Speak the Speech! Shakespeare's Monologues Illuminated

GENDER: M PROSE/VERSE: blank verse AGE RANGE: adult to mature adult FREQUENCY OF USE (1--5) : 2

Brother, adieu. Good fortune come to thee, For thou wast got i' th' way of honesty. [Exeunt all but the Bastard] A foot of honor better than I was, But many a many foot of land the worse. Well, now can I make any Joan a lady. "Good den, Sir Richard!"--"God-a-mercy, fellow!"-- And if his name be George, I'll call him Peter, For new-made honor doth forget men's names: 'Tis too respective and too sociable For your conversion. Now your traveler, He and his toothpick at my worship's mess, And when my knightly stomach is sufficed, Why then I suck my teeth and catechize My picked man of countries: "My dear Sir,"--Thus leaning on mine elbow I begin--"I shall beseech you"--that is Question now, And then comes Answer like an Absey book: "O Sir," says Answer, "at your best command, At your employment, at your service, Sir." "No, Sir," says Question, "I, sweet Sir, at yours." And so, ere Answer knows what Question would, Saving in dialogue of compliment, And talking of the Alps and Apennines, The Pyrenean and the River Po, It draws toward supper in conclusion so. But this is worshipful society, And fits the mounting spirit like myself; For he is but a bastard to the time That doth not smack of observation, And so am I, whether I smack or no: And not alone in habit and device, Exterior form, outward accoutrement, But from the inward motion to deliver Sweet, sweet, sweet poison for the age's tooth--Which, though I will not practice to deceive, Yet, to avoid deceit, I mean to learn, For it shall strew the footsteps of my rising. But who comes in such haste, in riding-robes? What woman-post is this? Hath she no husband That will take pains to blow a horn before her? O me, 'tis my mother. How now, good Lady--What brings you here to court so hastily?

180adieugoodbye (French);Good fortune ... theeMay good fortune come to you; 181gotbegotten, fathered;way of honesty honest way [got ... honestyconceived within wedlock]; 182A foot of honor bettera foot higher in reputation and good name; 183many a many foota great many feet; 184Joanpeasant girl;ladycommon term for a woman of high social standing; 185Good dengood evening;God-a-mercyGod have mercy; may God reward you (a way of saying thank you, used in response to a respectful greeting from an inferior);fellowa form of address to a servant or inferior; 188respectiverespectful; 189conversionchange for the better (i.e., change from lower to higher social rank); 190my worship'smy (giving himself a title of honor);messdining table (where they dine as befits the Bastard's high rank); 191sufficedsatisfied, full; 192catechizeteach by means of questions and answers; 193pickèd(1) refined; (2) chosen;man of countriestraveler [My pickèd ... countries(1) My refined traveler; (2) the traveler I chose (to invite to dinner)]; 195I shall beseech youI ask you (he is being overly solicitious and polite);Questionreferring to the questioner (himself); 196Answerreferring to the answerer (the traveler);Absey book(AYB-see) ABC book, child's primer (which sometimes included a catechism); 197at your best commandI am at your best command; 200erebefore;wouldwants; 201Savingexcept for;dialogue of complimentpolite conversation, small talk; 202Apennines(A'-puh-NINES) mountains in Italy; 203Pyrenean(PEER-eh-NEE'-an) mountains between France and Spain;River Poa river in Italy; 204It draws toward supperin conclusionsotime passes between dinner and supper in this fashion; 205worshipful societytwo meanings: (1) the honorable, respectable set (to which he now belongs); and/or (2) reverent, worshipping company (the company of flatterers such as the traveler); 206fits(1) befits, is appropriate for; (2) is pleasing to; mounting rising (in social rank); 207 but nothing but, only;bastard to the timei.e., unfashionable, out-of-date person; 208 That who; smackof havea taste of, hint of; observation experience (knowledge gained by observing); 209 smack here, he puns on the word smoke; no not; 210aloneonly; habit clothing; manner of dressing;devicethe cut and trim of a garment; 211accoutrementaccessories; 212motioninclination, impulse;deliverspeak, serve up; 213Sweet, sweet, sweet poisoni.e., extreme flattery;for the age's toothi.e., pleasing to the tastes of this era; 215Yetrather;to avoid deceitto avoid being deceived, to avoid being had [And not alone ... I mean to learnI intend to learn not only to dress fashionably and have the outward trappings of a nobleman, but also to develop the impulse to speak in the flattering manner of the time--not to deceive others, but to avoid being taken for a ride by them]; 216strew the footstepsthrow petals in the path of (sweeten the path of);my risingmy advancement in society; 218woman-postfemale messenger (it would be insulting for a gentlewoman to be mistaken as such); 219blow a horn before heri.e., to announce her arrival, as would befit a woman of stature; 220How nowWhat are you doing here?

The conversation that has just taken place before King John, Elinor, and Robert leave the stage provides helpful clues to the opening of this piece: the Bastard has just been elevated to a social status superior to that of his brother. In addition, he has just agreed to join the attack on France. Thus, hisBrother adieumay be used to pointedly get in a last jab at Robert, simply to say goodbye to him on equal terms, to rub it in that he is off to France on an important mission, or just to be schmancy now that he's a knight. This leads to interesting possibilities for the second line: Is Philip being sarcastic? Or is he simply reiterating a point he made earlier in the scene to his brother--his illegitimate father gave him honor, while Robert's legitimate father gave him land--i.e., that everything in life is a trade-off?

Another helpful hint from the preceding scene is that Philip has chosen to be the illegitimate son of Richard I rather than the landed son of Sir Robert. This is a good clue to where his priorities lie. Philip obviously has a lot more respect for his biological father than for the one who raised him. When he fantasizes about an inferior wishing himGood den, Sir Richard, he is not only relishing his newly bestowed title, but also the identification with his heroic royal father, Richard.

You will notice that if you try to break down the grammatical structure of this monologue, it is not particularly easy to follow: Philip is carried away with excitement over his new status, and uses many run-ons and fragments, which lend the piece a conversational tone. And though it may be impossible to parse in English class, when read aloud it flows beautifully.

The reason it flows so beautifully is that (as one can surmise from this speech) Philip is one smart cookie, and though he may not be familiar with courtly manners, he is witty, sharp, quick with a comeback, and adept at rhetoric: Philip personifiesQuestionandAnswerin the early part of the monologue, using them as characters that represent his and the traveler's roles in their dialogue. Later in the speech, he shifts to antithesis. Just as he earlier counteredQuestionwithAnswer, he now compares thesis to antithesis:not alone in habit and deviceversusBut from the inward motion; will not practice to deceiveversusYet, to avoid deceit.

Philip also employs rhyme to enhance his speech. The first two lines form a rhyming couplet(thee / honesty), which emphasize his farewell to his brother, and also wrap up the group scene, providing a clean transition into the soliloquy. He uses another such couplet at an important transition within the piece: the coupletThe Pyrenean and the River Po, / It draws toward supper in conclusion soends Philip's story-style description of the type of company he expects to bekeeping, and creates a fresh opening for his cogitations on how he's going to adapt to his new courtly life.

Notice the way sounds are used intermittently to enhance descriptions. In several places, short alliterative phrases punch the important points. For instance, the S sounds instomach is sufficedsuggest a stomach stuffed full. The use of two such alliterative phrases in a row(but a bastard to the time) draws the listener's attention to Philip's preoccupation with illegitimacy, a preoccupation that is revealed by his use of the wordbastardin a metaphor for an unrelated concept. And at the end of the piece, the phrasesriding-robesandwhat woman-postsets up his flippant attitude toward his mother.

The most striking use of sounds is the repetition of the wordSir, along with a string of other Servile Ss in Philip's example ofworshipful society: Sir / beseech / Question / comes / Answer / Absey / Sir / says / Question / sweet Sir. The repetition ofsweetachieves the same effect, subtly reminding the listener of what sort ofsweet poisonhe's referring to. For information on exploiting the sound of the wordO, see "O, No! AnO!" on page xxxiii.

Philip's favorite linguistic trick seems to be the pun. Notice these:pickèd man= the man he picked to dine with him; also, the man who has just used his toothpick;worshipful= honorable, respectable; also, worshipping, respectful;knightly= knightly; also, nightly (i.e., a man of rank feasts every night, not just on special occasions);bastard to the time= out of step with the times (unfashionable); also, illegitimate, as frequently noted by his contemporaries;smack= hint, suggest; also, smoke (i.e., he's unfashionable whether he smokes or not);will= will; also, sexual desire;take pains= bother to; also, have sex;blow= blow (as into a musical instrument); also, thrust, during sex;horn= musical instrument; also, penis. If you put the last few sexual puns together, Philip is not only saying that his mother has no husband to appropriately accompany her to court, but also implying that her husband did not sexually satisfy her, and thus she has cuckolded him (hornis a triple pun: horns were the symbol of the cuckold).

SIGNIFICANT SCANS

Line 220 contains a silent half foot at the first caesura, a double ending before the second caesura, and another double ending at the end of the line:

GENDER : M PROSE/VERSE: blank verse AGE RANGE : adult to mature adult FREQUENCY OF USE (1--5) : 3

Mad world, mad kings, mad composition! John, to stop Arthur's title in the whole, Hath willingly departed with a part; And France, whose armor conscience buckled on, Whom zeal and charity brought to the field As God's own soldier, rounded in the ear With that same purpose-changer, that sly devil, That broker, that still breaks the pate of faith, That daily break-vow, he that wins of all, Of kings, of beggars, old men, young men, maids, Who, having no external thing to lose But the word "maid," cheats the poor maid of that; That smooth-faced gentleman, tickling Commodity, Commodity, the bias of the world, The world, who of itself is peisèd well, Made to run even upon even ground Till this advantage, this vile-drawing bias, This sway of motion, this Commodity, Makes it take head from all indifferency, From all direction, purpose, course, intent. And this same bias, this Commodity, This bawd, this broker, this all-changing word, Clapped on the outward eye of fickle France, Hath drawn him from his own determined aid, From a resolved and honorable war, To a most base and vile-concluded peace. And why rail I on this Commodity? But for because he hath not wooed me yet. Not that I have the power to clutch my hand, When his fair angels would salute my palm, But for my hand, as unattempted yet, Like a poor beggar, raileth on the rich. Well, whiles I am a beggar, I will rail And say there is no sin but to be rich; And being rich, my virtue then shall be To say there is no vice but beggary. Since kings break faith upon Commodity, Gain, be my lord, for I will worship thee.

561kingshe refers to King John and King Philip;compositionagreement; 562the wholei.e., the whole kingdom of England; 563departed withgiven up; 564Francei.e., King Philip (monarchs were often referred to by their countries' names);whose armor conscience buckled oni.e., who prepared to fight because he was guided by his conscience;fieldbattlefield; 566God's own soldierbecause he was fighting for Arthur's divine right to the English throne (see "Riding Shotgun with God," page 235);roundedwhispered; 568that still breakshe who still breaks;patehead; 569break-vowvow breaker;wins of allconquers all; gets the better of everyone; 570maidsunmarried, virginal women; 573smooth-facedhaving a mild, pleasing appearance;ticklingflattering; seductive;Commodityprofit; personal advantage; self-interest (here, personified as a smooth-faced gentleman); 574biasnatural inclination, tendency; 575whowhich;peisèdpoised, balanced; 577vile-drawingluring or drawing into baseness or evil; 578sway of motioninfluence on impulses and actions; 579iti.e., the world;take head fromflee from, rush away from;indifferencymoderation; impartiality; 582bawdpimp; procurer; 583Clapped onhastily put on;outward eyethe external view or perspective (as opposed to the "inward eye"--conscience); 584drawnlured;his own determined aidassistance he had decided to give; 585resolveddecreed; 586vile-concludeddespicably settled or agreed upon; 587rail I ondo I rail about; do I scold, reproach; 588But for becauseonly because;wooedsolicited; courted; 589thatbecause;powerstrength of character;clutchclench, close up (in refusal); 590hisi.e., Commodity's;fair(1) beautiful; (2) blond, golden-haired; (3) pale, golden;angels(1) celestial beings; (2) evil spirits, demons; (3) gold coins (nicknamed "angels" because they were stamped with the image of the archangel Michael);salute(1) greet; come in contact with; (2) a coin from the reign of Henry V; 591forbecause;my hand, as unattempted yetmy hand, which has not yet been "attempted" or "wooed" by Commodity (i.e., my actions, which have not yet been swayed by Commodity); 593whileswhile; 594butexcept; 597break faithbreak their vows;uponfor the sake of.

The legitimacy of the Bastard's birth may have been questionable, but the results of his parents' illegtimate union are not. His native intelligence and insightfulness are unsurpassed by those of his "legitimate" friends and relatives, as this piece proves. The Bastard displays the ability to see both sides of an issue, even under the emotionally charged circumstances of war: despite the fact that he is solidly on King John's side, he understands that King Philip felt he had the moral high ground, and so the Bastard is disgusted rather than pleased to see his enemy abandon the fight. Later in the piece, the Bastard reveals his self-awareness when he admits that the reason for his rant against Commodity is a simple case of sour grapes. Finally, throughout the piece (and throughout the play), the Bastard displays a remarkable facility with language and rhetoric that makes his monologues a delight to explore.

The range of possible interpretations here is very wide. Is he a ranting poet? Is he a calmly logical philosopher? Or perhaps a little of both? Here are a couple of examples (among many) that demonstrate the variety of possible choices:

(1)Mad world, mad kings, mad composition!Most editors today punctuate the line thus: "Mad world! mad kings! mad composition!" which might lead one to a quite emphatic interpretation--angry, astonished, or even hysterical with laughter. On the other hand, the First Folio punctuation of this line is "Mad world, mad kings, mad composition:"--which might lead one to think that the Bastard is mulling over what he has just heard, musing at it, or perhaps tsk-tsking to himself. Of course, whatever you choose is valid--just don't miss out on the opportunity to consider the many options. Notice also that, rather than building from least to greatest in this short list of mad things, the Bastard is honing in from the general to the specific.

(2)And why rail I on this Commodity?At first glance, this might seem like an obvious tip-off that the Bastard is ranting and railing. But keep in mind thatrailis different fromrant--railsimply means "scold" or "reproach." So perhaps the Bastard is not ranting at all. Or, perhaps he is! Or maybe he has just been building to a rant, but now laughs at himself for it. Again, enjoy exploring the range of choices to find your best fit.

Regardless of how you interpret the Bastard, you cannot escape the poet in him. Poetry thoroughly infiltrates his speech, most noticeably in his use of repetition. First, notice the repetition of key words, which has the effect not only of repeating sounds, but also of strengthening and tying together ideas (mad; maid; Commodity; world; vile; hand; rich). Next, check out the way in which some of these repetitions create a verbal path leading from one idea to the next:maids/ Who, having no external thing to lose / But the word "maid," cheats the poormaid of that / Thatsmooth faced gentleman, ticklingCommodity / Commodity,the bias of theworld/Theworld,who of itself is peisèd well; andwhiles I am abeggar,I will rail / And say there is no sin but to be rich / And being rich, my virtue then shall be / To say there is no vice but beggary.

Notice that the Bastard also uses the repetition of words to develop his personification ofCommodity.He uses the wordthatrepeatedly to build up his introduction ofCommodityand the wordthisrepeatedly to flesh out his descriptions of "him." All of these repetitions cry out for the actor to pay close attention to the use of builds in the monologue. Finally, the repeated use of hyphenated words(purpose-changer; smooth-faced; vile-drawing; all-changing; vile-concluded)threads similar rhythmic patterns through the piece.

Another aspect of the Bastard's poetry is his delicate use of alliteration and assonance(departed/part; breaks/pate/faith; fickle/France; raileth/rich).The most important of these is the rhyming quatrain at the end (be/beggary/Commodity / thee) with which he wraps up his own intentions with regard to Commodity, and neatly ties up the soliloqouy, the scene, and the act.

The ease with which the Bastard formulates his arguments is further proof of his intelligence. He uses two types of antithesis. You'll find extended examples, such as comparing the two kings; comparing thepoor maid'shaving nothing to lose with her having something to lose; and comparing King Philip's previous influence--his conscience--with his current one, hisoutward eye.You'll also find more concise, poetic examples of antithesis, each contained within a few lines:stop Arthur's title in the whole versus willingly departed with apart; From a resolved and honorable war versus To a most base and vile-concluded peace; whiles I am a beggar, I will rail / And say there is no sin but to be richversusbeing rich, my virtue then shall be / To say there is no vice but beggary.

The Bastard's sharp wit can be seen in his use of puns, metaphor, and personification. The soliloquy is built around the personification ofCommodity,who becomes a brawling, rakish, yet deceptively ingratiating character through the Bastard's use of metaphor(breaks the pate of faith; cheats the poor maid; smooth-faced gentleman).When he refers to Commodity as a bawd, is it possible he has in the back of his mind Blanch, who has just been as good as sold to King Philip (along with her dowry and some land) in return for peace? Personifying Commodity also provides the opportunity to pun on the meanings ofhath not wooed me yet ... my hand, as unattempted yetandof fair angels ... salute my palm.

Another example of the Bastard's wit is the joke he plays on the audience, in which he draws his listeners in to his argument against Commodity, only to surprise them with the punch line in line 598, which reveals his own eagerness to embrace Commodity as soon as he gets the chance.

Scanning line 568 clues you in to the use of the wordthat:

Note that the secondthatfalls on an accented syllable. This supports a common Shakespearean use of "that" to mean "he who" (rather than "that" in the sense of "who" or "which").

There are two ways to scan line 573. If you pronounce all the syllables, the line is hexameter (a six-footed line). Or, you could elidegentlemanto give the line the usual five feet (note the double ending before and the inverted foot after the caesura):

Don't forget to elide:power(POWR) in line 589;

... and to expand:composition(COM-po-ZIH-shee-UN) in line 561 andpeisèd(PAY-zehd) or (PEE-zehd) in line 575.

GENDER : F PROSE/VERSE : blank verse AGE RANGE : adult to mature adult FREQUENCY OF USE (1--5) : 2

If thou that bidst me be content wert grim, Ugly, and slanderous to thy mother's womb, Full of unpleasing blots and sightless stains, Lame, foolish, crooked, swart, prodigious, Patched with foul moles and eye-offending marks, I would not care, I then would be content; For then I would not love thee--no, nor thou Become thy great birth, nor deserve a crown. But thou art fair, and at thy birth, dear boy, Nature and Fortune joined to make thee great. Of Nature's gifts thou mayst with lillies boast And with the half-blown rose; but Fortune, O! She is corrupted, changed and won from thee; She adulterates hourly with thine Uncle John, And with her golden hand hath plucked on France To tread down fair respect of sovereignty, And made his majesty a bawd to theirs. France is a bawd to Fortune and King John--That strumpet Fortune, that usurping John! Tell me, thou fellow, is not France forsworn? Envenom him with words, or get thee gone And leave those woes alone which I alone Am bound to under-bear. I will not go with thee; I will instruct my sorrows to be proud, For grief is proud, and makes his owner stoop. To me, and to the state of my great grief, Let kings assemble; for my grief's so great That no supporter but the huge firm earth Can hold it up. Here I and sorrows sit; Here is my throne, bid kings come bow to it.

43that bidstwho asks;content calm;grimshocking or distressing to look at; 44slanderousdisgraceful; 45sightlessunsightly;blotsdisfigurements;stainsblotches; 46crookedhaving a bent back; deformed;swartswarthy;prodigious(1) monstrous, deformed; and thus (2) portending evil; 47Patcheddisfigured; 49nor thounor would you; 50Becomebe suitable for, befit;great birthhigh-ranking noble status, due to lineage; 51fair(1) handsome; and thus (2) auspicious, favorable; 52Naturea personification (usually female) of the forces of nature, commonly used in Shakespeare's time;Fortunea personification (always female) of the power that decides one's fate, commonly used in Shakespeare's time;joinedjoined together (in partnership); 54half-blownpartly blossomed[Of Nature's...roseYou may boast that nature has given you a complexion as delicate and white as lillies, and cheeks as red and perfect as a blossoming rose]; 55changed(1) of another mind or disposition; (2) capriciously fickle in affection or loyalty;won from theelured away from you; 56adulteratescommits adultery;57 golden(1) auspicious, favorable to success and happiness; (2) yielding wealth, profitable;hand(1) the symbol of power or action; (2) the palm of the hand [with her golden hand(1) with her power to bestow success and happiness; (2) with her palm lined with gold, i.e., with bribes];plucked onincited;Francei.e., King Philip II (monarchs were often referred to by their countries' names); 58tread downtrampleon; fairhonorable, just;offor;sovereignty(1) right to be the sovereign ruler; (2) royal dignity; 59his majestyi.e., King Philip's royalty;bawdpimp, procurer;theirsi.e., King John's and Fortune's; 62fellowmale person or servant (often used contemptuously--Constance's use of it to Salisbury, a nobleman, is extremely insulting);forswornperjured, guilty of breaking his vow; 63EnvenomPoison, destroy[Envenom ... wordsSay something nasty abouthim]; get thee goneget out of here; 65bounddestined, forced;under-bearendure; 69stoopyield, submit; 70state(1) condition (of grief); (2) greatness, majesty; (3) chair of state, a canopied chair or throne (Constance's grief has made her as proud as a monarch); 71Let kings assemblei.e., let King Philip and King John assemble before Constance, as subjects do before their monarch when he or she sits in state.

Take the driving ambition of Lady Macbeth and combine it with the tender but fierce mothering style of a lioness, and what do you get? Constance. When Constance enters a room, everybody knows it--her sheer power and charisma come through in her speech. Notice that her favorite method of communication is grand metaphor.

First, Constance describes the current situation as a sordid love affair:Fortuneat first loves Arthur, but is wooed away andwonby King John. King Philip acts as abawdfor thestrumpet Fortunein her adulterous affair with John. What more vulgar metaphor could be devised as an insult to not one, but two kings?

With regard to herself, Constance uses two metaphors. First, briefly, that of a falcon: rather than being owner of her grief, she is its servant. Grief is personified as her master, making herstoop,just as the owner trains its falcon to stoop (dive on command) for prey. Finally, Constance's grief becomes a royal presence--one so proud that kings mustcome bowto Constance'sgreat state.

These metaphors are often conveyed with the help of antithesis. Using the hawking metaphor, she saysgrief is proud, and makes his owner stoop.The antithetical comparison of what isUglyandprodigiouswith what isfair(and thus auspicious) is tied to the metaphor of ahalf blawn rosefor her beautiful young son. (If you are working on several Constance pieces, you will find that this metaphor is revisited in III.iv, when she envisions her captured son as a bud eaten away by a cankerworm.)

The larger-than-life scope of her metaphors suggests that Constance is one of those people to whom Something Big is always happening. It is difficult to imagine her in a tranquil emotional state. With Constance, the intensity of the gamma ray is always on HIGH. This comes through in the way she uses words: she doesn't say "Here I and my sorrows sit" or "Here I and sorrow sit," she saysHere I and sorrows sit,implying that she doesn't just sit there with her own sorrow, but with all the sorrows of the world.

The wordsorrows,along with many others, appears more than once. Notice which words Constance uses again and again:fair(twice);birth(twice);Fortune(4 times);John(3 times);France(3 times);bawd(twice);alone(twice);grief(3 times);proud (twice); great(4 times);kings(twice);sorrows(twice). Many of Constance's issues stand out in bold relief in this list. Here are some of the things that jump out at us: (1) Fate--Constance is obsessed by the idea that her fate and Arthur's are controlled by an outside force. She rails atFortune;she believes that Arthur'sfaircountenance is an auspicous sign; she feels she isboundto endure her hardships. (2) The importance of rank and power--Constance is infuriated by the injustice of Arthur'sbirthbeing ignored; she feels he will begreat;she intensely resents the power of thekingsto usurp and betray. (3) Sorrow and solitude--Constance feels acutely the wrongs done to her and her child. Hergriefandsorrowsare of a grand scale; she feelsalone,and she is alone--a widow without companionship or male protection in a patriarchal world.

The repetition of these words not only creates a sort of mantra of what's on Constance's mind, but also contributes to the repetition of sounds in the piece. The use of rhyme, alliteration, and assonance appear in strategic places: the repetition of contemptuous, hiSSing Ss insightless stainsis in stark contrast with the line immediately following it, which is made up of motley, disparate sounds (Lame, foolish, crooked, swart, prodigious).This contrast emphasizes the aural picture of the ugliness she paints. At other moments, little bursts of alliteration highlight important words or ideas in her sentences:moles / marks;birth / boy; fellow / France / forsworn; bound / under-bear; great I grief / grief's / great; sorrows/ sit. The assonance in the piece allows Constance to fully express her feelings through the use of moaning Os:boast / blown / rose / O; woes / alone / alone.(For more on the wordO,see "O, No! An O!," page xxxiii.)

The most striking sound repetition in the piece is rhyme. There is, of course, the rhyming couplet at the end, in which the sharp, repeated sounds ofsitanditwrap up the piece with spittingly defiant finality. Don't forget to heed the embedded stage direction,Here I and sorrows sit.Just before it there's a caesura, providing the perfect pause to do just that. (FYI: another embedded stage direction later in the scene indicates that she has seated herself not in a chair, but on the ground.)

A more unusual series of rhymes and half rhymes is found at the end of the first section:John / John / forsworn / gone/alone.Notice the strong associations that are formed here among King John, betrayal, and Constance's solitude. This string is followed by a surprisingly abrupt short line. Between the two sections, where Salisbury's half line and the half line of her reply to him have been omitted, there is an opportunity to use the combined four feet of pause to make your transition into the next section of the piece.

It is important to decide whom Constance is addressing with which lines. She is obviously speaking to Arthur at the beginning of the piece, and to Salisbury by the time she saysTell me, thou fellow.In between there are many decisions to make: When she speaks to Arthur, has she taken him aside so that they're speaking in semiprivacy? Or does she speak before Salisbury, so that her sentiments are also for his benefit? Or perhaps she thinks so little of Salisbury that she is indifferent to his presence at the beginning of the piece? You must also determine specifically when she shifts her focus, and whether there are transitional sections where she addresses them both. Your decisions will lead you to explore the many delicious ways to use theFrance is a bawd to Fortune and KingJohnmetaphor--perhaps to pounce on Salisbury, to berate him, embarrass him, or shame him, etc.

One thing is sure, Constance is none too pleased with Salisbury, as is evidenced by her use of the familartheeandthou,which, though appropriate for her son, can be extremely insulting to an adult of equal rank. She also calls himfellow,a term applied to servants, and often used contemptuously to those of lower rank.

SIGNIFICANT SCANS

Line 46 is a little tricky to scan. Here's what we think works best: treat it as a headless line, with a silent half foot at the first caesura, and a double ending.

Line 50 is also unusual. The third foot (birth, nor) is a spondee, i.e.,bothsyllables are accented:

Don't forget to elide:slanderous(SLAN-druss) in line 44 andhourly(OWR-LEE) in line 56;

... and to elide and contract:She adulterates(sha-DUL-trates) in line 56.

GENDER : F PROSE/VERSE : blank verse AGE RANGE : adult to mature adult FREQUENCY OF USE (1--5) : 3

Lo, now! Now, see the issue of your peace!

 

[KING PHILIP:Patience, good lady! Comfort, gentle Constance!]

 

No, I defy all counsel, all redress But that which ends all counsel, true redress--Death! Death! O, amiable, lovely Death! Thou odoriferous stench! Sound rottenness! Arise forth from the couch of lasting night, Thou hate and terror to prosperity, And I will kiss thy detestable bones, And put my eyeballs in thy vaulty brows, And ring these fingers with thy household worms, And stop this gap of breath with fulsome dust, And be a carrion monster like thyself. Come, grin on me, and I will think thou smilest And buss thee as thy wife. Misery's love, O, come to me!

 

[KING PHILIP:O fair affliction, peace!]

 

O, that my tongue were in the thunder's mouth! Then with a passion would I shake the world And rouse from sleep that fell anatomy, Which cannot hear a lady's feeble voice--Which scorns a modern invocation.

 

[PANDULPH:Lady, you utter madness and not sorrow.]

 

I am not mad: This hair I tear is mine; My name is Constance; I was Geoffrey's wife; Young Arthur is my son, and he is lost. I am not mad--I would to Heaven I were, For then 'tis like I should forget myself. O, if I could, what grief should I forget! Preach some philosophy to make me mad, And thou shalt be canonized, Cardinal--For, being not mad but sensible of grief, My reasonable part produces reason How I may be delivered of these woes, And teaches me to kill or hang myself. If I were mad I should forget my son, Or madly think a babe of clouts were he. I am not mad: Too well, too well I feel The different plague of each calamity.

21LoLook (used to draw someone's attention);issueresult, consequence;your peacei.e., the peace treaty brokered between King Philip and King John, now broken; 23defyreject;counseladvice;redressassistance; 24But thatExcept for the one;counseldeliberation, reflection;odoriferousfragrant; 27Arise forth fromCome up out of;couchbed, place of rest;lastingeverlasting [the couch of lasting nighteither (i) a tomb or (2) Hell]; 28Thou hate ... successyou who are hated and feared by those currently enjoying good fortune; 30vaultyhollow, cavernous; 31ringencircle, as with a ring;householdunder the same government[thy household wormsthe worms you govern]; 32stopfill up;this gap of breathi.e., my mouth;fulsomephysically disgusting, sickening; 33carrionskeleton; 34grinbear one's teeth to express malice, scorn or anguish (a skeleton's natural expression); 35busskiss;asas if I were; 38that my tongue were in the thunder's mouthi.e., if only I could speak as loudly as thunder; 39with a passionviolently [with a passion ... the worldI would violently shake the world (with my thunderous words)]; 40that fell anatomythat deadly skeleton (i.e., death, which in Shakespeare's day, like today, was often personified as a skeleton); 42modernordinary; 46GeoffreyConstance's husband, Geoffrey, Duke of Brittany, was King John's older brother and would have been next in line when King Richard I died had he still been alive at the time; 48wouldwish;likelikely;shouldwould;forget myselfforget who I am; forget who I have been; 51philosophymental exercise; 52Cardinalshe speaks to Cardinal Pandulph, the Pope's legate; 53sensible of griefcapable of feeling grief [being not mad ... griefnot being insane (and therefore unaware of my circumstances), but, rather, being capable of feeling grief]; 54reasonable partthat part of me that is endowed with reason (i.e., the mind); 55be delivered ofgive birth to, have taken out of me;produces reason / How ... woesthinks of a logical way that I might be relieved of these sorrows; 58babe of cloutsrag doll [think a babe of clouts were he(1) mistake a rag doll for my son; or (2) think he were merely a rag doll]; 59too well I feelI feel too strongly; 60The different plague of each calamitythe distinct torment of each disaster.

Ironically, Constance the Ranter is a good listener. She wins all of her arguments because she listens to what is said to her and turns it around to prove her own point. She does so three times in this monologue, twice against King Philip and then against Pandulph the Papal legate. She does so because she wants to be heard herself ... and clearly understood. As emotional as she seems here, she has not relinquished control of herself or of the conversation. Sadly, it is her entire life that she has lost control of. In this scene, Constance has chosen to come meet with King Philip, Pandulph, and the rest (she was not sent for), and, when she has made her point, she will choose to leave. She blames them for Arthur's capture and has come to make them aware of their direct responsibility for his and her impending deaths, for it does seem likely that the little boy will be killed by his captors, if the abject conditions of his imprisonment don't kill him first, and Constance feels she cannot live without him.

Since Constance is wont to rave and rant, you must decide how much of her lamentation is about her own circumstances (she won't be the mother of a king) and how much is about her son's (he's in grave danger); to what extent this lamentation is an expression of pure grief and to what extent (if any) Constance is taking any of her usual delight in melodramatic expression of discontent. Note that Constance uses the word O four times in this one passage. (Please check out "O, No! AnO!" page xxxiii.)

This monologue affords an actor a wonderful opportunity to have fun with varied material and to work on transitions. There are several complete transitions in the piece, from the lines where Constance defiantly answers King Philip to the lines wherein she propositions Death; from her seduction of Death to her wish for thunder's voice; from the thunder imagery to her powerful proof of her sanity and her right to feel grief. To create the monologue, short dialogue has been removed between these segments. Your mission (should you choose to accept it) is to find the thought connections that will smooth these transitions.

After "dissing" King Philip (a bold move--remember, this is the ruler of France! Or maybe not so bold--if she truly wishes to die, she has nothing to lose!), Constance employs horrifyingly sensuous imagery to express her desire to die, personifying Death and trying to rouse him from his dark bedchamber to be her lover/husband. Make the images specific: each builds on those that precede it, leading up to her most horrible image--that of her kissing Death as a wife would. Notice her use of the familiar, intimatethywhen addressing Death. Constance employs oxymorons throughout this section (amiable, lovely death; odoriferous stench; sound rottenness; grin on me / I will think thou smilest) to showthat she welcomes those elements of death that frighten most people, since they are preferable to life without her beloved child.

In the final section, Constance asserts her sanity in a well-constructed argument (again using antithesis, contrasting Pandulph's notions of crazy versus sane behavior with her own, and contrasting her living child, worthy of lamentation, with a mere rag doll). She first runs through the same kind of checklist we use to test presence of mind today (I know who I am, who my husband was, who my child is, my home address, what day of the week it is, who the President of the United States is ...). She very effectively rebuts Pandulph's assertion that she is crazy by asserting that her reaction to her child's imprisonment proves quite the opposite: only one who has lost touch with reality could be tranquil and happy in her situation. Her answer is entirely reasonable--those among us who have had the misfortune of losing a child (or who can empathize with such a loss) can feel their chests constrict in pain as she claims her right to feel, and express, anguish. Constance wraps up this section in the last four lines with three patterns of sound that will reverberate in her listeners' ears--and minds. The first is her repetition ofmad(ly).The second is the repetition of the phrasetoo welland its half-rhyme with the phraseI feelthat follows. The third is the rhyme of the second and fourth of these lines:a babe of clouts were he / of each calamity.

Note: if you have the opportunity to present a longer monologue and wish to carry Constance's gorgeous lament to its conclusion, this monologue can be linked with the monologue she delivers next (see page 29).

Notice the remarkable evenness of both sections. There are only very occasional variations in meter. In the second section, the meter's nearly perfect unbroken regularity creates an evenness of tone that supports Constance's argument that she is rational and sane.

The lineO, come to me!is only two feet long (when performed as a scene, the other three feet are spoken by King Philip). When performing this as a monologue, taking the three feet as silent feet gives you a chance to make a transition to the next section.

Notice the pronunciation ofdetestable(DEE-tess-TUH-ble) in line 29. Try it. See how it emphasizes the meaning of the word. Also notice thatcanonizedis written to be pronounced ca-NON-ized. You may choose to pronounce it that way to preserve the line's perfect iambic pentameter, or you may prefer to sacrifice the meter in order to pronounce the word in a way more comprehensible to today's audience.

Line 25 is a bit tricky to scan. We suggest that you build in two pauses and then both elideamiable(A-mya-ble) and crowd the fourth foot, as follows:

Or, keeping the pauses, you could choose to pronounceamiablewith four syllables and treat the line as hexameter:

In either case, note that the third foot is a spondee (i.e., both syllables are accented). Coupled with the marked repetition ofDeath, the variations in this line give the actor much to play with.

Don't forget to elide:odoriferous(O-duh-RIF'-russ) in line 26;carrion(CA-RYON) in line 33;smilest(SMILST) in line 34;Heaven(HEV'N) in line 48; andbeing(BEENG) in line 53;

... and to expand:invocation(IN-voh-CAY'-shee-UN) in line 42 andreasonable(REE'-zon-AH-ble) in line 54.

GENDER: F PROSE/VERSE: blank verse AGE RANGE: adult to mature adult FREQUENCY OF USE (1-5): 3

Yes, that I will; and wherefore will I do it? I tore them from their bonds and cried aloud, "O that these hands could so redeem my son, As they have given these hairs their liberty!" But now I envy at their liberty, And will again commit them to their bonds, Because my poor child is a prisoner. And, father Cardinal, I have heard you say That we shall see and know our friends in Heaven: If that be true, I shall see my boy again, For since the birth of Cain, the first male child, To him that did but yesterday suspire, There was not such a gracious creature born. But now will canker sorrow eat my bud And chase the native beauty from his cheek, And he will look as hollow as a ghost, As dim and meager as an ague's fit, And so he'll die; and rising so again, When I shall meet him in the court of Heaven I shall not know him. Therefore never, never Must I behold my pretty Arthur more.

 

Grief fills the room up of my absent child, Lies in his bed, walks up and down with me, Puts on his pretty looks, repeats his words, Remembers me of all his gracious parts, Stuffs out his vacant garments with his form: Then have I reason to be fond of grief! Fare you well. Had you such a loss as I, I could give better comfort than you do. I will not keep this form upon my head, When there is such disorder in my wit. O Lord! My boy, my Arthur, my fair son! My life, my joy, my food, my all the world! My widow-comfort, and my sorrows' cure!

69that I willI will do that (i.e., I will bind up my hairs);whereforewhy; 70themi.e., her hairs;bondsthe cords or bands which held her hairdo in place; 71thatI wish that; if only;sothus; in the same manner; 73envy atenvy (i.e., she feels envy when she compares her hair's liberty with Arthur's captivity); 74commitimprison [again commit ... bondsi.e., tie them (her hairs) up again]; 76father Cardinalshe speaks to Cardinal Pandulph; 77friendsloved ones; 79Cainthe first baby born on earth; 80ToUp until;butonly, just;suspiredraw breath [To him ... suspireup until the baby that drew its first breath (was born) just yesterday (i.e., the most recent baby born on earth)]; 81gracious(1) lovely, beautiful; (2) righteous, virtuous; 82cankercankerworm, a worm that eats blossoms;my budreferring to Arthur [will canker ... budsorrow will eat away at my son like a cankerworm]; 83nativenatural; 84hollowsunken; 85dimlusterless, dull;meagerthin;ague'sfit fit of chills and shivering caused by a severe fever; 86sothus; in this condition;rising so againrising (to Heaven) in this condition; 88knowrecognize; 89never/Must I beholdI will never be able to see;prettypleasing, fine;moreagain; 93Grief fills ... absent child(1) Grief fills the room with memories of my absent child; and (2) Grief (itself) fills up my absent child's empty room; 95repeatscalls to mind the sound of; 96Remembersreminds;partsa person's good looks and good character; 97Stuffs outfills; 98Then have I reasontherefore I have reason; 101this form upon my headmy hair bound up in this manner; 102witmind [disorder in my witchaos in my mind (not insanity)]; 103fairbeautiful.

There's no doubt about it--the most difficult thing about this piece is jumping in: your very first line is the answer to a command the audience hasn't heard. Never fear! It is completely possible to use this wonderful piece and get your audience past that little difficulty. First of all, with the first line, don't worry that they don't know what you're agreeing to do in such a defiant manner. If you are invested in your reply, the audience will be lured in--eager to listen and find out what's going on. In the next few lines, Constance explains that she has taken her hair down. If you're still concerned, keep in mind Shakespeare's embedded stage directions: Constance says,I will again commit them to their bonds.Doing so will tip the audience off. No problem. Stay tuned for more stage directions later in the piece, when Constance says,I will not keep this form upon my head(whereupon she obviously takes her hair back down).

The physicality of putting the hair up and tearing it down allows Constance to act out the ideas she expresses in the monologue. It's a perfect complement to her characteristically melodramatic, overblown words. Constance has behaved in this manner throughout the play: perhaps she gets such a cold response because she is a bit like the boy who cried wolf. That fact, however, does not mitigate her loss one iota. Constance's pain and fear are very real, very intense. Part of the work to be done is discovering what exactly that pain is about. How much of it is true grief at losing her child, versus the grief of losing his birthright? After all, Constance is a woman who would herself have loved to rule: since she couldn't, seeing her son rule would have been the next best thing. How much of Constance's pain has to do with her loss of power? How much with her delight in melodrama? How much with fearing that her child might already be dead?

The power of these emotions makes it more important than ever to clarify your objectives in this scene. One thing that will help you will be to examine the piece and decide to whom Constance is speaking with every line. There are a lot of possible answers: King Philip, Pandulph, Lewis, Attendant, all of them, herself, God.

Constance's unusual mode of attack at the monologue's onset starts it off with intensity: notice that she uses King Philip's own suggestion to "bind up her hairs" against him, and then makes the odd choice to quote herself. Is this for added effect? Is she trying to relive for him the moment when she found out Arthur was gone? Is she driving home her point? Similar questions arise when Constance reminds the Cardinal of his own words to her, thatwe shall see and know our friends in Heaven.Is she being sarcastic with him, throwing his naive statement in his face? Or does she believe that what he has said is true, and fear what that might mean?

Being a drama queen, Constance is prone to using vivid imagery, often contrastingher images: all children ever born on earth versus her son; hisgraciouslooks when he was with her versus thedim and meagerlook he'll have in prison; the freedom of her hairs versus her son's imprisonment. Constance also personifiesGrief, who takes the place of her absent son and imitates him. The personification is another device that expresses her emotions as larger than life, so large that they are physically present.

Constance's dark words are made even darker by the double meanings layered between her lines: (1)commit them to their bonds--she will not simply tie up her hair, but will restrain and imprison it, just as her son is restrained and imprisoned; (2)canker sorrow will eat my bud--sorrow will eat away at her child, and worms will eat him in his grave; (3)I will not keep this form upon my head--Constance sees no reason to keep her hair or her mind in orderly form (this is especially significant if you are combining this piece with the previous monologue, in which Constance has argued that she isnot mad,i.e., not crazy, but that she wishes she were). For help using the word O to its most dramatic effect, see "O, No! AnO!," page xxxiii.

Finally, in the last three lines, Constance delivers a litany of the things Arthur was to her, and it's no mistake that she repeatsmywith every one. This is, after all, about Constance, and what she has lost in losing her son.

Note: if you have the opportunity to present a longer monologue, this piece can be linked with the previous one (see page 23).

Note the crowded foot (I shall see) in line 78 (or you may contractI shallto I'll):

You'll find another crowded foot (such a) in line 99, which is also headless:

And notice that line 75 has a dramatic-sounding spondee (a foot with two accented syllables) in it:

Don't forget to elide:given(GIV'N) in line 72.

GENDER: M PROSE/VERSE: blank verse AGE RANGE: young adult to adult FREQUENCY OF USE (1-5) : 3

Your Grace shall pardon me, I will not back. I am too highborn to be propertied, To be a secondary at control, Or useful servingman and instrument To any sovereign state throughout the world. Your breath first kindled the dead coal of wars Between this chastised kingdom and myself, And brought in matter that should feed this fire; And now 'tis far too huge to be blown out With that same weak wind which enkindled it. You taught me how to know the face of right, Acquainted me with interest to this land, Yea, thrust this enterprise into my heart; And come ye now to tell me John hath made His peace with Rome? What is that peace to me? I, by the honor of my marriage bed, After young Arthur, claim this land for mine; And now it is half-conquered, must I back Because that John hath made his peace with Rome? Am I Rome's slave? What penny hath Rome borne, What men provided, what munition sent To underprop this action? Is't not I That undergo this charge? Who else but I, And such as to my claim are liable, Sweat in this business and maintain this war? Have I not heard these islanders shout outVive le roi!as I have banked their towns? Have I not here the best cards for the game To win this easy match, played for a crown? And shall I now give o'er the yielded set? No, no, on my soul, it never shall be said.

78Your Gracehe speaks to Pandulph;shallmust (as opposed to "will");backgo back; back down; 79propertiedused as someone else's property or tool; manipulated; 80secondary at controlsubordinate or assistant, controlled by a higher authority; 84this chastised kingdomi.e., England; 85mattersubstance;that should feedto feed; 87enkindledkindled; 88know the face of rightrecognize what is just; recognize a just claim to title or inheritance; 89interest tomy interest in; my legal claim to; 90enterpriseundertaking; 92Romei.e., the Pope and the Catholic Church; 93honor ofrank that I hold through; 94ArthurKing John's nephew, son of John's deceased older brother Geoffrey; 95now it isnow that it is; 96Because thatbecause; 99underpropsupport;actionmilitary enterprise; 100undergoundertake; take on; endure;chargemilitary attack; 101liable(1) allied; (2) subject [such as to my claim are liablesuch people as are allied with or subject to my claim to the crown]; 103islandersi.e., the English; 104Vive le roi!Long live the King! (French);banked(1) landed on the banks of; (2) sailed past the banks of; (3) won [a pun: in card playing, to bank was to win]; 107yielded setgame that is as good as won.

Who does that Pope think he is, the most powerful man in Europe or something? Sending that bossy legate of his to order kings and princes around! Well, the future King of France will not be dictated to by some Vatican bureaucrat in an oversized hat.

Lewis is a young man, and everything about his speech reflects his youthful, masculine attitude, as well as his background: as the Dauphin, he's not used to being told what to do, and it doesn't suit him well at all. Lewis is a normal, red-blooded male, full of rash self-confidence and further endowed with a sense of royal self-righteousness. So even though the Pope wields enormous power, Lewis has no fear--or if he does, he ignores it and hides it well. Notice that Lewis does not hesitate for a second in his reply to Pandulph. He is polite on the surface (Your Grace shall pardon me) but absolutely stubborn and verging on rudeness from the very beginning. He uses hard consonants such as Bs, Ks, Ps, and Ts to forcefully rebuff Pandulph (back; propertied; control), ending each of the first few lines with a punch.

The build in this piece is neatly embedded in its rhythmic structure. The first lines flow along easily, following iambic pentameter with few outstanding variations, until Lewis hits the crux of the matter: The idea inAnd come ye now to tell me John hath made / His peace with Rome?continues past the end of one line and ends abruptly, halfway through the next one. This contrast highlights the first of a series of questions Lewis fires at Pandulph. As the questions begin to flow, fast and furious, they are enhanced by more frequent metric variations. The next question that ends mid-line is another important idea in Lewis's progression, and marks the moment when he starts to get more caustic:Am I Rome's slave?Two more questions end mid-line, each setting up a startling jumping-off point for Lewis to get at what's really important--his own sacrifice, and his own rights. He usesImany times in the piece, but it receives the most emphasis here, at the ends of these two successive lines, because of the structural setup.

Lewis uses noticeably few repeated sounds in this monologue, making line 87 particularly striking: it has both alliterative Ws (With / weak / wind / which) and assonant Is (With / wind / which / enkindled / it). What could be the reason for singling out this line? Is Lewis getting extra mileage out of his jab at Pandulph's weakness, especially by using those wimpy W/I combinations?

As we can gather from his avoidance of most poetic devices, Lewis is a pretty straightforward guy. We hate to stereotype, but the fact is, Lewis chooses three of the most stereotypical metaphors a young guy could possibly come up with. First, fire: Pandulph kindled thedead coalof wars between England and France; now the fire is raging sohugethat thewindwhichenkindled itis tooweaktoblow it out. (Perhaps Lewis is not quite out of his pyromaniac stage.) Second, games: specifically, a card game. He hasbankedtheir towns; he has thebest cards for the game;he's playing aneasy match,and the prize is the crown; why should he give over theyielded set? Lewis's third metaphor is sex. Here's the double (and sometimes not so double) entendre:too highborn= two (testicles), borne high;best cards= best cods = best scrotum;the game= sexual intercourse;easy= readily available for sex;match= bout of love;played= amused oneself sexually;crown= genitals;yielded= sexually impotent.

The double entendre here is fun to know about, but a bit obscure. Feel free to ignore it or use it, as you choose.

For line 104, you must pronounce both syllables ofVive(noting the inverted first foot):

Line 108 is a little tricky. Just elideon my:

And don't forget to expand:liable(LIE-uh-BLE) in line 101.

GENDER: M PROSE/VERSE: blank verse AGE RANGE: adult to mature adult FREQUENCY OF USE (1-5): 3

By all the blood that ever fury breathed, The youth says well. Now hear our English king, For thus his Royalty doth speak in me: He is prepared--and reason too he should; This apish and unmannerly approach, This harnessed masque and unadvised revel This unhaired sauciness and boyish troops The King doth smile at, and is well prepared To whip this dwarfish war, these pygmy arms, From out the circle of his territories. That hand which had the strength, even at your door, To cudgel you and make you take the hatch, To dive like buckets in concealèd wells, To crouch in litter of your stable planks, To lie like pawns locked up in chests and trunks, To hug with swine, to seek sweet safety out In vaults and prisons, and to thrill and shake Even at the crying of your nation's crow, Thinking this voice an armed Englishman-- Shall that victorious hand be feebled here That in your chambers gave you chastisement? No! Know the gallant monarch is in arms And like an eagle o'er his aery towers, To souse annoyance that comes near his nest. And you degenerate, you ingrate revolts, You bloody Neroes, ripping up the womb Of your dear mother England, blush for shame; For your own ladies and pale-visaged maids Like Amazons come tripping after drums, Their thimbles into armèd gauntlets change, Their needles to lances, and their gentle hearts To fierce and bloody inclination.

 

Indeed, your drums, being beaten, will cry out; And so shall you, being beaten. Do but start An echo with the clamor of thy drum, And even at hand a drum is ready braced That shall reverberate all as loud as thine. Sound but another, and another shall, As loud as thine, rattle the welkin's ear And mock the deep-mouthed thunder; for at hand--Not trusting to this halting legate here, Whom he hath used rather for sport than need--Is warlike John; and in his forehead sits A bare-ribbed Death, whose office is this day To feast upon whole thousands of the French.

127that ever fury breathedthat was ever breathed by a storm of rage (i.e., that was ever spilled because of fury); 128The youthi.e., Lewis;says wellspeaks well and to the purpose; 129his Royaltyhis Majesty (i.e., King John);in methrough me; 130preparedi.e., prepared to fight;reason too he shouldhe has good reason, too; 131unmannerlyrude, indecent;approachhostile advance, attack; 132harnesseddressed in armor;masqueelaborately costumed performance (Philip calls Lewis's advance a ridiculous performance of actors costumed as soldiers in armor);unadvisèdrash, unwise, imprudent;revelfestivity, merrymaking; 133unhairedbeardless, immature;boyishchildish, immature; 134doth smile atsmiles at (scornfully, indulgently, or with amusement);135 whipdrive out by whipping;these pygmy armsthese tiny (and therefore insignificant) weapons; 136From outout of;circleperimeter, boundary; 137That handi.e., King John's forces;at your doori.e., at your own border; 138take the hatchretreat quickly (as if leaping through the hatch of a door); 139dive like buckets in concealèd wellshide by diving down like buckets plunging into hidden wells; 140litteran animal's bed of straw [crouch in litter...plankscrouch down in the straw on the floor of your stable (to hide)]; 141pawns(1) objects taken as security for a loan; (2) chess pieces; 142hug with swinebe locked in an embrace with pigs (in order to conceal oneself while hiding in a pigpen); 143to thrillto have a shiver run up the spine, to tremble; 144the crying of your nation's crow(i.e., the sound of the rooster, the traditional symbol of France, contemptuously called a crow by Philip); 145Thinking this voice anarmèd Englishmanmistaking the sound of the rooster for the sound of an English soldier; 147the gallant monarchi.e., King John;in armsarmed; 149And likeand is like;aeryeagle's high nest (also, stronghold built on a height);towersflies directly upward before swooping [And like ... towersand soars like an eagle over his high nest before swooping to attack]; 150Toprepared to;souseswoop down on, pounce on;annoyanceharm, injury; 151ingrate(inGRATE) ungrateful;revoltsdeserters, rebels (the Bastard now turns to speak to the three English lords who have defected to the French); 152NeroesNero was the cruel Roman emperor who set Rome on fire and killed his own mother, ripping open her womb upon her death; 154Forbecause;pale-visagedpale-faced;maidsunmarried, virginal women; 155Amazonsin Greek mythology, a nation of fierce female warriors;tripping afterdancing along behind (also, stumbling morally, by adopting the men's enthusiasm for war);drumsdrums were used to lead troops to battle; 156armèd gauntletsiron gloves used in armed combat [Their thimbles into armèd gauntlets changechange their thimbles into iron gauntlets]; 158inclinationboth (1) disposition and (2) the slanting angle of a lance during armed combat; 167Do but startIf you even start; 168clamorthe sound of the drum [Do but start ... drumIf you even dare to begin making the slightest echo of sound with your drums (i.e., if you even begin to hint at making an attack)]; 169Andthen;even(1) likewise; (2) at the same time;ready bracedprepared and ready [even at hand ... bracedour drum is right nearby, just as ready as yours (i.e., our troops are standing by, poised to attack)]; 170all as loud as thineevery bit as loudly as yours (by saying that the English drums will be every bit as loud as the French, the Bastard implies that the English troops will rush into battle as vigorously); 171Sound but anotherIf you strike another drum (to lead another battalion into battle);and anotheri.e., and another of our drums (leading another English battalion); 172the welkin'sthe sky's; 173deep-moutheddeep-voiced; 174trusting tohaving confidence in, placing trust in;haltingwavering, backsliding;legateambassador of the Pope (here, referring to Pandulph); 175hath used rather for sport than needhas used for amusement, rather than out of need; 176in his foreheadi.e., in the expression on his face (giving insight into his mood and intention); 177A bare-ribbed DeathDeath (personified as a skeleton);officeassignment, task, job;in his forehead ... Frenchi.e., the look on John's face bespeaks his intention to slaughter thousands of the French in battle today.

Do you think that the Bastard was sorry to hear Lewis declare that he would not withdraw from England? We don't. There are enough indications throughout the play that the Bastard is itching to fight the French, so he's probably pleased to tell Lewis just where the English will be sending him. Philip is a master of sarcasm, and no doubt enjoys putting it to good use here, in order to belittle Lewis and the French troops.

The Bastard's imagery can be quite menacing. He describes his ruler, King John, as an eagle, with sharp talons and beak, swooping at amazing speed to attack the French in order to protect his nest, England. Many of the Bastard's personifications (by all the blood that ever fury breathed; the deep-mouthed thunder; a bare-ribbed Death) are chilling to imagine.

The Bastard belittles Lewis and his silly little French soldiers, using sarcasm, imagery, punning, double entendre, repetition of ideas, and consonance and assonance in combination to achieve new heights of snide: he is scathing in his vivid descriptions of the cowardice of Lewis's soldiers (To dive like buckets in concealèd wells / To crouch in litter of your stable planks / To lie like pawns locked up in chests and trunks / To hug with swine, to seek sweet safety out / In vaults and prisons, and to thrill and shake / Even at the crying of your nation's crow / Thinking this voice an armèd Englishman). Notice that the Bastard, not content with only one depiction, offers six, each more ridiculous than the last, to emphasize his contempt for the French troops, and, possibly, to egg Lewis on. The Bastard enjoys repeating words or ideas to heighten their insult (your drums, being beaten / you, being beaten; you degenerate, you ingrate revolts / You bloody Neroes; No! Know).

In calling Lewis a boy and his attack a mere entertainment (the youth; boyish troops; unhaired sauciness; unadvised; dwarfish; pygmy; the King doth smile at), Philip implies that Lewis is not a man, with the secondary suggestion that he is effeminate. The following second meanings would have been familiar to an Elizabethan audience:masquealso means "prostitute";boyalso refers to a male who takes the "female" role during homosexual intercourse;unmannerlynot only means "rude," but also "unmanly," i.e., "effeminate";unhairednot only implies prepubescent, but also, again, girlish;whipcarries two sexual meanings: (1) castrate; (2) sodomize;dwarfish warpuns on the word "whore";pygmy armsimplies that Lewis has a little penis, since everyone knows that weapons (like cars) are penis substitutes;swinealso means "bugger" (one who sodomizes): hence, the Bastard's description of Lewis's soldiers embracing pigs to hide from the enemy has the secondary meaning that they are getting screwed. This meaning would not have been at all subtle to the audience in Shakespeare's day;drumalso means "buttocks."

Note: it is important that you do not play these meanings overtly, since (1) they arenotthe intended primary meaning; and (2) most of these meanings are no longer in use. They can, however, subtly inform your performance.

The sounds of the piece assist the Bastard in presenting bravura and scathing sarcasm. He starts right off with Bold Bs (By all the blood that ever fury breathed), uses Cold Cs to describe the punishment King John will mete out to Lewis (cudgel you; make you take the hatch; buckets / concealed), uses deriSive Ss when describing the French soldiers' cowardice (swine / seek sweet safety / vaults / prisons; chambers / chastisement), and soaring vowels to describe the eagle (is in arms; like an eagle o'er his aery towers). He really goes on the offensive in the second section, where DominanT Ds and Ts emerge as the prevailing consonant sounds in the section, with Bs as a close runner-up (Indeed / drums / being beaten / cry out / Do but start / drum / at hand / drum / ready braced / that / reverberate / loud / sound / but / loud / rattle / deep-mouthed thunder / at hand / not trusting to / halting / legate / forehead / bare-ribbed Death / day / feast / thousands). He also uses onomatopoeia to underscore the violence he describes (whip;thrill; ripping; rattle).

Notice the remarkably calm and even meter. The Bastard almost never starts new sentences in the middle of lines; where he does (see lines 128 and 167), he wants Lewis to sit up and take notice. The lines are almost all perfectly smoothly iambic--again, the occasional exception is for emphasis. The meter's evenness lends a calmness to the delivery, which creates a far more menacing tone than if the Bastard were erratic and emotional.

Don't forget to elide:territories(TERR'-i-TREES) in line 136;even= e'en (EEN) in lines 137, 144, and 169;victorious(vic-TOR-yuss) in line 146;degenerate(dee-JEN-ret) in line 151;needles(NEEDLZ) in line 157;being(BEENG) in lines 166 and 167; andreverberate(re-VER-bret) in line 170;

... and to expand:inclination(IN-cli-NAY'-shee-UN) in line 158.