No, thou arrant knave. I would to God that I might die, that I might
have thee hanged. Thou hast drawn my shoulder out of joint.
No, you arrant knave. I would to God that I might die, that I might have you hanged. you have drawn my shoulder out of joint.
No, you arrant knave. I would to God that I might die, that I might have you hanged. you have drawn my shoulder out of joint.
no, thou arrant knave.
The constables have delivered her over to me, and she shall have
whipping-cheer enough, I warrant her. There hath been a man or two
lately killed about her.
The constables have delivered her over to me, and she shall have whipping-cheer enough, I warrant her. There has been a man or two lately killed about her.
The constables have delivered her over to me, and she shall have whipping-cheer enough, I warrant her. There has been a man or two lately ki...
the constables have delivered her
Nut-hook, nut-hook, you lie! Come on, I’ll tell thee what, thou damned
tripe-visaged rascal, an the child I now go with do miscarry, thou wert
better thou hadst struck thy mother, thou paper-faced villain.
Nut-hook, nut-hook, you lie! Come on, I’ll tell you what, you damned tripe-visaged rascal, an the child I now go with do miscarry, you wert better you hadst struck your mother, you paper-faced villain.
Nut-hook, nut-hook, you lie! Come on, I’ll tell you what, you damned tripe-visaged rascal, an the child I now go with do miscarry, you wert ...
nut-hook, nut-hook, you lie! come
O the Lord, that Sir John were come! He would make this a bloody day to
somebody. But I pray God the fruit of her womb miscarry!
O the Lord, that Sir John were come! He would make this a bloody day to somebody. But I pray God the fruit of her womb miscarry!
O the Lord, that Sir John were come! He would make this a bloody day to somebody. But I pray God the fruit of her womb miscarry!
the lord, that sir
Doll Tearsheet has no legal recourse, no political connection, and no ability to resist physical arrest. What she has is language. Her insult vocabulary in this scene — 'thin man in a censer,' 'bluebottle rogue,' 'filthy famished correctioner,' 'paper-faced villain,' 'she knight-errant' — is extravagant, inventive, and genuinely funny. Shakespeare is doing something important here: the people who have no power are given extraordinary verbal power. They can't stop what's happening to them, but they can name it, mock it, and refuse to pretend it's acceptable. Doll's rage is her last form of freedom.
If it do, you shall have a dozen of cushions again; you have but eleven
now. Come, I charge you both go with me, for the man is dead that you
and Pistol beat amongst you.
If it do, you shall have a dozen of cushions again; you have but eleven now. Come, I charge you both go with me, for the man is dead that you and Pistol beat amongst you.
If it do, you shall have a dozen of cushions again; you have but eleven now. Come, I charge you both go with me, for the man is dead that yo...
do, you shall
I’ll tell you what, you thin man in a censer, I will have you as
soundly swinged for this, you bluebottle rogue, you filthy famished
correctioner, if you be not swinged, I’ll forswear half-kirtles.
I’ll tell you what, you thin man in a censer, I will have you as soundly swinged for this, you bluebottle rogue, you filthy famished correctioner, if you be not swinged, I’ll forswear half-kirtles.
I’ll tell you what, you thin man in a censer, I will have you as soundly swinged for this, you bluebottle rogue, you filthy famished correct...
i’ll tell you what, you
Come, come, you she knight-errant, come.
Come, come, you she knight-errant, come.
Come, come, you she knight-errant, come.
come, come, you she knight-errant,
O God, that right should thus overcome might! Well, of sufferance comes
ease.
O God, that right should thus overcome might! Well, of sufferance comes ease.
O God, that right should thus overcome might! Well, of sufferance comes ease.
god, that right should
Come, you rogue, come, bring me to a justice.
Come, you rogue, come, bring me to a justice.
Come, you rogue, come, bring me to a justice.
come, you rogue, come, bring
Scene 5-2 showed us the constitutional achievement of the new reign: the Chief Justice reaffirmed, the tide of blood declared turned. Scene 5-4 shows us where that reaffirmation lands first: on Doll Tearsheet and Mistress Quickly, implicated in a tavern brawl they may not have controlled, dragged through the streets. The law's impartiality, celebrated in 5-2, looks rather different when you are on the receiving end of it with no money or connections. Shakespeare places the scenes in deliberate sequence. The same sword that Hal gave back to the Chief Justice is the sword being used on Doll.
Ay, come, you starved bloodhound.
Ay, come, you starved bloodhound.
Ay, come, you starved bloodhound.
ay, come, you starved bloodhound.
Goodman death, goodman bones!
Goodman death, goodman bones!
Goodman death, goodman bones!
goodman death, goodman bones!
Thou atomy, thou!
you atomy, you!
you atomy, you!
thou atomy, thou!
Come, you thin thing, come, you rascal!
Come, you thin thing, come, you rascal!
Come, you thin thing, come, you rascal!
come, you thin thing, come,
Very well.
Very well.
Very well.
very well.
The Reckoning
This short scene does two things simultaneously: it shows the new order falling on Falstaff's world before Falstaff even arrives in London, and it gives the lowly characters their final moment of defiant voice. There is no justice performed here — only the blunt machinery of law landing on people who have no political protection. Doll's curses are extraordinary. She will not go quietly. The scene is placed here as a dark echo of the order being established: the Chief Justice has been reaffirmed, the sword of justice re-handed. It is already cutting.
If this happened today…
Two women who ran a bar that served drinks to someone involved in a fatal fight are being hauled out by police. One of them swears a blue streak and claims to be pregnant. The other keeps calling for the owner, who is currently racing to London to congratulate the new CEO who has just publicly committed to law enforcement.