King Henry IV Part II
by William Shakespeare
Act 2, Scene 2
In this excerpt from King Henry IV, Part II, the play’s main protagonist, Prince Henry, has returned from war. He is accompanied by Poins, one of his friends. Prior to this scene, Henry was a young, carefree prince who preferred spending his time in taverns, rather than learning the responsibilities of being a king. But having experienced war, Henry is considering an earlier promise made to his father that he will reform and act like a true prince.
London. Another street.
(Enter PRINCE HENRY and POINS)
PRINCE HENRY: Before God, I am exceeding weary.
POINS: Is't come to that? I had thought weariness durst not
have attached one of so high blood.
PRINCE HENRY: Faith, it does me; though it discolours the
(5) complexion of my greatness to acknowledge it. Doth
it not show vilely in me to desire small beer?
POINS: Why, a prince should not be so loosely studied as
to remember so weak a composition.
PRINCE HENRY: Belike then my appetite was not princely got; for,
(10) by my troth, I do now remember the poor creature,
small beer. But, indeed, these humble
considerations make me out of love with my
greatness. What a disgrace is it to me to remember
thy name! or to know thy face to-morrow! or to
(15) take note how many pair of silk stockings thou
hast, viz. these, and those that were thy
peach-coloured ones! or to bear the inventory of thy
shirts, as, one for superfluity1, and another for
use! But that the tennis-court-keeper knows better
(20) than I; for it is a low ebb of linen with thee when
thou keepest not racket there; as thou hast not done
a great while, because the rest of thy low
countries have made a shift to eat up thy holland:
and God knows, whether those that bawl out the ruins
(25) of thy linen shall inherit his kingdom: but the
midwives say the children are not in the fault;
whereupon the world increases, and kindreds are
mightily strengthened.
POINS: How ill it follows, after you have laboured so hard,
(30) you should talk so idly! Tell me, how many good
young princes would do so
their fathers being so sick as yours at this time is?
PRINCE HENRY: Shall I tell thee one thing, Poins?
POINS: Yes, faith; and let it be an excellent good thing.
(35) PRINCE HENRY: It shall serve among wits of no higher breeding than thine.
POINS: Go to; I stand the push of your one thing that you
will tell.
PRINCE HENRY: Marry, I tell thee, it is not meet2 that I should be
sad, now my father is sick: albeit I could tell
(40) thee, as to one it pleases me, for fault of a
better, to call my friend, I could be sad, and sad
indeed too.
POINS: Very hardly upon such a subject.
PRINCE HENRY: By this hand thou thinkest me as far in the devil's
(45) book as thou and Falstaff for obduracy3 and
persistency: let the end try the man. But I tell
thee, my heart bleeds inwardly that my father is so
sick: and keeping such vile company as thou art
hath in reason taken from me all ostentation of sorrow.
(50) POINS: The reason?
PRINCE HENRY: What wouldst thou think of me, if I should weep?
POINS: I would think thee a most princely hypocrite.
PRINCE HENRY: It would be every man's thought; and thou art a
blessed fellow to think as every man thinks: never
(55) a man's thought in the world keeps the road-way
better than thine: every man would think me an
hypocrite indeed. And what accites4 your most
worshipful thought to think so?
POINS: Why, because you have been so lewd and so much
(60) engraffed to Falstaff.
PRINCE HENRY: And to thee.
POINS: By this light, I am well spoke on; I can hear it
with my own ears: the worst that they can say of
me is that I am a second brother and that I am a
(65) proper fellow of my hands; and those two things, I
confess, I cannot help. . . .
Read the excerpt from King Henry IV Part II.
POINS: By this light, I am well spoke on; I can hear it
with my own ears: the worst that they can say of
me is that I am a second brother and that I am a
(65) proper fellow of my hands; and those two things, I
confess, I cannot help. . . .
Which statement best expresses what these lines reveal about Poins?
A.
Poins is satisfied with his life.
B.
Poins wonders what people say about him.
C.
Poins wants to make a good impression on people.
D.
Poins comes from a large family.
