Enter Exton and Servants EXTON Didst thou not mark the King, what words he spake? ‘Have I no friend will rid me of this living fear?’ Was it not so? SERVANT These were his very words. EXTON ‘Have I no friend?’ quoth he. He spake it twice And urged it twice together, did he not? […]
Continue ReadingAumerle’s reprieved; the other traitors will be destroyed (5.3.136-145) #KingedUnKinged
BOLINGBROKE 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 […]
Continue ReadingPardon, finally; PLEASE get up, auntie… (5.3.128-135) #KingedUnKinged
BOLINGBROKE Good aunt, stand up. DUCHESS I do not sue to stand. Pardon is all the suit I have in hand. BOLINGBROKE I pardon him as God shall pardon me. DUCHESS O happy vantage of a kneeling knee! Yet am I sick for fear. Speak it again— Twice saying ‘pardon’ doth not pardon twain, […]
Continue ReadingAgain, stuck record: just say PARDON (5.3.118-127) #KingedUnKinged
YORK Speak it in French, King. Say ‘pardonnez-moi’. DUCHESS Dost thou teach pardon pardon to destroy? Ah, my sour husband, my hard-hearted lord That sets the word itself against the word [to Bolingbroke] Speak ‘pardon’ as ’tis current in our land, The chopping French we do not understand. Thine eye begins to speak—set thy tongue […]
Continue ReadingSay ‘pardon’. SAY IT. Or I won’t move, ever (5.3.110-117) #KingedUnKinged
BOLINGBROKE Good aunt, stand up. DUCHESS Nay, do not say ‘stand up’. Say ‘pardon’ first and afterwards ‘stand up’. And 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. […]
Continue ReadingThe Duchess of York: duelling prayers (5.3.98-109) #KingedUnKinged
YORK Ill may thou thrive if thou grant any grace. DUCHESS 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 […]
Continue ReadingThe York family, on their knees… (5.3.96-97) #KingedUnKinged
DUCHESS O King, believe not this hard-hearted man. Love loving not itself, none other can. YORK Thou frantic woman, what dost thou make here, Shall thy old dugs once more a traitor rear? DUCHESS Sweet York, be patient; hear me, gentle liege— [She kneels] BOLINGBROKE Rise up, good aunt. DUCHESS Not yet, I thee beseech. […]
Continue ReadingThe Duchess at the door, about to go full lioness (5.3.75-85) #KingedUnKinged
DUCHESS [within] A woman and thy aunt, great King, ’tis I. Speak with me, pity me, open the door, A beggar begs that never begged before. BOLINGBROKE Our scene is altered from a serious thing And now is changed to ‘The Beggar and the King’. My dangerous cousin, let your mother in— I know she’s […]
Continue ReadingCondemn my son as a traitor! (and, who’s at the door now?) (5.3.66-74) #KingedUnKinged
YORK 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 […]
Continue ReadingDoes a father’s loyalty outweigh a son’s treachery? (5.3.58-65) #KingedUnKinged
BOLINGBROKE 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. (5.3.58-65) […]
Continue Reading