Act 5, Scene 2 — Henry IV, Part 2

The argument Westminster. The lords gather outside, still wearing the grief of Henry IV's death. Chief Justice Gascoigne fears the worst: the new King Hal, who once struck him for imprisoning a rioter, is now his sovereign. Warwick confirms the Chief Justice's fear — the young king does not love him. When Hal arrives, he confronts the Chief Justice directly. The Chief Justice delivers one of the play's greatest speeches: he was not acting as a man, but as the image of the King's own authority. Hal is struck silent, then reverses completely — he gives the Chief Justice back the sword of justice and declares him a father figure. His reform speech follows: the tide of riotous blood has turned and ebbs back to the sea.

Enter Warwick and the Lord Chief Justice, meeting.

WARWICK dialogue

How now, my Lord Chief Justice, whither away?

how now, lord chief

CHIEF JUSTICE dialogue

How doth the King?

How does the King?

how doth the king?

WARWICK dialogue

Exceeding well. His cares are now all ended.

exceeding well. his cares are

CHIEF JUSTICE dialogue

I hope, not dead.

hope, not dead.

WARWICK ≋ verse dialogue

He’s walk’d the way of nature,

And to our purposes he lives no more.

He’s walk’d the way of nature, And to our purposes he lives no more.

he’s walk’d the way

"" A euphemism for dying — he has followed the path every mortal takes.

CHIEF JUSTICE ≋ verse dialogue

I would his Majesty had call’d me with him.

The service that I truly did his life

Hath left me open to all injuries.

I would his Majesty had call’d me with him. The service that I truly did his life has left me open to all injuries.

would his majesty had

Why it matters The Chief Justice's fear is not theatrical — it is completely rational. He imprisoned the heir to the throne. That heir is now king.

WARWICK dialogue

Indeed I think the young King loves you not.

indeed think the young

CHIEF JUSTICE ≋ verse dialogue

I know he doth not, and do arm myself

To welcome the condition of the time,

Which cannot look more hideously upon me

Than I have drawn it in my fantasy.

I know he does not, and do arm myself To welcome the condition of the time, Which cannot look more hideously upon me Than I have drawn it in my fantasy.

I know he does not, and do arm myself To welcome the condition of the time, Which cannot look more hideously upon me Than I have drawn it in...

know doth not,

Enter Lancaster, Clarence, Gloucester and others.

WARWICK ≋ verse dialogue

Here comes the heavy issue of dead Harry.

O that the living Harry had the temper

Of he the worst of these three gentlemen!

How many nobles then should hold their places,

That must strike sail to spirits of vile sort!

Here comes the heavy issue of dead Harry. O that the living Harry had the temper Of he the worst of these three gentlemen! How many nobles then should hold their places, That must strike sail to spirits of vile sort!

Here comes the heavy issue of dead Harry. O that the living Harry had the temper Of he the worst of these three gentlemen! How many nobles t...

here comes the heavy issue

"" Both 'heavy' as grief-laden and 'issue' as offspring — a compressed pun on sorrow and lineage.

"" Nautical metaphor: to lower your sails in submission to a passing ship of greater rank.

Why it matters Warwick speaks for everyone who watched Hal's riotous youth — the fear that the new king will be a disaster is not irrational.

CHIEF JUSTICE dialogue

O God, I fear all will be overturn’d.

god, fear all

LANCASTER ≋ verse dialogue

Good morrow, cousin Warwick, good morrow.

GLOUCESTER & CLARENCE.

Good morrow, cousin.

Good morrow, cousin Warwick, good morrow. GLOUCESTER & CLARENCE. Good morrow, cousin.

good morrow, cousin warwick, good

LANCASTER dialogue

We meet like men that had forgot to speak.

meet like men that

WARWICK ≋ verse dialogue

We do remember, but our argument

Is all too heavy to admit much talk.

We do remember, but our argument Is all too heavy to admit much talk.

remember, but our

LANCASTER dialogue

Well, peace be with him that hath made us heavy!

Well, peace be with him that has made us heavy!

well, peace with him

CHIEF JUSTICE dialogue

Peace be with us, lest we be heavier!

peace with us, lest

GLOUCESTER ≋ verse dialogue

O, good my lord, you have lost a friend indeed;

And I dare swear you borrow not that face

Of seeming sorrow; it is sure your own.

O, good my lord, you have lost a friend indeed; And I dare swear you borrow not that face Of seeming sorrow; it is sure your own.

good lord, you

LANCASTER ≋ verse dialogue

Though no man be assured what grace to find,

You stand in coldest expectation.

I am the sorrier; would ’twere otherwise.

Though no man be assured what grace to find, You stand in coldest expectation. I am the sorrier; would ’twere otherwise.

though man assured

CLARENCE ≋ verse dialogue

Well, you must now speak Sir John Falstaff fair,

Which swims against your stream of quality.

Well, you must now speak Sir John Falstaff fair, Which swims against your stream of quality.

well, you must now speak

CHIEF JUSTICE ≋ verse dialogue

Sweet Princes, what I did I did in honour,

Led by th’ impartial conduct of my soul;

And never shall you see that I will beg

A ragged and forestall’d remission.

If truth and upright innocency fail me,

I’ll to the King my master that is dead,

And tell him who hath sent me after him.

Sweet Princes, what I did I did in honour, Led by th’ impartial conduct of my soul; And never shall you see that I will beg A ragged and forestall’d remission. If truth and upright innocency fail me, I’ll to the King my master that is dead, And tell him who has sent me after him.

Sweet Princes, what I did I did in honour, Led by th’ impartial conduct of my soul; And never shall you see that I will beg A ragged and for...

sweet princes, what did

"" A 'forestalled' pardon is one begged in advance, before any charge is made — a sign of guilt. 'Ragged' suggests it would be shameful and incomplete. The Chief Justice refuses to beg pre-emptively.

"" One of the great exits from fear into dignity in Shakespeare: if the living king destroys me for doing my duty, I'll answer to the dead one — who knew what I was doing and why.

Why it matters This is the Chief Justice's declaration of independence. He will not save himself by crawling. The quiet courage here is what makes Hal's subsequent reversal so powerful — he is rewarding someone who pointedly refused to earn his favour.

WARWICK dialogue

Here comes the Prince.

here comes the prince.

Enter King Henry the Fifth, attended.

CHIEF JUSTICE dialogue

Good morrow, and God save your Majesty!

good morrow, and god save

KING ≋ verse dialogue

This new and gorgeous garment, majesty,

Sits not so easy on me as you think.

Brothers, you mix your sadness with some fear.

This is the English, not the Turkish court;

Not Amurath an Amurath succeeds,

But Harry Harry. Yet be sad, good brothers,

For, by my faith, it very well becomes you.

Sorrow so royally in you appears

That I will deeply put the fashion on

And wear it in my heart. Why then, be sad;

But entertain no more of it, good brothers,

Than a joint burden laid upon us all.

For me, by heaven, I bid you be assured,

I’ll be your father and your brother too;

Let me but bear your love, I’ll bear your cares.

Yet weep that Harry’s dead, and so will I;

But Harry lives, that shall convert those tears

By number into hours of happiness.

This new and gorgeous garment, majesty, Sits not so easy on me as you think. Brothers, you mix your sadness with some fear. This is the English, not the Turkish court; Not Amurath an Amurath succeeds, But Harry Harry. Yet be sad, good brothers, For, by my faith, it very well becomes you. Sorrow so royally in you appears That I will deeply put the fashion on And wear it in my heart. Why then, be sad; But entertain no more of it, good brothers, Than a joint burden laid upon us all. For me, by heaven, I bid you be assured, I’ll be your father and your brother too; Let me but bear your love, I’ll bear your cares. Yet weep that Harry’s dead, and so will I; But Harry lives, that shall convert those tears By number into hours of happiness.

This new and gorgeous garment, majesty, Sits not so easy on me as you think. Brothers, you mix your sadness with some fear. This is the Engl...

this new and gorgeous garment,

"" A gorgeous visual metaphor for kingship itself: a beautiful costume that hasn't yet been worn in, that pinches and shifts. Power as something you put on.

"" The most efficient repudiation of feared tyranny in Shakespeare. One sentence kills the fear that has driven the entire scene.

Why it matters Hal's first act as king is to address the fear in the room rather than pretend it doesn't exist. 'Not Amurath an Amurath' is the Henry V inauguration speech compressed into nine words.

PRINCES dialogue

We hope no otherwise from your Majesty.

hope otherwise from

KING ≋ verse dialogue

You all look strangely on me. And you most;

You are, I think, assured I love you not.

You all look strangely on me. And you most; You are, I think, assured I love you not.

you all look strangely

CHIEF JUSTICE ≋ verse dialogue

I am assured, if I be measured rightly,

Your Majesty hath no just cause to hate me.

I am assured, if I be measured rightly, Your Majesty has no just cause to hate me.

assured,

KING ≋ verse dialogue

No?

How might a prince of my great hopes forget

So great indignities you laid upon me?

What! rate, rebuke, and roughly send to prison

Th’ immediate heir of England? Was this easy?

May this be wash’d in Lethe and forgotten?

No? How might a prince of my great hopes forget So great indignities you laid upon me? What! rate, rebuke, and roughly send to prison Th’ immediate heir of England? Was this easy? May this be wash’d in Lethe and forgotten?

No? How might a prince of my great hopes forget So great indignities you laid upon me? What! rate, rebuke, and roughly send to prison Th’ im...

no? how might prince

CHIEF JUSTICE ≋ verse dialogue

I then did use the person of your father;

The image of his power lay then in me;

And in the administration of his law,

Whiles I was busy for the commonwealth,

Your Highness pleased to forget my place,

The majesty and power of law and justice,

The image of the King whom I presented,

And struck me in my very seat of judgement;

Whereon, as an offender to your father,

I gave bold way to my authority

And did commit you. If the deed were ill,

Be you contented, wearing now the garland,

To have a son set your decrees at nought?

To pluck down justice from your awful bench?

To trip the course of law and blunt the sword

That guards the peace and safety of your person?

Nay more, to spurn at your most royal image,

And mock your workings in a second body?

Question your royal thoughts, make the case yours;

Be now the father and propose a son,

Hear your own dignity so much profaned,

See your most dreadful laws so loosely slighted,

Behold yourself so by a son disdain’d,

And then imagine me taking your part

And in your power soft silencing your son.

After this cold considerance, sentence me;

And, as you are a king, speak in your state

What I have done that misbecame my place,

My person, or my liege’s sovereignty.

I then did use the person of your father; The image of his power lay then in me; And in the administration of his law, Whiles I was busy for the commonwealth, Your Highness pleased to forget my place, The majesty and power of law and justice, The image of the King whom I presented, And struck me in my very seat of judgement; Whereon, as an offender to your father, I gave bold way to my authority And did commit you. If the deed were ill, Be you contented, wearing now the garland, To have a son set your decrees at nought? To pluck down justice from your awful bench? To trip the course of law and blunt the sword That guards the peace and safety of your person? No more, to spurn at your most royal image, And mock your workings in a second body? Question your royal thoughts, make the case yours; Be now the father and propose a son, Hear your own dignity so much profaned, See your most dreadful laws so loosely slighted, Behold yourself so by a son disdain’d, And then imagine me taking your part And in your power soft silencing your son. After this cold considerance, sentence me; And, as you are a king, speak in your state What I have done that misbecame my place, My person, or my liege’s sovereignty.

I then did use the person of your father; The image of his power lay then in me; And in the administration of his law, Whiles I was busy for...

then did use the

"" 'Person' here means 'persona' or 'role' — the Chief Justice was not acting as an individual man but as the embodiment of royal authority itself. Striking the judge was striking the king.

"" This actually happened (before the play begins): Hal struck the Chief Justice in open court for attempting to arrest one of his companions. The historical event is here deployed as a legal argument.

"" 'Cold' as in dispassionate, rational — having thought it through without heat or passion. This is a legal term, not an emotional one.

Why it matters This is the play's most sustained and perfectly structured argument. The Chief Justice doesn't ask for mercy — he proves he deserves none of Hal's anger. The 'imagine yourself as father' pivot is a masterstroke: he makes Hal prosecute his own case by inhabiting the position he now occupies.

KING ≋ verse dialogue

You are right, justice, and you weigh this well.

Therefore still bear the balance and the sword.

And I do wish your honours may increase

Till you do live to see a son of mine

Offend you and obey you, as I did.

So shall I live to speak my father’s words:

“Happy am I, that have a man so bold

That dares do justice on my proper son;

And not less happy, having such a son

That would deliver up his greatness so

Into the hands of justice.” You did commit me,

For which I do commit into your hand

Th’ unstained sword that you have used to bear,

With this remembrance: that you use the same

With the like bold, just, and impartial spirit

As you have done ’gainst me. There is my hand.

You shall be as a father to my youth,

My voice shall sound as you do prompt mine ear,

And I will stoop and humble my intents

To your well-practised wise directions.

And, princes all, believe me, I beseech you,

My father is gone wild into his grave,

For in his tomb lie my affections;

And with his spirit sadly I survive

To mock the expectation of the world,

To frustrate prophecies, and to raze out

Rotten opinion, who hath writ me down

After my seeming. The tide of blood in me

Hath proudly flow’d in vanity till now.

Now doth it turn and ebb back to the sea,

Where it shall mingle with the state of floods,

And flow henceforth in formal majesty.

Now call we our high court of parliament,

And let us choose such limbs of noble counsel

That the great body of our state may go

In equal rank with the best-govern’d nation;

That war, or peace, or both at once, may be

As things acquainted and familiar to us;

In which you, father, shall have foremost hand.

Our coronation done, we will accite,

As I before remember’d, all our state:

And, God consigning to my good intents,

No prince nor peer shall have just cause to say,

God shorten Harry’s happy life one day!

You are right, justice, and you weigh this well. Therefore still bear the balance and the sword. And I do wish your honours may increase Till you do live to see a son of mine Offend you and obey you, as I did. So shall I live to speak my father’s words: “Happy am I, that have a man so bold That dares do justice on my proper son; And not less happy, having such a son That would deliver up his greatness so Into the hands of justice.” You did commit me, For which I do commit into your hand Th’ unstained sword that you have used to bear, With this remembrance: that you use the same With the like bold, just, and impartial spirit As you have done ’gainst me. There is my hand. You shall be as a father to my youth, My voice shall sound as you do prompt mine ear, And I will stoop and humble my intents To your well-practised wise directions. And, princes all, believe me, I beseech you, My father is gone wild into his grave, For in his tomb lie my affections; And with his spirit sadly I survive To mock the expectation of the world, To frustrate prophecies, and to raze out Rotten opinion, who has writ me down After my seeming. The tide of blood in me has proudly flow’d in vanity till now. Now does it turn and ebb back to the sea, Where it shall mingle with the state of floods, And flow henceforth in formal majesty. Now call we our high court of parliament, And let us choose such limbs of noble counsel That the great body of our state may go In equal rank with the best-govern’d nation; That war, or peace, or both at once, may be As things acquainted and familiar to us; In which you, father, shall have foremost hand. Our coronation done, we will accite, As I before remember’d, all our state: And, God consigning to my good intents, No prince nor peer shall have just cause to say, God shorten Harry’s happy life one day!

You are right, justice, and you weigh this well. Therefore still bear the balance and the sword. And I do wish your honours may increase Til...

you are right, justice, and

"" The complete, immediate acceptance — no qualifier, no negotiation. After a 29-line argument, Hal's answer takes one line.

"" His 'affections' — passions, wild impulses — are buried with his father. Not repressed, not transformed: buried.

"" The great reform image: not water being poured into a new vessel but a tide turning — the same energy redirected by the forces of nature (kingship, time, responsibility).

Why it matters This is the transformation made official and public. The 4-5 scene with his dying father was private; this is constitutional. The 'tide of blood' image is one of Shakespeare's greatest metaphors for reform: not suppression but redirection, the same flood finding a new channel.

[_Exeunt._]

The Reckoning

This scene is the formal announcement of who Henry V will be. The confrontation with the Chief Justice is deliberately staged as a test: Will the new king take revenge on a man who once humiliated him? The answer — a thunderous no — reframes Hal's entire arc. His reform is not just emotional (as in the 4-5 reconciliation with his father), it is constitutional: he commits to the rule of law over personal feeling. The tide-of-blood speech is his inauguration.

If this happened today…

A CEO's son has just become CEO. He walks in and finds the company's general counsel — who once had him escorted from the boardroom by security for misconduct — waiting for him. Everyone expects fireworks. Instead, the new CEO shakes the lawyer's hand: 'You were right. I need people like you who aren't afraid to hold me to the same rules as everyone else. Here's your sword back.'

Continue to 5.3 →