Act 5, Scene 1 — Henry IV, Part 2

The argument Falstaff has arrived at Shallow's house in Gloucestershire on his way back from the wars. Shallow insists he stay the night. While Shallow deals with his man Davy on household business — wheat planting, the cook's pigeons, the blacksmith's bill, a crooked friend who needs court protection — Falstaff agrees to stay. Shallow finally leads everyone inside to dinner. Alone, Falstaff delivers a soliloquy revealing his plan to use Shallow as entertainment material for Prince Hal, predicting that the Prince will laugh until his face looks like a wet coat badly packed.

Enter Shallow, Falstaff, Bardolph and Page.

SHALLOW ≋ verse dialogue

By cock and pie, sir, you shall not away tonight.

What, Davy, I say!

By cock and pie, sir, you shall not away tonight. What, Davy, I say!

cock and pie, sir,

FALSTAFF dialogue

You must excuse me, Master Robert Shallow.

you must excuse me, master

SHALLOW dialogue

I will not excuse you, you shall not be excused. Excuses shall not be

admitted, there is no excuse shall serve, you shall not be excused.

Why, Davy!

I will not excuse you, you shall not be excused. Excuses shall not be admitted, there is no excuse shall serve, you shall not be excused. Why, Davy!

will not excuse you,

Enter Davy.

First appearance

DAVY

Davy is Shallow's servant — practical, efficient, and completely comfortable asking his master to corrupt justice on behalf of a known knave because that knave is Davy's friend. His logic is unanswerable: an honest man can speak for himself; only a knave needs someone to speak for him.

DAVY dialogue

Here, sir.

here, sir.

SHALLOW dialogue

Davy, Davy, Davy, Davy, let me see, Davy, let me see, Davy, let me see.

Yea, marry, William cook, bid him come hither. Sir John, you shall not

be excused.

Davy, Davy, Davy, Davy, let me see, Davy, let me see, Davy, let me see. Yea, marry, William cook, bid him come hither. Sir John, you shall not be excused.

Davy, Davy, Davy, Davy, let me see, Davy, let me see, Davy, let me see. Yea, marry, William cook, bid him come hither. Sir John, you shall n...

davy, davy, davy, davy, let

DAVY dialogue

Marry, sir, thus: those precepts cannot be served; and again, sir—shall

we sow the hade land with wheat?

Marry, sir, thus: those precepts cannot be served; and again, sir—shall we sow the hade land with wheat?

marry, sir, thus: those precepts

SHALLOW dialogue

With red wheat, Davy. But for William cook, are there no young pigeons?

with red wheat, davy. but

DAVY dialogue

Yes, sir. Here is now the smith’s note for shoeing and plough-irons.

yes, sir. here now

SHALLOW dialogue

Let it be cast and paid. Sir John, you shall not be excused.

let cast and

DAVY dialogue

Now, sir, a new link to the bucket must needs be had. And, sir, do you

mean to stop any of William’s wages, about the sack he lost the other

day at Hinckley fair?

Now, sir, a new link to the bucket must needs be had. And, sir, do you mean to stop any of William’s wages, about the sack he lost the other day at Hinckley fair?

Now, sir, a new link to the bucket must needs be had. And, sir, do you mean to stop any of William’s wages, about the sack he lost the other...

now, sir, new link

SHALLOW dialogue

He shall answer it. Some pigeons, Davy, a couple of short-legged hens,

a joint of mutton, and any pretty little tiny kickshaws, tell William

cook.

He shall answer it. Some pigeons, Davy, a couple of short-legged hens, a joint of mutton, and any pretty little tiny kickshaws, tell William cook.

shall answer it. some

Why it matters The Shallow-Davy double-tracking is one of the play's most pleasant comic textures: a country estate being managed in real time, with Falstaff stuck in the middle of it. The mundane completeness of the list — wheat, pigeons, bucket chain, lost wine — is pure domestic realism.

DAVY dialogue

Doth the man of war stay all night, sir?

does the man of war stay all night, sir?

doth the man war

SHALLOW dialogue

Yea, Davy, I will use him well: a friend i’ th’ court is better than a

penny in purse. Use his men well, Davy, for they are arrant knaves, and

will backbite.

Yea, Davy, I will use him well: a friend i’ th’ court is better than a penny in purse. Use his men well, Davy, for they are arrant knaves, and will backbite.

Yea, Davy, I will use him well: a friend i’ th’ court is better than a penny in purse. Use his men well, Davy, for they are arrant knaves, a...

yea, davy, will use

DAVY dialogue

No worse than they are backbitten, sir, for they have marvellous foul

linen.

No worse than they are backbitten, sir, for they have marvellous foul linen.

worse than they are

SHALLOW dialogue

Well conceited, Davy. About thy business, Davy.

Well conceited, Davy. About your business, Davy.

well conceited, davy. about thy

DAVY dialogue

I beseech you, sir, to countenance William Visor of Woncot against

Clement Perkes o’ th’ hill.

I beseech you, sir, to countenance William Visor of Woncot against Clement Perkes o’ th’ hill.

beseech you, sir,

SHALLOW dialogue

There is many complaints, Davy, against that Visor. That Visor is an

arrant knave, on my knowledge.

There is many complaints, Davy, against that Visor. That Visor is an arrant knave, on my knowledge.

there many complaints, davy,

DAVY dialogue

I grant your worship that he is a knave, sir, but yet, God forbid, sir,

but a knave should have some countenance at his friend’s request. An

honest man, sir, is able to speak for himself, when a knave is not. I

have served your worship truly, sir, this eight years; and if I cannot

once or twice in a quarter bear out a knave against an honest man, I

have but a very little credit with your worship. The knave is mine

honest friend, sir; therefore I beseech your worship let him be

countenanced.

I grant your worship that he is a knave, sir, but yet, God forbid, sir, but a knave should have some countenance at his friend’s request. An honest man, sir, is able to speak for himself, when a knave is not. I have served your worship truly, sir, this eight years; and if I cannot once or twice in a quarter bear out a knave against an honest man, I have but a very little credit with your worship. The knave is mine honest friend, sir; therefore I beseech your worship let him be countenanced.

I grant your worship that he is a knave, sir, but yet, God forbid, sir, but a knave should have some countenance at his friend’s request. An...

grant your worship that

Why it matters Davy's logic is unassailable and genuinely funny: knaves need advocacy precisely because honest men can handle themselves. The request for judicial corruption is framed as a matter of friendship and loyalty. Shallow, entirely corruptly, grants it. This is a microcosm of how rural justice actually worked in this period.

SHALLOW dialogue

Go to; I say he shall have no wrong. Look about, Davy.

to; say

[_Exit Davy._]

Where are you, Sir John? Come, come, come, off with your boots.

Give me your hand, Master Bardolph.

BARDOLPH dialogue

I am glad to see your worship.

glad see

SHALLOW dialogue

I thank thee with all my heart, kind Master Bardolph; and welcome, my

tall fellow [_to the Page_]. Come, Sir John.

I thank you with all my heart, kind Master Bardolph; and welcome, my tall fellow [_to the Page_]. Come, Sir John.

thank thee with all

FALSTAFF dialogue

I’ll follow you, good Master Robert Shallow.

i’ll follow you, good master

[_Exit Shallow._]

Bardolph, look to our horses.

[_Exeunt Bardolph and Page._]

If I were sawed into quantities, I should make four dozen of such

bearded hermits’ staves as Master Shallow. It is a wonderful thing to

see the semblable coherence of his men’s spirits and his. They, by

observing of him, do bear themselves like foolish justices: he, by

conversing with them, is turned into a justice-like serving-man. Their

spirits are so married in conjunction with the participation of society

that they flock together in consent, like so many wild-geese. If I had

a suit to Master Shallow, I would humour his men with the imputation of

being near their master: if to his men, I would curry with Master

Shallow that no man could better command his servants. It is certain

that either wise bearing or ignorant carriage is caught, as men take

diseases, one of another. Therefore let men take heed of their company.

I will devise matter enough out of this Shallow to keep Prince Harry in

continual laughter the wearing out of six fashions, which is four

terms, or two actions, and he shall laugh without intervallums. O, it

is much that a lie with a slight oath and a jest with a sad brow will

do with a fellow that never had the ache in his shoulders! O, you shall

see him laugh till his face be like a wet cloak ill laid up!

[_Within_.] Sir John!

FALSTAFF dialogue

I come, Master Shallow, I come, Master Shallow.

come, master shallow,

[_Exit._]

The Reckoning

This is the comic calm before the storm. The scene is warm, gentle, and very funny — Davy's request to protect a dishonest friend, Shallow's running double-track conversation about hospitality and farm management, Falstaff playing the gracious guest. The soliloquy is important: Falstaff is planning to use Shallow to amuse the Prince, still confident that the old relationship with Hal will continue. He does not know that the King is dead.

If this happened today…

A sales executive has stopped off at an old contact's house on his way back from a business trip. The host insists on putting on a dinner. While he's getting dinner organized, his assistant keeps interrupting with farm management questions. The executive gives in and stays. Alone for a moment, he confides to himself: 'This guy is gold material — I'll describe him to the CEO and we'll laugh about him for months.' He doesn't yet know the CEO died this afternoon.

Continue to 5.2 →