Henry VI, part 1, Act 4 Scene 4 runs 46 lines of dialogue, spoken by 3 speakers. That is shorter than the play’s average scene length of about 102 lines. This scene is part of Act 4 of Henry VI, part 1.
Full Dialogue
Somerset ♂
It is too late; I cannot send them now:
This expedition was by York and Talbot
Too rashly plotted: all our general force
Might with a sally of the very town
Be buckled with: the over-daring Talbot
Hath sullied all his gloss of former honour
By this unheedful, desperate, wild adventure:
York set him on to fight and die in shame,
That, Talbot dead, great York might bear the name.
This expedition was by York and Talbot
Too rashly plotted: all our general force
Might with a sally of the very town
Be buckled with: the over-daring Talbot
Hath sullied all his gloss of former honour
By this unheedful, desperate, wild adventure:
York set him on to fight and die in shame,
That, Talbot dead, great York might bear the name.
Captain ♂
Here is Sir William Lucy, who with me
Set from our o'ermatch'd forces forth for aid.
Set from our o'ermatch'd forces forth for aid.
Somerset ♂
How now, Sir William! whither were you sent?
Lucy ♂
Whither, my lord? from bought and sold Lord Talbot;
Who, ring'd about with bold adversity,
Cries out for noble York and Somerset,
To beat assailing death from his weak legions:
And whiles the honourable captain there
Drops bloody sweat from his war-wearied limbs,
And, in advantage lingering, looks for rescue,
You, his false hopes, the trust of England's honour,
Keep off aloof with worthless emulation.
Let not your private discord keep away
The levied succors that should lend him aid,
While he, renowned noble gentleman,
Yields up his life unto a world of odds:
Orleans the Bastard, Charles, Burgundy,
Alencon, Reignier, compass him about,
And Talbot perisheth by your default.
Who, ring'd about with bold adversity,
Cries out for noble York and Somerset,
To beat assailing death from his weak legions:
And whiles the honourable captain there
Drops bloody sweat from his war-wearied limbs,
And, in advantage lingering, looks for rescue,
You, his false hopes, the trust of England's honour,
Keep off aloof with worthless emulation.
Let not your private discord keep away
The levied succors that should lend him aid,
While he, renowned noble gentleman,
Yields up his life unto a world of odds:
Orleans the Bastard, Charles, Burgundy,
Alencon, Reignier, compass him about,
And Talbot perisheth by your default.
Somerset ♂
York set him on; York should have sent him aid.
Lucy ♂
And York as fast upon your grace exclaims;
Swearing that you withhold his levied host,
Collected for this expedition.
Swearing that you withhold his levied host,
Collected for this expedition.
Somerset ♂
York lies; he might have sent and had the horse;
I owe him little duty, and less love;
And take foul scorn to fawn on him by sending.
I owe him little duty, and less love;
And take foul scorn to fawn on him by sending.
Lucy ♂
The fraud of England, not the force of France,
Hath now entrapp'd the noble-minded Talbot:
Never to England shall he bear his life;
But dies, betray'd to fortune by your strife.
Hath now entrapp'd the noble-minded Talbot:
Never to England shall he bear his life;
But dies, betray'd to fortune by your strife.
Somerset ♂
Come, go; I will dispatch the horsemen straight:
Within six hours they will be at his aid.
Within six hours they will be at his aid.
Lucy ♂
Too late comes rescue: he is ta'en or slain;
For fly he could not, if he would have fled;
And fly would Talbot never, though he might.
For fly he could not, if he would have fled;
And fly would Talbot never, though he might.
Somerset ♂
If he be dead, brave Talbot, then adieu!
Lucy ♂
His fame lives in the world, his shame in you.
46 lines rendered verbatim from the dialogue corpus.
Who’s On Stage
Speaking characters in this scene
| Character | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Lucy | 27 | 58.7% |
| Somerset | 17 | 37.0% |
| Captain | 2 | 4.3% |
Line distribution
The top speaker in this scene delivers 27 lines, while the scene’s average per speaker is about 15 lines.
Total speakers on stage
3 named characters speak in this scene.
Scene in Context
Position within Act 4
This is Scene 4 of 7 in Act 4 of Henry VI, part 1.
Scene length vs. play average
At 46 lines, this scene is shorter than the Henry VI, part 1 average scene in Henry VI, part 1 (~102 lines).
Adjacent scenes
Previous: Act 4 Scene 3 · Next: Act 4 Scene 5