ACT II
SCENE i
In the early morning, two carriers and an ostler discuss horses, the
recent death of another ostler named Robin, fleas, and their cargo.
A thief named Gadshill tries to borrow a lantern and has learned that
a franklin (a landowner) with money will be departing from the inn
soon. Gadshill feels safe in that in his theft he will be accompanied
by a knight, Sir John Falstaff, and other high-ranking fellows: "no
foot land-rakers, no long-staff six-penny strikers, none of these
mad mustachio purple-hu'd malt-worms.... they pray continually to
their saint, the commonwealth, or rather, not pray to her, but prey
on her, for they ride up and down on her" (II.i.73-82). Mention of
fern-seed, which to the superstitious conferred invisibility, prompts
a chamberlain to note that Gadshill and his ilk are more beholden to
the night for their "walking invisible" (II.i.89-90).
SCENE ii
Poins has taken Falstaff's horse and Falstaff complains to Hal, who
claims to be running off to find Poins. Falstaff gripes about having
to walk, insists to himself he has been bewitched into friendship
with Hal, and keeps cursing Poins and Hal: "Hang thyself in thy own
heir-apparent garters! If I be ta'en, I'll peach for this. And [if]
I have not ballads made on you all and sung to filthy tunes, let a
cup of sack be my poison" (II.ii.43-46).
Gadshill, Bardolph, and Peto enter, Gadshill directing that they put
on masks in preparation for the robbery. Hal and Poins will wait
farther along, down the path, in case the victims escape. Gadshill
says there are eight or ten travellers. Hal calls Falstaff "Sir John
Paunch" and Falstaff admits he's no "John of Gaunt," Hal's grandfather
(II.ii.66-67). Hal and Poins leave.
Falstaff and the others commit the robbery, with Falstaff being
unnecessarily vocal in the process, but in disguise Hal and Poins
rob them in turn. Falstaff and the others run away. Hal and Poins have
a laugh.
Ned Poins, almost an anagram of P. Sidnei (his spelling), may
represent Philip Sidney after a reconciliation with Oxford some time
after the famous tennis court incident (Ogburn and Ogburn 704). In
any case, the Gad's Hill robbery did take place historically, at Gad's
Hill and on May 20th too (as Famous Victories specifies), but
in 1573, when two of Lord Burghley's men were robbed by some of de
Vere's men and complained that de Vere himself was the instigator.
There was no May 20th in the 14th year of Henry's reign since he had
died in March (Ogburn and Ogburn 77). Burghley's complaint that his
son-in-law was hanging out with "lewd servants" resembles the entire
situation concerning Prince Hal (Farina 116).
SCENE iii
Hotspur, ever the rage-aholic obsessive when it comes to politics and
war, has a fit over a letter by someone declining the invitation to
join the rebellion. Hotspur repeatedly interrupts his own reading in
order to rail. Hotspur's wife Kate, Lady Percy, much like Brutus' wife
Portia in Julius Caesar, is worried about his insomnia and
preoccupation. Hotspur's "spirit" is "at war" (II.iii.56). He all but
ignores her, instead discussing horses with a servant: "That roan shall
be my throne" (II.iii.70). Despite her objections, Kate gets nothing of
explanation out of her husband, even when she threatens to break his
little finger (II.iii.87f). This bit alludes to Queen Elizabeth, who
indeed in a fit did break a finger of her cousin (Ogburn and Ogburn
722). Hotspur explains that because she's a woman it's best that she
not be entrusted with his secret.
SCENE iv
This is a scene "written almost entirely in prose, and one of the longest
and most richly complex sustained stretches of dramatic action in all his
works" (Wells 144). Prince Hal and Poins drive to distraction a tavern
servant, Francis, by calling him back and forth. There may be a depiction
of Francis Throgmorton here, of the treasonous plot against Elizabeth, a
"drawer" of the plans for the invasion of England (Ogburn and Ogburn 719).
While he has Falstaff and others wait at the door, Hal reflects on how
savage Hotspur is. When Falstaff enters, he pretends outrage at rampant
cowardice and needs a drink. He is peeved with Hal and Poins regarding
their failure to back him up at the robbery. Falstaff makes a fool of
himself, boasting about his exploits against the robbers, saying that
he fought a dozen of them, then sixteen, then over fifty, and so on.
Hal insults him, and Falstaff is indignant: "art thou mad? Is not the
truth the truth?" (II.iv.229-230). Hal reveals the truth: the two of
them scared off Falstaff and the others, with Falstaff showing the most
cowardice. Falstaff immediately says he knew it was Hal and just could
never do violence to the heir to the throne. He commends himself on
his own instincts. Peto and Bardolph reveal to Hal that Falstaff hacked
his own sword with a dagger.
News arrives of the northern revolt, and Hal will have to return to his
father. But he seems uninterested, and he and Falstaff play-act at being,
alternately, the King and Hal. First, Hal tells Falstaff, "Do thou stand
for my father" (II.iv.376). In the role of Henry IV, Falstaff chides Hal
and praises Falstaff, until Hal proposes a switch of roles, at which
point Falstaff laments being, as it were, deposed (II.iv.435). Hal, in
turn as his father, asks his son, played by Falstaff, about the villainous
old man he hangs around with. Hal's statements about Falstaff when he is
playing his father are rather dark. Falstaff defends himself: "banish him
not thy Harry's company -- banish plump Jack, and banish all the world"
(II.iv.478-480). "I do, I will" (II.iv.481), comes Hal's icy reply.
Falstaff's style (esp. II.iv.398ff) is euphuistic: balanced sentences
with contrasting contents in their parts, "exotic words and farfetched
similes often drawn from nature" (Asimov 353-354). Hal's response to
Falstaff's hope that he will not be banished -- "I do, I will" (II.iv.481)
-- "is a grim portent of the climax of Falstaff's life" (Asimov 354). "The
language of the marriage ceremony here seems deliberately and ironically
to signify an impending divorce" (Garber 337).
Bardolph announces the arrival of the sheriff and watch. Falstaff wants
to continue the play-acting and defend himself some more, but Hal hides
Falstaff behind an arras and says he'll answer the charges. On behalf of
the accusers, the sheriff searches for a fat man tracked to this tavern.
Hal says if the fellow robbed the men, "He shall be answerable" (II.iv.522).
When the sheriff leaves, Peto reports that Falstaff has fallen asleep. A
search of his pockets reveals only a large bill for food and booze. Hal
will make him lead foot troops against the rebels and will have the stolen
money returned to the victims.
"The Gads Hill caper is another version of Hotspur's rebellion, another
kind of anarchy and robbery; both are the result of the failed kingship
of Henry IV and his usurpation of the throne" (Garber 316).
As a couple students of mine pointed out, we get two references in this
scene to "a thousand pound" (II.iv.61, II.iv.147) -- each time pronounced
as an arbitrary sum, but seemingly on the playwright's mind, which makes
sense in light of Oxford's thousand pound annuity begun in 1586.