Opening of the book
Dramatis Personae
King Henry V
Duke of Gloucester, brother to the King
Duke of Bedford, brother to the King
Duke of Exeter, uncle to the King
Duke of York, cousin to the King
Earls of Salisbury, Westmoreland, and Warwick
Archbishop of Canterbury
Bishop of Ely
Earl of Cambridge
Lord Scroop
Sir Thomas Grey
Sir Thomas Erpingham, Gower, Fluellen, Macmorris, Jamy, officers in King Henry’s army
John Bates, Alexander Court, Michael Williams, soldiers in the same
Pistol, Nym, Bardolph
Boy
A herald
Charles VI, King of France
Lewis, the Dauphin
Dukes of Burgundy, Orleans, Bourbon
The Constable of France
Rambures and Grandpré, French lords
Governor of Harfleur
Montjoy, a French herald
Ambassadors to the King of England
Isabel, Queen of France
Katharine, daughter to Charles and Isabel
Alice, a lady attending on her
Hostess of a tavern in Eastcheap, formerly Mistress Nell Quickly, and now married to Pistol
Lords, ladies, officers, soldiers, citizens, messengers, and attendants
Chorus
Scene: England; afterwards France.
Prologue
(Enter CHORUS.)
CƒLjǡǼǪ
O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend
The brightest heaven of invention,
A kingdom for a stage, princes to act
And monarchs to behold the swelling scene!
Then should the warlike Harry, like himself,
Assume the port of Mars; and at his heels,
Leash’d in like hounds, should famine, sword and fire
Crouch for employment. But pardon, gentles all,
The flat unraised spirits that hath dared
On this unworthy scaffold to bring forth
So great an object: can this cockpit hold
The vasty fields of France? or may we cram
Within this wooden O the very casques
That did affright the air at Agincourt?
O pardon! since a crooked figure may
Attest in little place a million;
And let us, ciphers to this great accompt,
On your imaginary forces work.
Suppose within the girdle of these walls
Are now confined two mighty monarchies,
Keep listening free
Readnara
