Henry IV, part 1, Act 4 Scene 2 runs 81 lines of dialogue, spoken by 4 speakers. That is shorter than the play’s average scene length of about 169 lines. This scene is part of Act 4 of Henry IV, part 1.
Full Dialogue
Falstaff ♂
Bardolph, get thee before to Coventry; fill me a
bottle of sack: our soldiers shall march through;
we'll to Sutton Co'fil' tonight.
bottle of sack: our soldiers shall march through;
we'll to Sutton Co'fil' tonight.
Bardolph ♂
Will you give me money, captain?
Falstaff ♂
Lay out, lay out.
Bardolph ♂
This bottle makes an angel.
Falstaff ♂
An if it do, take it for thy labour; and if it make
twenty, take them all; I'll answer the coinage. Bid
my lieutenant Peto meet me at town's end.
twenty, take them all; I'll answer the coinage. Bid
my lieutenant Peto meet me at town's end.
Bardolph ♂
I will, captain: farewell.
Falstaff ♂
If I be not ashamed of my soldiers, I am a soused
gurnet. I have misused the king's press damnably.
I have got, in exchange of a hundred and fifty
soldiers, three hundred and odd pounds. I press me
none but good house-holders, yeoman's sons; inquire
me out contracted bachelors, such as had been asked
twice on the banns; such a commodity of warm slaves,
as had as lieve hear the devil as a drum; such as
fear the report of a caliver worse than a struck
fowl or a hurt wild-duck. I pressed me none but such
toasts-and-butter, with hearts in their bellies no
bigger than pins' heads, and they have bought out
their services; and now my whole charge consists of
ancients, corporals, lieutenants, gentlemen of
companies, slaves as ragged as Lazarus in the
painted cloth, where the glutton's dogs licked his
sores; and such as indeed were never soldiers, but
discarded unjust serving-men, younger sons to
younger brothers, revolted tapsters and ostlers
trade-fallen, the cankers of a calm world and a
long peace, ten times more dishonourable ragged than
an old faced ancient: and such have I, to fill up
the rooms of them that have bought out their
services, that you would think that I had a hundred
and fifty tattered prodigals lately come from
swine-keeping, from eating draff and husks. A mad
fellow met me on the way and told me I had unloaded
all the gibbets and pressed the dead bodies. No eye
hath seen such scarecrows. I'll not march through
Coventry with them, that's flat: nay, and the
villains march wide betwixt the legs, as if they had
gyves on; for indeed I had the most of them out of
prison. There's but a shirt and a half in all my
company; and the half shirt is two napkins tacked
together and thrown over the shoulders like an
herald's coat without sleeves; and the shirt, to say
the truth, stolen from my host at Saint Alban's, or
the red-nose innkeeper of Daventry. But that's all
one; they'll find linen enough on every hedge.
gurnet. I have misused the king's press damnably.
I have got, in exchange of a hundred and fifty
soldiers, three hundred and odd pounds. I press me
none but good house-holders, yeoman's sons; inquire
me out contracted bachelors, such as had been asked
twice on the banns; such a commodity of warm slaves,
as had as lieve hear the devil as a drum; such as
fear the report of a caliver worse than a struck
fowl or a hurt wild-duck. I pressed me none but such
toasts-and-butter, with hearts in their bellies no
bigger than pins' heads, and they have bought out
their services; and now my whole charge consists of
ancients, corporals, lieutenants, gentlemen of
companies, slaves as ragged as Lazarus in the
painted cloth, where the glutton's dogs licked his
sores; and such as indeed were never soldiers, but
discarded unjust serving-men, younger sons to
younger brothers, revolted tapsters and ostlers
trade-fallen, the cankers of a calm world and a
long peace, ten times more dishonourable ragged than
an old faced ancient: and such have I, to fill up
the rooms of them that have bought out their
services, that you would think that I had a hundred
and fifty tattered prodigals lately come from
swine-keeping, from eating draff and husks. A mad
fellow met me on the way and told me I had unloaded
all the gibbets and pressed the dead bodies. No eye
hath seen such scarecrows. I'll not march through
Coventry with them, that's flat: nay, and the
villains march wide betwixt the legs, as if they had
gyves on; for indeed I had the most of them out of
prison. There's but a shirt and a half in all my
company; and the half shirt is two napkins tacked
together and thrown over the shoulders like an
herald's coat without sleeves; and the shirt, to say
the truth, stolen from my host at Saint Alban's, or
the red-nose innkeeper of Daventry. But that's all
one; they'll find linen enough on every hedge.
Prince Henry ♂
How now, blown Jack! how now, quilt!
Falstaff ♂
What, Hal! how now, mad wag! what a devil dost thou
in Warwickshire? My good Lord of Westmoreland, I
cry you mercy: I thought your honour had already been
at Shrewsbury.
in Warwickshire? My good Lord of Westmoreland, I
cry you mercy: I thought your honour had already been
at Shrewsbury.
Westmoreland ♂
Faith, Sir John,'tis more than time that I were
there, and you too; but my powers are there already.
The king, I can tell you, looks for us all: we must
away all night.
there, and you too; but my powers are there already.
The king, I can tell you, looks for us all: we must
away all night.
Falstaff ♂
Tut, never fear me: I am as vigilant as a cat to
steal cream.
steal cream.
Prince Henry ♂
I think, to steal cream indeed, for thy theft hath
already made thee butter. But tell me, Jack, whose
fellows are these that come after?
already made thee butter. But tell me, Jack, whose
fellows are these that come after?
Falstaff ♂
Mine, Hal, mine.
Prince Henry ♂
I did never see such pitiful rascals.
Falstaff ♂
Tut, tut; good enough to toss; food for powder, food
for powder; they'll fill a pit as well as better:
tush, man, mortal men, mortal men.
for powder; they'll fill a pit as well as better:
tush, man, mortal men, mortal men.
Westmoreland ♂
Ay, but, Sir John, methinks they are exceeding poor
and bare, too beggarly.
and bare, too beggarly.
Falstaff ♂
'Faith, for their poverty, I know not where they had
that; and for their bareness, I am sure they never
learned that of me.
that; and for their bareness, I am sure they never
learned that of me.
Prince Henry ♂
No I'll be sworn; unless you call three fingers on
the ribs bare. But, sirrah, make haste: Percy is
already in the field.
the ribs bare. But, sirrah, make haste: Percy is
already in the field.
Falstaff ♂
What, is the king encamped?
Westmoreland ♂
He is, Sir John: I fear we shall stay too long.
Falstaff ♂
Well,
To the latter end of a fray and the beginning of a feast
Fits a dull fighter and a keen guest.
To the latter end of a fray and the beginning of a feast
Fits a dull fighter and a keen guest.
81 lines rendered verbatim from the dialogue corpus.
Who’s On Stage
Speaking characters in this scene
| Character | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Falstaff | 63 | 77.8% |
| Prince Henry | 8 | 9.9% |
| Westmoreland | 7 | 8.6% |
| Bardolph | 3 | 3.7% |
Line distribution
The top speaker in this scene delivers 63 lines, while the scene’s average per speaker is about 20 lines.
Total speakers on stage
4 named characters speak in this scene.
Scene in Context
Position within Act 4
This is Scene 2 of 4 in Act 4 of Henry IV, part 1.
Scene length vs. play average
At 81 lines, this scene is shorter than the Henry IV, part 1 average scene in Henry IV, part 1 (~169 lines).
Adjacent scenes
Previous: Act 4 Scene 1 · Next: Act 4 Scene 3
About Act 4 Scene 2 of Henry IV, part 1
Who carries Act 4 Scene 2 of Henry IV, part 1?
Falstaff, with 63 lines — about 78% of the scene.
Is the scene a dialogue or a solo?
With 4 speakers and the lead holding 78% of the lines, this scene is a showcase for the lead voice.