Can no man tell me of my unthrifty son?
’Tis full three months since I did see him last.
If any plague hang over us, ’tis he.
I would to God, my lords, he might be found.
Inquire at London, ’mongst the taverns there,
For there, they say, he daily doth frequent
With unrestrained loose companions,
Even such, they say, as stand in narrow lanes
And beat our watch and rob our passengers,
While he, young wanton and effeminate boy,
Takes on the point of honour to support
So dissolute a crew.
Will no one tell me about my wasteful son? I haven't seen him for three months. If there's any trouble hanging over us, it's him. I wish to God, my lords, he could be found. Look for him at London, in the taverns there, because that's where he spends all his time with loose, uncontrolled companions. People say these are the same kind who stand in narrow streets, attack our city guard, and rob travellers. And this young, spoiled, effeminate boy thinks it's honourable to lead such a dissolute group.
Has anybody told you about my wasteful son? I haven't seen him in three months. If there's any curse on us, it's him. God, I wish he could be found. Look for him in London's taverns—that's where he hangs out every day with these reckless guys. They're the kind who rob people and beat up the city guard. And this young, spoiled boy thinks it's honourable to be their leader.
where's my wasteful son hadn't seen him 3 months he's at the taverns with criminals beating the guard robbing people thinks it's honourable
My lord, some two days since I saw the Prince,
And told him of those triumphs held at Oxford.
My lord, I saw the Prince two days ago and told him about those tournaments that were held at Oxford.
My lord, I saw the Prince a couple days ago and mentioned those tournaments at Oxford.
saw the prince 2 days ago told him about the oxford tournaments
And what said the gallant?
And what did the young man say?
What did he say to that?
what'd he say
His answer was he would unto the stews,
And from the common’st creature pluck a glove
And wear it as a favour, and with that
He would unhorse the lustiest challenger.
He replied that he would go to the brothels, and take a glove from the lowest woman there to wear as a token, and with that he would knock the strongest challenger off his horse.
He said he'd go to the brothels, grab a glove from some girl there to wear as a favour, and then challenge the strongest knight and knock them off their horse.
go to the brothels take a glove from some girl wear it as a token knock off the strongest challenger
As dissolute as desperate! Yet through both
I see some sparks of better hope, which elder years
May happily bring forth. But who comes here?
He's as dissolute and desperate as one can be! Yet through all that, I see some small sparks of better hope, which his later years might hopefully bring out. But who is coming here?
He's completely dissolute and hopeless! But there's still some spark of hope in there—he might improve as he gets older. But who's coming now?
he's hopeless but maybe he'll get better with age who's that coming
Where is the King?
Where can I find the King?
Where's the King at?
where's the king
What means our cousin that he stares and looks so wildly?
What does it mean that our cousin is staring and looks so wild?
Why is our cousin staring like that? He looks frantic.
why's he staring so wild
God save your Grace! I do beseech your majesty
To have some conference with your Grace alone.
God protect your Grace! I beg your majesty to have some private conversation with you alone.
God protect your Grace! Please, I need to speak with you privately.
please i need to talk alone
Withdraw yourselves, and leave us here alone.
Leave the room, all of you, and leave us here alone.
Everyone, leave the room. We need to be alone.
everyone get out
What is the matter with our cousin now?
What's troubling our cousin now?
What's wrong with him?
why is he acting like that something's up
[_Kneels_.] For ever may my knees grow to the earth,
My tongue cleave to my roof within my mouth,
Unless a pardon ere I rise or speak.
May my knees grow to the ground forever and my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth within my mouth unless I receive a pardon before I rise or speak.
I'm staying on my knees until you promise to forgive me. I won't stand up or say another word without your pardon first.
i'm not getting up not saying anything until you pardon me
Intended or committed was this fault?
If on the first, how heinous e’er it be,
To win thy after-love I pardon thee.
Was this fault intended or actually committed? If it was only intended, no matter how serious, I will pardon you to win your love afterward.
Did he only plan this, or actually do it? If he only planned it, no matter how bad it is, I'll pardon him to keep his love.
did he plan it or do it if he just planned it i'll pardon him
Then give me leave that I may turn the key,
That no man enter till my tale be done.
Then allow me to lock the door so that no one can enter until I've finished my story.
Then let me lock the door so I can tell you everything without interruption.
let me lock the door so i can finish my story
Have thy desire.
As you wish.
Very well. Go ahead.
ok
[_Within_.] My liege, beware! Look to thyself!
Thou hast a traitor in thy presence there.
My lord, be careful! Look to yourself! You have a traitor in your presence here.
Your Majesty, watch out! There's a traitor right in front of you!
yo watch it traitor in the room rn
[_Drawing_.] Villain, I’ll make thee safe.
Villain, I'll make you safe by killing you.
You scoundrel, I'm going to take care of you right now.
im about to deal with you
Stay thy revengeful hand. Thou hast no cause to fear.
Stop your vengeful hand. You have no reason to be afraid.
Stop. Don't do anything. There's nothing to fear.
stop don't hurt him
[_Within_.] Open the door, secure, foolhardy king!
Shall I for love speak treason to thy face?
Open the door, or I will break it open.
Open the door, you reckless king! Should I for love speak treason to your face? Open the door, or I will break it open.
Open this door, you foolish king! Should I betray you out of love? Open it or I'll break it down myself.
open the door now or im breaking it come on fool
What is the matter, uncle? Speak!
Recover breath. Tell us how near is danger,
That we may arm us to encounter it.
What is the problem, uncle? Speak! Catch your breath. Tell us how close this danger is so we can prepare to face it.
Uncle, what's wrong? Catch your breath and tell us what's happening. How serious is this threat?
what's wrong uncle how close is the danger
Peruse this writing here, and thou shalt know
The treason that my haste forbids me show.
Read this document, and you will understand the treason that my rush doesn't allow me to explain.
Read this letter and you'll see the treason. I'm too rushed to explain it myself.
read this it shows the treason
Remember, as thou read’st, thy promise passed.
I do repent me. Read not my name there;
My heart is not confederate with my hand.
Remember your promise as you read. I repent. Don't read my name there; my heart is not in agreement with what my hand signed.
Remember what you promised me. I repent this. Don't look at where my name is—my heart didn't want to sign this.
remember your promise i repent my heart wasn't in this
It was, villain, ere thy hand did set it down.
I tore it from the traitor’s bosom, king.
Fear, and not love, begets his penitence.
Forget to pity him, lest thy pity prove
A serpent that will sting thee to the heart.
It was treason before your hand wrote it down, villain. I tore it from the traitor's chest, my king. Fear, not love, creates his false repentance. Don't pity him, because your pity might prove to be a snake that will bite you in the heart.
It was treason even before he wrote it, you traitor. I ripped it from his chest myself. His repentance is just from fear, not real change. Don't pity him—that would be a mistake that would hurt you.
he wrote it down i ripped it from his chest his repentance is fake don't pity him
O heinous, strong, and bold conspiracy!
O loyal father of a treacherous son!
Thou sheer, immaculate, and silver fountain
From whence this stream through muddy passages
Hath held his current and defiled himself!
Thy overflow of good converts to bad,
And thy abundant goodness shall excuse
This deadly blot in thy digressing son.
What a terrible, powerful, and bold conspiracy! Oh, loyal father of a treacherous son! You are like a pure, spotless, silver fountain from which this stream has flowed through muddy passages and corrupted itself. Your goodness overflows but turns into corruption, and your abundant virtue must excuse this deadly stain in your straying son.
What a horrible conspiracy! York, you're a good man but your son is a traitor. You're like a pure spring, but the water has flowed through mud and been corrupted. Your goodness is so great that it has to make up for your son's terrible betrayal.
what a terrible conspiracy york you're loyal but your son's a traitor you're a pure fountain but he's muddy water
So shall my virtue be his vice’s bawd,
And he shall spend mine honour with his shame,
As thriftless sons their scraping fathers’ gold.
Mine honour lives when his dishonour dies,
Or my shamed life in his dishonour lies.
Thou kill’st me in his life: giving him breath,
The traitor lives, the true man’s put to death.
Then my virtue will support his vice, and he will waste my honour with his shame, like lazy sons squander their frugal fathers' gold. My honour lives only when his dishonour dies, or else my shamed life lies in his dishonour. You kill me by keeping him alive: by giving him breath, the traitor lives and the true man dies.
My goodness will just enable his evil. He'll destroy my honour with his shame, the way worthless sons waste their fathers' hard-earned money. My honour only survives if his shame dies. If you let him live, you kill me and let the traitor survive while the innocent man dies.
my goodness supports his evil he wastes my honour my name dies with his shame if you let him live you kill me
The triple-kneel sequence — Aumerle kneeling for his life, his father kneeling against him, his mother kneeling for him, all simultaneously before Henry IV — is one of Shakespeare's most deliberate tonal disruptions. In the middle of the darkest play in the second tetralogy, the audience gets something close to farce: a door being pounded on, a king drawing his weapon at a kneeling man, an old woman insisting on the exact word 'pardon' when 'stand up' is offered as a substitute. The comedy doesn't undercut the seriousness — it holds it. The stakes are real (Aumerle's life is genuinely at risk) and the behavior is absurd (York has literally kneeled to plead for his son's execution) and both things are simultaneously true. Shakespeare is showing us something true about family: the worst crises have an element of farce because the people in them are human and therefore somewhat ridiculous even in extremity.
[_Within_.] What ho, my liege! For God’s sake, let me in!
Your Majesty, for God's sake, let me in!
My lord, please, for heaven's sake, let me come inside!
let me in pls for gods sake
What shrill-voiced suppliant makes this eager cry?
Who is this person with the shrill voice making this urgent plea?
Who's that screaming out there with that shrill voice?
who's that screaming
[_Within_.] A woman, and thine aunt, great king, ’tis I.
Speak with me, pity me, open the door!
A beggar begs that never begged before.
A woman, and your aunt, great king—it is I. Speak with me, pity me, open the door! A beggar begs that never begged before.
It's me, your aunt! I'm asking you as a beggar now, something I've never done before. Please talk to me, have mercy on me, open the door!
its me your aunt im begging now let me in pls
Our scene is altered from a serious thing,
And now changed to “The Beggar and the King.”
My dangerous cousin, let your mother in.
I know she’s come to pray for your foul sin.
Our scene has changed from something serious, and is now like 'The Beggar and the King.' My dangerous cousin, let your mother in. I know she's come to pray for your wicked sin.
Well, our serious scene just turned into a comedy—'The Beggar and the King.' Let your mother in. She's here to pray for forgiveness for your crimes.
let your mother in she's come to pray for your sin
If thou do pardon whosoever pray,
More sins for this forgiveness prosper may.
This festered joint cut off, the rest rest sound;
This let alone will all the rest confound.
If you pardon anyone who asks, more sins may flourish because of this forgiveness. A festered limb cut off keeps the rest healthy; if you let this one be, it will corrupt everything else.
If you pardon everyone who begs, you'll just encourage more crime. You have to cut off the infected part or the whole body dies. Letting this traitor live will corrupt everything.
pardon him and more will betray you cut off the infection or it spreads
O King, believe not this hard-hearted man.
Love loving not itself none other can.
Oh King, don't believe this cold-hearted man. Love that doesn't love itself can't love anyone else.
Don't listen to him, Your Majesty. A man without compassion can't understand love.
don't listen to him he has no compassion
Thou frantic woman, what dost thou make here?
Shall thy old dugs once more a traitor rear?
You crazy woman, what are you doing here? Will your old breasts nurse a traitor once more?
You're out of your mind, woman! Are you really going to protect a traitor you raised?
you're crazy are you protecting the traitor again
Sweet York, be patient. [_Kneels_.] Hear me, gentle liege.
Sweet York, be patient. Hear me, gentle king.
York, please be patient. Your Majesty, listen to me.
patience york please listen
Rise up, good aunt.
Get up, good aunt.
Stand up, aunt.
stand up
Not yet, I thee beseech.
For ever will I walk upon my knees
And never see day that the happy sees,
Till thou give joy, until thou bid me joy
By pardoning Rutland, my transgressing boy.
Not yet, I beg you. I will walk on my knees forever and never see a happy day until you bring me joy by pardoning Rutland, my erring son.
Not yet, please. I'll stay on my knees forever until you forgive my son. I won't see happiness again until you grant him mercy.
not yet i'll stay on my knees till you pardon rutland
Unto my mother’s prayers I bend my knee.
I bow my knee in support of my mother's prayers.
I join my mother on my knees.
i kneel with mother
Against them both, my true joints bended be.
My knees are bent in opposition to both of them.
My knees are bent against them both.
i kneel against them
Ill mayst thou thrive if thou grant any grace!
May you suffer terribly if you show him any mercy!
Things will go badly for you if you let him off easy!
don't show him mercy you'll regret it if you do
Pleads he in earnest? Look upon his face.
His eyes do drop no tears, his prayers are in jest;
His words come from his mouth, ours from our breast.
He prays but faintly and would be denied;
We pray with heart and soul and all beside:
His weary joints would gladly rise, I know;
Our knees still kneel till to the ground they grow.
His prayers are full of false hypocrisy;
Ours of true zeal and deep integrity.
Our prayers do outpray his; then let them have
That mercy which true prayer ought to have.
Is he really praying earnestly? Look at his face. His eyes don't shed tears, his prayers are a joke. His words come from his mouth, ours come from our heart. He's barely praying and wouldn't mind being refused. We pray with our whole heart and soul and everything else. His tired joints would like to get up, I know. Our knees stay kneeling until they're worn to the ground. His prayers are full of false hypocrisy. Ours have true devotion and deep honesty. Our prayers outshine his, so they should receive the mercy that true prayers deserve.
Is he even serious? Look at him—no tears, his prayers are fake. We're speaking from our hearts while he's just using words. He's barely trying and would be happy to give up. We're on our knees with our whole souls. His knees want to get up. Our knees are worn to the ground. His prayers are fake, ours are genuine. Our real prayers should win the mercy.
look at him no tears his prayers are fake we pray from our hearts our prayers are real we deserve the mercy
Good aunt, stand up.
Rise, good aunt.
Aunt, please stand.
stand up
Nay, do not say “stand up”.
Say “pardon” first, and afterwards “stand up”.
An if I were thy nurse, thy tongue to teach,
“Pardon” should be the first word of thy speech.
I never longed to hear a word till now.
Say “pardon,” king; let pity teach thee how.
The word is short, but not so short as sweet;
No word like “pardon” for kings’ mouths so meet.
No, don't say 'stand up.' Say 'pardon' first, then 'stand up.' If I were your nurse teaching you to speak, 'pardon' would be the first word I'd teach you. I never wanted to hear any word as much as I want to hear 'pardon' now. Say it, king; let compassion teach you how. The word is short, but not short in sweetness. No word is as right for a king's mouth as 'pardon.'
No, don't say stand up. Say pardon first. If I were teaching you to talk, that would be your first word. I've never wanted to hear anything so much as that one word—pardon. Say it, king. It's short, but it's so sweet. There's no word more perfect for a king to say.
say pardon first if i taught you to talk that'd be your first word just say pardon
Speak it in French, King, say “pardonne moy.”
Say it in French, King, say 'pardonne moi.'
Try the French version then—'pardonne moi.'
say it in french
Dost thou teach pardon pardon to destroy?
Ah! my sour husband, my hard-hearted lord,
That sets the word itself against the word!
Speak “pardon” as ’tis current in our land;
The chopping French we do not understand.
Thine eye begins to speak, set thy tongue there,
Or in thy piteous heart plant thou thine ear,
That, hearing how our plaints and prayers do pierce,
Pity may move thee “pardon” to rehearse.
Are you teaching pardon how to destroy pardon? My bitter husband, my hard-hearted lord, you put the word against itself! Speak pardon as it's used in our land, not this choppy French we don't understand. Your eyes are beginning to show mercy—use your tongue instead, or put your ear in your pitiful heart so that hearing our complaints and prayers will move you to say pardon.
You're trying to ruin the meaning of pardon by saying it in French? My stubborn husband, you're twisting the very word! Speak it in English, in our own language. We don't understand your French games. Look, your eyes are showing mercy—just say the word in English. Listen to our real prayers and let them touch your heart.
don't twist pardon with french speak it in english listen to our prayers
Good aunt, stand up.
Rise now, good aunt.
Aunt, please stand.
stand
I do not sue to stand.
Pardon is all the suit I have in hand.
I'm not asking to stand. Pardon is the only thing I'm asking for.
I'm not asking you to let me stand. All I want is forgiveness.
i want pardon not to stand
I pardon him, as God shall pardon me.
I pardon him, as God will pardon me.
I forgive him, as I hope God forgives me.
i forgive him
O, happy vantage of a kneeling knee!
Yet am I sick for fear. Speak it again,
Twice saying “pardon” doth not pardon twain,
But makes one pardon strong.
Oh, the happy power of a kneeling knee! Yet I'm still afraid. Say it again—saying pardon twice doesn't give two pardons, but makes the pardon stronger.
Oh, what a powerful thing it is to kneel! I'm still so scared though. Say it again—repeating it doesn't make two pardons, it just makes the first one stronger.
the power of kneeling i'm still scared say it again
With all my heart
I pardon him.
From my heart completely, I grant him pardon.
With all my heart, I forgive him.
with all my heart
A god on earth thou art.
You are a god on earth.
You're like a god on earth.
you're a god
But for our trusty brother-in-law and the Abbot,
With all the rest of that consorted crew,
Destruction straight shall dog them at the heels.
Good uncle, help to order several powers
To Oxford, or where’er these traitors are;
They shall not live within this world, I swear,
But I will have them, if I once know where.
Uncle, farewell, and cousin, adieu.
Your mother well hath prayed, and prove you true.
But as for our trusted brother-in-law and the Abbot and all the rest of that gang, destruction will chase them. Good uncle, help me organize forces to go to Oxford or wherever these traitors are. I swear they won't live in this world—I will have them if I know where they are. Uncle, goodbye, and cousin, farewell. Your mother has prayed well for you, and now prove yourself true.
As for the rest of the conspirators—your brother-in-law, the Abbot, and all that group—they won't survive. Help me send soldiers after them, to Oxford or wherever they are. I swear I'll hunt them down. Uncle, goodbye. Cousin, take care of yourself and prove you're loyal.
the other conspirators will be hunted i'll send soldiers after them prove yourself true now
Come, my old son. I pray God make thee new.
Come, my son. I pray God makes you new.
Come on, son. I pray you start fresh.
come son god make you new
The Reckoning
Sixty-four chunks. The scene opens with a ten-line cameo of Prince Hal — the first glimpse of the character who will dominate the next two plays — and then proceeds to a near-farcical triple-kneel sequence. Henry IV, newly crowned, spends his first private scene managing a family crisis: father against mother against son, all kneeling before him. His pardon of Aumerle is the first act of grace in the new reign. The Duchess's campaign — requiring the exact word 'pardon,' refusing to accept 'stand up' as a substitute — is one of Shakespeare's best comic-serious sequences. And Henry's joke ('Our scene is altered... changed to The Beggar and the King') is the most self-aware line in the play.
If this happened today…
The new CEO has his first private breakfast meeting — mainly telling his inner circle that his nephew is a disaster, hanging out in nightclubs, getting into fights. Then his nephew bursts in, locks the conference room door, and begs for a private word before his father arrives. His father pounds on the door. The CEO lets him in. The father hands over a document showing the nephew signed a plan to assassinate the CEO. The CEO's aunt arrives, having driven three hours. She will not stand up until he says the exact word 'pardoned.' The CEO's uncle is still urging execution. The CEO says 'I pardon him — and his mother is right, my uncle should go get religion. Now let's find the others.'