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Women's monologues from Henry IV ii · Shakespeare's Monologues

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      Henry IV ii


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Henry IV ii Play summary · II i 16 Scene summary · Prose
Mistress Quickly Permanent link to this monologue
I am undone by his going; I warrant you↴

I am undone by his going; I warrant you, he's an infinitive thing upon my score. Good Master Fang, hold him Good Master Snare, let him not scape. 'A comes continuantly Pie-corner—saving your manhoods—to buy a saddle; and he is indited to dinner to the Lubber's Head in Lumbert Street, to Master Smooth's the silkman. I pray you, since my exion is ent'red, and my case so openly known to the world, let him be brought in to his answer. A hundred mark is a long one for a lone woman to bear; and I have borne, and borne, and borne; have been fubb'd off, and fubb'd off, and fubb'd off, from day to that day, that it is a shame to be thought on. There honesty in such dealing; unless a woman should be made an ass a beast, to bear every knave's wrong.   Modern paraphrasing   Click for a double-spaced PDF of this monologue
Henry IV ii Play summary · II i 39 Scene summary · Prose
Quickly Permanent link to this monologue
Marry, if thou wert an honest man↴

Marry, if thou wert an honest man, thyself and the money too. Thou didst swear to me upon a parcel-gilt goblet, sitting in my Dolphin chamber, at the round table, by a sea-coal fire, upon Wednesday in Wheeson week, when the Prince broke thy head for liking his father to a singing-man of Windsor—thou didst swear to me then, as I was washing thy wound, to marry me and make me my lady thy wife. Canst thou deny it? Did not goodwife Keech, the butcher's wife, come in then and call me gossip Quickly? coming in to borrow a mess of vinegar, telling us she had a good dish of prawns, whereby thou didst desire to eat some, whereby I told thee they were ill for a green wound? And didst thou not, when she was gone down stairs, desire me to be no more so familiarity with such poor people, saying that ere long they should call me madam? And didst thou not kiss me, and bid me fetch thee thirty shillings? I put thee now to thy book-oath. Deny it, if thou canst.  Modern paraphrasing   Click for a double-spaced PDF of this monologue
Henry IV ii Play summary · II iii 11 Scene summary · Verse
Lady Percy Permanent link to this monologue
O yet, for God's sake, go not to these wars!↴

O, yet, for God's sake, go not to these wars!
The time was, father, that you broke your word,
When you were more endear'd to it than now;
When your own Percy, when my heart's dear Harry,
Threw many a northward look to see his father
Bring up his powers; but he did long in vain.
Who then persuaded you to stay at home?
There were two honours lost, yours and your son's.
For yours, the God of heaven brighten it!
For his, it stuck upon him as the sun
In the grey vault of heaven; and by his light
Did all the chivalry of England move
To do brave acts. He was indeed the glass
Wherein the noble youth did dress themselves.
He had no legs that practis'd not his gait;
And speaking thick, which nature made his blemish,
Became the accents of the valiant;
For those who could speak low and tardily
Would turn their own perfection to abuse
To seem like him: so that in speech, in gait,
In diet, in affections of delight,
In military rules, humours of blood,
He was the mark and glass, copy and book,
That fashion'd others. And him—O wondrous him!
O miracle of men!—him did you leave—
Second to none, unseconded by you—
To look upon the hideous god of war
In disadvantage, to abide a field
Where nothing but the sound of Hotspur's name
Did seem defensible. So you left him.
Never, O never, do his ghost the wrong
To hold your honour more precise and nice
With others than with him! Let them alone.
The Marshal and the Archbishop are strong.
Had my sweet Harry had but half their numbers,
To-day might I, hanging on Hotspur's neck,
Have talk'd of Monmouth's grave.  Modern paraphrasing   Click for a double-spaced PDF of this monologue