Enter a company of Soldiers

FIRST SOLDIER         Brother, good night. Tomorrow is the day.

SECOND SOLDIER     It will determine one way. Fare you well.

Heard you of nothing strange about the streets?

FIRST SOLDIER Nothing. What news?

SECOND SOLDIER Belike ’tis but a rumour. Good night to you.

FIRST SOLDIER Well, sir, good night.

They meet other Soldiers [who are entering]

SECOND SOLDIER Soldiers, have careful watch.

THIRD SOLDIER        And you. Good night, good night.

They place themselves in every corner of the stage

SECOND SOLDIER Here we; an if tomorrow

Our navy thrive, I have an absolute hope

Our landmen will stand up.

FIRST SOLDIER ’Tis a brave army,

And full of purpose.                          (4.3.1-11)

 

It’s a little re-run of the opening of Hamlet; will something uncanny happen? The soldiers are changing guard duty, and so exchanging news—but they all know that tomorrow is the day, the day of the big, decisive battle. It will determine one way, the second soldier agrees: one way or another, it’ll be the end of it. It’s not immediately clear which side these soldiers are on, and it doesn’t matter, really—although what does perhaps matter is that these are soldiers, brothers, loyal to each other, bound by their common experience and identity. But something’s bugging the second soldier, even after he’s said fare you well to his comrade: heard you of nothing strange about the streets? Cautious, taking soundings in a non-committal way, giving nothing away himself. No, nothing, says the first soldier, who’s suspicious now too—what news? Why, have you heard something? The second soldier backtracks, he’s not going to say anything to incriminate himself. Belike ’tis but a rumour. Nothing definite. Probably just idle gossip, whispers. Shuts it down: good night to you. Perhaps reluctantly, perhaps with relief, that’s the first soldier and his men out of there: well, sir, good night.

 

More sophisticated than the beginning of Hamlet in some respects, because here’s more soldiers; this is a three-way exchange, not just two. Soldiers, have careful watch—the second soldier reinforces that there is, in fact, Something Up. Be on your guard. And you, replies the third, oblivious: good night, good night. Off you go. And so they all take up position, a bit nervous? spaced across the stage, which can make them look vulnerable, means that they’re having to speak at a distance. Here we, we’ll stay here, says the second, again—and now he turns to the forthcoming battle, a bit of a morale boost, a bit of swagger: an if tomorrow our navy thrive, I have an absolute hope our landmen will stand up. If the boys at sea do their bit, win there, then we’ll have a chance of success on land. It’ll be alright. ’Tis a brave army, and full of purpose, the first soldier confirms; yes, it’ll be alright, probably, the lads know what they’re doing, and you can’t fault their courage.