Previous
Act 5, Scene 5
Henry VI, Part 3 Translation Act 5, Scene 6
Enter KING HENRY VI and GLOUCESTER, with the Lieutenant, on the walls
GLOUCESTER
Good day, my lord. What, at your book so hard?
GLOUCESTER
Hello, my lord. Are you reading your book so carefully?
KING HENRY VI
Ay, my good lord:—my lord, I should say rather;'Tis sin to flatter; 'good' was little better:'Good Gloucester' and 'good devil' were alike,And both preposterous; therefore, not 'good lord.'
KING HENRY VI
Yes, my good lord. My lord, I should rather say. It's a sin to flatter. "Good" is basically flattery. "Good Gloucester" and "good devil" are also flattery, and both nonsensical to say, so I won't say "good lord."
GLOUCESTER
Sirrah, leave us to ourselves: we must confer.
GLOUCESTER
[To the Lieutenant] Sir, leave us alone. We must discuss something.
Exit Lieutenant
KING HENRY VI
So flies the reckless shepherd from the wolf;So first the harmless sheep doth yield his fleeceAnd next his throat unto the butcher's knife.What scene of death hath Roscius now to act?
KING HENRY VI
He leaves just like a careless shepherd fleeing when the wolf is near his sheep. First the harmless sheep gives up its wool to the shepherd and the next thing he knows his throat is slit by the butcher's knife. What type of death scene will be performing today?
GLOUCESTER
Suspicion always haunts the guilty mind;The thief doth fear each bush an officer.
GLOUCESTER
Fearful anticipations always haunt a guilty mind. The thief thinks every bush he sees is an officer.
KING HENRY VI
The bird that hath been limed in a bush,With trembling wings misdoubteth every bush;And I, the hapless male to one sweet bird,Have now the fatal object in my eyeWhere my poor young was limed, was caught and kill'd.
KING HENRY VI
A bird that's been trapped by a hunter in a bush approaches every bush with trembling wings. And I, the unlucky father to one sweet child, now see the hunter before me upon whose weapon my poor child was trapped, caught, and killed.
GLOUCESTER
Why, what a peevish fool was that of Crete,That taught his son the office of a fowl!An yet, for all his wings, the fool was drown'd.
GLOUCESTER
It reminds me of the silly fool from Crete, Daedalus, who made his son Icarus wings to fly! And yet, even though he had wings, the foolish boy drowned.
KING HENRY VI
I, Daedalus; my poor boy, Icarus;Thy father, Minos, that denied our course;The sun that sear'd the wings of my sweet boyThy brother Edward, and thyself the seaWhose envious gulf did swallow up his life.Ah, kill me with thy weapon, not with words!My breast can better brook thy dagger's pointThan can my ears that tragic history.But wherefore dost thou come? Is't for my life?
KING HENRY VI
I am Daedalus and my poor boy is Icarus. Your father is like Minos in the story, who imprisoned them. The sun burned the wings of my sweet boy. You and your brother Edward are like the sea in the story, whose angry depths swallowed up Icarus' body. Ah, kill me with your weapon, not with your words! My chest can endure your dagger's point better than my ears can endure hearing this tragic story. But why did you come here? Did you come for my life?
GLOUCESTER
Think'st thou I am an executioner?
GLOUCESTER
Do you think I am an executioner?
KING HENRY VI
A persecutor, I am sure, thou art:If murdering innocents be executing,Why, then thou art an executioner.
KING HENRY VI
I'm sure you are a tormentor. If murdering innocent people is executing, then you're definitely an executioner.
GLOUCESTER
Thy son I kill'd for his presumption.
GLOUCESTER
I killed your son because of his arrogance.
KING HENRY VI
Hadst thou been kill'd when first thou didst presume, Thou hadst not lived to kill a son of mine. And thus I prophesy, that many a thousand, Which now mistrust no parcel of my fear, And many an old man's sigh and many a widow's, And many an orphan's water-standing eye— Men for their sons, wives for their husbands, And orphans for their parents timeless death— Shall rue the hour that ever thou wast born. The owl shriek'd at thy birth,—an evil sign; The night-crow cried, aboding luckless time; Dogs howl'd, and hideous tempest shook down trees; The raven rook'd her on the chimney's top, And chattering pies in dismal discords sung. Thy mother felt more than a mother's pain, And, yet brought forth less than a mother's hope, To wit, an indigested and deformed lump, Not like the fruit of such a goodly tree. Teeth hadst thou in thy head when thou wast born, To signify thou camest to bite the world: And, if the rest be true which I have heard, Thou camest—
KING HENRY VI
If you were killed the first time you were arrogant, you wouldn't have been alive to kill my son. And so here I predict that as many as a thousand people, who now suspect no part of what I fear will happen, will curse the day that you were born with many sighs of old men and widows, many tears shed by orphans and by men for their sons, wives for their husbands, and orphans for their parents' premature deaths. The owl shrieked when you were born. That's an evil sign. The crow cried, predicting bad fortune. Dogs howled and a horrible tempest knocked down trees. The raven cowered on the top of the chimney, and magpies sang dissonantly. Your mother felt more than normal labor pains, and she gave birth to less than what mothers hope for. That is to say, a shapeless and deformed lump, not like the progeny that should come from such a good lineage. You had teeth in your head when you were born to show that you came to bite the world. And, if all the other stories that I heard are true, you came—
GLOUCESTER
I'll hear no more: die, prophet in thy speech:
GLOUCESTER
I won't hear anymore. Die speaking, prophet!
Stabs him
For this amongst the rest, was I ordain'd.
I alone was destined for this.
KING HENRY VI
Ay, and for much more slaughter after this.God forgive my sins, and pardon thee!
KING HENRY VI
Yes, and for much more killing after this. May God forgive my sins and may He forgive you!
Dies
GLOUCESTER
What, will the aspiring blood of Lancaster Sink in the ground? I thought it would have mounted. See how my sword weeps for the poor king's death! O, may such purple tears be alway shed From those that wish the downfall of our house! If any spark of life be yet remaining, Down, down to hell; and say I sent thee thither:
GLOUCESTER
So, will the blood of the Lancaster who wanted to be king sink in the ground? I thought it would have ascended. Look how my sword drips blood like tears for the poor king's death! Oh, I hope we'll always drip tears of blood from the bodies of those who want to destroy our house! If there is any life left in you, go down, down to hell, and say that I sent you there.
Stabs him again
I, that have neither pity, love, nor fear. Indeed, 'tis true that Henry told me of; For I have often heard my mother say I came into the world with my legs forward: Had I not reason, think ye, to make haste, And seek their ruin that usurp'd our right? The midwife wonder'd and the women cried 'O, Jesus bless us, he is born with teeth!' And so I was; which plainly signified That I should snarl and bite and play the dog. Then, since the heavens have shaped my body so, Let hell make crook'd my mind to answer it. I have no brother, I am like no brother; And this word 'love,' which graybeards call divine, Be resident in men like one another And not in me: I am myself alone. Clarence, beware; thou keep'st me from the light: But I will sort a pitchy day for thee; For I will buz abroad such prophecies That Edward shall be fearful of his life, And then, to purge his fear, I'll be thy death. King Henry and the prince his son are gone: Clarence, thy turn is next, and then the rest, Counting myself but bad till I be best. I'll throw thy body in another room And triumph, Henry, in thy day of doom.
Yes, I sent you there, I, that have neither pity, love nor fear. Yes, it's true what Henry said about me. I have often heard my mother say that I came into the world with my feet first. Don't you think I had a good reason to hurry and aim to ruin those that usurped our right to the throne? The midwife was amazed and the women cried, "Oh Jesus, bless us! He was born with teeth!" And so I was, which basically meant that I would snarl and bite and act like a dog. Then, since God in heaven has shaped my body in such way, let hell make my mind deformed to match my body. There is no one like me. I am like no one else. And this word, "love," which wise old men call divine, can be found in men who are like one another but not in me. I am myself alone. Clarence, be careful. You're between me and the crown. But I will arrange a dark day for you. I will spread so many rumors and omens all over the world that Edward will be afraid for his life. And then to get rid of his fear of you, I'll kill you, Clarence. King Henry and the prince his son are now gone. Clarence, you're next, and then the rest. I consider myself worth nothing until I am king. Henry, I'll throw your body in another room and celebrate this day of your death.
Exit, with the body
