money, you are strong and manly;
God on our side, doubt not of victory.
Is Cade the son of Henry the Fifth, That you shout you'll follow him like this? Will he lead you through France and make you all earls and dukes? Poor man, he has no home, nowhere to escape to, Nor does he know how to live except by plundering, Unless it's by robbing your friends and us. Wouldn't it be shameful that while you fight among yourselves The French, whom you recently defeated, should cross the seas and defeat you? It seems to me already in this civil war I see them ruling London streets, Crying insults at everyone they meet. Better that ten thousand worthless Cades should be destroyed Than that you should bow to French mercy. Go to France and recover what you've lost! Save England, for it is your homeland. Henry has money, you are strong and brave; With God on our side, don't doubt we'll win.
Is Cade related to Henry the Fifth, That you cheer like you want to follow him? Will he take you through France and make you nobles and lords? The man has no home, nowhere to go, And the only way he knows to survive is by stealing, Unless you count robbing your friends and us. Don't you see how shameful it is that while you fight each other, The French—the ones you beat—can sail back and conquer you again? I can practically see it now in this civil war, the French taking over London, Insulting everyone they meet. It would be better for a thousand worthless Cades to die Than for you to surrender to the French. Go back to France and take back what you lost! Protect England, it's your home. The King has money, you are strong and brave; With God with us, we can't lose.
cade is nobody he only knows how to steal the french will take over if we fight each other we need to fight france not each other let's get back what we lost
A Clifford! A Clifford! We’ll follow the King and Clifford.
For Clifford! For Clifford! We will follow the King and Clifford!
Yes Clifford! Yes Clifford! We're with the King and you!
clifford clifford we follow the king
Henry V appears in 2 Henry VI only as a name — but it's one of the most powerful names in the play's world. Clifford invokes him as the king who 'made all France to quake.' Cade himself invoked him in 4-2 to justify his claim to protect Henry VI ('for his father's sake, Henry the Fifth'). The commons in 4-9 will invoke him again. Henry V is the measure against which every subsequent king is found wanting — and particularly Henry VI, the pious, weak son of the great warrior. The rebellion collapses not because the government offers genuine reform but because Clifford offers the crowds access to Henry V's legacy (through national military glory) while Cade offers only himself. The absent great king haunts the scene, and his ghost is more powerful than anything living.
Was ever feather so lightly blown to and fro as this multitude? The
name of Henry the Fifth hales them to an hundred mischiefs and makes
them leave me desolate. I see them lay their heads together to surprise
me. My sword make way for me, for here is no staying.—In despite of the
devils and hell, have through the very middest of you! And heavens and
honour be witness that no want of resolution in me, but only my
followers’ base and ignominious treasons, makes me betake me to my
heels.
Was ever a feather blown so easily back and forth as this crowd? The very name of Henry the Fifth pulls them toward troubles and Makes them abandon me alone. I see them put their heads together to trap me. My sword, make a way for me, for I cannot stay here.—By the power of devils and hell, I'll fight my way through all of you! Let heaven and honor testify That it's not lack of courage in me, but only my followers' shameful and dishonorable betrayal, That makes me run.
Have you ever seen a crowd change direction so fast? The mention of Henry the Fifth's name makes them forget their cause And abandon me completely. I can see them plotting together to ambush me. My sword, clear a path, because I'm not staying.—By hell itself, I'll cut my way through all of you! Let heaven and honor testify That I'm not a coward—it's your shameful, disgraceful betrayal That's making me run.
this crowd changes so fast they abandon me i can't stay here i'm fighting my way out it's ur betrayal not my cowardice
What, is he fled? Go some, and follow him;
And he that brings his head unto the King
Shall have a thousand crowns for his reward.
What, he's escaped? Some of you, go after him; And whoever brings his head to the King Will receive a thousand crowns as a reward.
He's run off? Go after him! Whoever brings the King his head Will get a thousand crowns as a reward.
he ran go after him bring his head get a thousand crowns
The Reckoning
The rebellion ends not with military defeat but with rhetoric — specifically, with the invocation of Henry V, the great English warrior king. Clifford's appeal to national pride and the memory of past glory pulls the crowd away from Cade in thirty seconds. Cade's final speech is a masterpiece of self-deception: he calls his followers' rational choice 'recreants and dastards' and insists he retreats by his own will, not by defeat. The rebel who seemed unstoppable is gone, alone, in the time it takes to name a dead king.
If this happened today…
The protest leader is mid-speech when a popular general walks in, plays a thirty-second clip of the founding moment everyone remembers, and asks if they'd rather follow a local agitator or actually win something real. The crowd shifts before the speaker can finish. He shouts 'traitors! cowards!' at their retreating backs, then slips out the side door insisting he left because he chose to.