Character profile & Research

Montjoy 

Montjoy is the French Herald (messenger). He's got a pretty terrible job (it's his duty to deliver the Dauphin's snotty messages to King Henry)

He is unfailingly courteous and dignified, attributes which seem to be his own rather than representative of the French nobility

courteous/ˈkəːtjəs/

adjective polite, respectful, or considerate in manner.

dignified/ˈdɪɡnɪfʌɪd/

adjective having or showing a composed or serious manner that is worthy of respect. sources  thefreedictionary.com characterisation strong/purposeful walk  projection - diction and clarity

Script analysis & Annotation 

pink - cue lines

yellow highlight - my lines

blue - actions

purple- lines meaning 

• ACT 111, SCENE V1. THE English camp in Picardy
• 
  
• ....................................................................... 
• 
  
• 
  
• Henry V
•  We would have all such offenders so cut off: and we 
  give express charge, that in our marches through the 
  country, there be nothing compelled from the 
  villages, nothing taken but paid for, none of the 
  French upbraided or abused in disdainful language; 
  for when lenity and cruelty play for a kingdom, the 
  gentler gamester is the soonest winner.

[Tucket Bell rings. Enter MONTJOY] bow

• Montjoy
•  You know me by my habit.

reassuring him of intentions and presence

• 
  
• Henry V
• Well then I know thee: what shall I know of thee?

Montjoy
•  My master's mind.

• Henry V
• Unfold it.

• Montjoy
• Thus says my king: Say thou to Harry of England: 
  Though we seemed dead, we did but sleep: advantage 
  is a better soldier than rashness. Tell him we 
  could have rebuked him at Harfleur, but that we 
  thought not good to bruise an injury till it were 
  full ripe: now we speak upon our cue, and our voice 
  is imperial: England shall repent his folly, see 
  his weakness, and admire our sufferance. Bid him 
  therefore consider of his ransom; which must 
  proportion the losses we have borne, the subjects we 
  have lost, the disgrace we have digested; which in 
  weight to re-answer, his pettiness would bow under. 
  
  

  For our losses, his exchequer is too poor; for the 
  effusion of our blood, the muster of his kingdom too 
  faint a number; and for our disgrace, his own 
  person, kneeling at our feet, but a weak and 
  worthless satisfaction. To this add defiance: and 
  tell him, for conclusion, he hath betrayed his 
  followers, whose condemnation is pronounced. So far 
  my king and master; so much my office.
  
  
  my king say although we seemed dead we were just sleeping. We could have rebuked you at
  Harfleur but we were awaiting the perfect time.England should turn back and admit their
  weakness and well be merciful. what are you asking, we've lost a lot already compared to
  you.you can do nothing to make your actions better, you've already betrayed your men.  

• Henry V
•  What is thy name? I know thy quality.

• Montjoy
• Montjoy.

• Henry V
• Thou dost thy office fairly. Turn thee back. 
  And tell thy king I do not seek him now; 
  But could be willing to march on to Calais 
  Without impeachment: for, to say the sooth, 
  Though 'tis no wisdom to confess so much 
  Unto an enemy of craft and vantage, 
  My people are with sickness much enfeebled, 
  My numbers lessened, and those few I have 
  Almost no better than so many French; 
  Who when they were in health, I tell thee, herald, 
  I thought upon one pair of English legs 
  Did march three Frenchmen. Yet, forgive me, God, 
  That I do brag thus! This your air of France 
  Hath blown that vice in me: I must repent. 
  Go therefore, tell thy master here I am; 
  My ransom is this frail and worthless trunk, 
  My army but a weak and sickly guard; 
  Yet, God before, tell him we will come on, 
  Though France himself and such another neighbour 
  Stand in our way. There's for thy labour, Montjoy.
• Go bid thy master well advise himself: 
  If we may pass, we will; if we be hinder'd, 
  We shall your tawny ground with your red blood 
  Discolour: and so Montjoy, fare you well. 
  The sum of all our answer is but this:
• We would not seek a battle, as we are; 
  Nor, as we are, we say we will not shun it: 
  So tell your master.

• Montjoy
•  I shall deliver so. Thanks to your highness.

[Exit]

ACT 1V,SCENE 111. The English camp

............................................................................................

• Henry V
• Why, now thou hast unwish'd five thousand men; 
• Which likes me better than to wish us one. 
  You know your places: God be with you all!

[Tucket Bell rings. Enter MONTJOY]

Montjoy
• Once more I come to know of thee, King Harry, 
  If for thy ransom thou wilt now compound, 
  Before thy most assured overthrow: 
  For certainly thou art so near the gulf, 
  Thou needs must be englutted. Besides, in mercy, 
  The constable desires thee thou wilt mind 
  Thy followers of repentance; that their souls 
  May make a peaceful and a sweet retire 
  From off these fields, where, wretches, their poor bodies 
  Must lie and fester.
  
  
  
  
  Once more I come to ask you, King Harry, if you’re ready to negotiate your ransom before your certain defeat. For
  assuredly, you are so near the abyss that you’re bound to be swallowed up. Moreover, out of mercy, the Constable
  urges you to remind your men to make their peace with God and repent, so that their souls may depart sweetly and
  peacefully from these fields where, poor wretches, their bodies will likely fall and fester.

• Henry V
• Who hath sent thee now?

• Montjoy
• The Constable of France.

• Henry V 
  I pray thee, bear my former answer back: 
  Bid them achieve me and then sell my bones. 
  Good God! why should they mock poor fellows thus? 
  The man that once did sell the lion's skin 
  While the beast lived, was killed with hunting him. 
  A many of our bodies shall no doubt 
  Find native graves; upon the which, I trust, 
  Shall witness live in brass of this day's work: 
  And those that leave their valiant bones in France, 
  Dying like men, though buried in your dunghills, 
  They shall be famed; for there the sun shall greet them, 
  And draw their honours reeking up to heaven; 
  Leaving their earthly parts to choke your clime, 
  
  
  The smell whereof shall breed a plague in France. 
  Mark then abounding valour in our English, 
  That being dead, like to the bullet's grazing, 
  Break out into a second course of mischief, 
  Killing in relapse of mortality. 
  Let me speak proudly: tell the constable 
  We are but warriors for the working-day; 
  Our gayness and our gilt are all besmirch'd 
  With rainy marching in the painful field; 
  There's not a piece of feather in our host— 
  Good argument, I hope, we will not fly— 
  And time hath worn us into slovenry: 
  But, by the mass, our hearts are in the trim; 
  And my poor soldiers tell me, yet ere night 
  They'll be in fresher robes, or they will pluck 
  The gay new coats o'er the French soldiers' heads 
  And turn them out of service. If they do this,— 
  As, if God please, they shall,—my ransom then 
  Will soon be levied. Herald, save thou thy labour; 
  Come thou no more for ransom, gentle herald: 
• They shall have none, I swear, but these my joints; 
Which if they have as I will leave 'em them, 
Shall yield them little, tell the constable.

• Montjoy
  I shall, King Harry. And so fare thee well: 
  Thou never shalt hear herald any more.

[Exit] bow 

ACT 1V, SCENE V11. Another part of the field

............................................................................

Fluellen 

Kill the poys and the luggage! 'tis expressly
against the law of arms: 'tis as arrant a piece of
knavery, mark you now, as can be offer't; in your
conscience, now, is it not?

.............................................................................

• Henry V
• I was not angry since I came to France 
• Until this instant. Take a trumpet, herald; 
  Ride thou unto the horsemen on yon hill: 
  If they will fight with us, bid them come down, 
  Or void the field; they do offend our sight: 
  If they'll do neither, we will come to them, 
  And make them skirr away, as swift as stones 
  Enforced from the old Assyrian slings: 
  Besides, we'll cut the throats of those we have, 
  And not a man of them that we shall take 
  Shall taste our mercy. Go and tell them so.

[Enter MONTJOY] 

• Duke of Exeter 
• Here comes the herald of the French, my liege.

(i should be in position no, staring at the king) 

• Duke of Gloucester
• His eyes are humbler than they used to be.

• Henry V
• How now! what means this, herald? know'st thou not
• That I have fined these bones of mine for ransom?
• Comest thou again for ransom?

Montjoy
• No, great king: 
  I come to thee for charitable licence, 
  That we may wander o'er this bloody field 
  To look our dead, and then to bury them; 
  To sort our nobles from our common men. 
  For many of our princes—woe the while!— 
  Lie drown'd and soak'd in mercenary blood; 
  So do our vulgar drench their peasant limbs 
  In blood of princes; and their wounded steeds 
  Fret fetlock deep in gore and with wild rage 
  Yerk out their armed heels at their dead masters, 
  Killing them twice. O, give us leave, great king, 
  To view the field in safety and dispose 
  Of their dead bodies!
  
  
  
  
  No, great king. I come to ask you out of charity to let us wander over this bloody field to record the numbers of our
  dead and bury them, separating our nobles from the common men, for many of our princes—alas!—lie drowned and
  soaked in the blood of mercenary soldiers. Likewise, our common men lie drenched in the blood of princes, and their
  wounded steeds, ankle-deep in gore, struggle and, raging wildly, stamp on their dead masters with their hooves,
  killing them a second time. Oh, give us permission, great king, to search the field in safety and dispose of our dead
  bodies.
  
  
  Henry V
  I tell thee truly, herald, 
  I know not if the day be ours or no;
  For yet a many of your horsemen peer
  And gallop o'er the field.

• Montjoy
• The day is yours.

• Henry V
• Praised be God, and not our strength, for it! 
  What is this castle call'd that stands hard by?

• Montjoy
• They call it Agincourt.

• Henry V
• Then call we this the field of Agincourt, 
  Fought on the day of Crispin Crispianus.

• Fluellen
• Your grandfather of famous memory, an't please your 
  majesty, and your great-uncle Edward the Plack 
  Prince of Wales, as I have read in the chronicles, 
  fought a most prave pattle here in France.

• Henry V
• They did, Fluellen.

• Fluellen
  Your majesty says very true: if your majesties is 
  remembered of it, the Welshmen did good service in a 
  garden where leeks did grow, wearing leeks in their 
  Monmouth caps; which, your majesty know, to this 
  hour is an honourable badge of the service; and I do 
  believe your majesty takes no scorn to wear the leek 
  upon Saint Tavy's day.

• Henry V
  I wear it for a memorable honour; 
  For I am Welsh, you know, good countryman.

• Fluellen
  All the water in Wye cannot wash your majesty's 
  Welsh plood out of your pody, I can tell you that: 
  God pless it and preserve it, as long as it pleases 
  his grace, and his majesty too!

• Henry V
• Thanks, good my countryman.

• Fluellen
  By Jeshu, I am your majesty's countryman, I care not 
  who know it; I will confess it to all the 'orld: I 
  need not to be ashamed of your majesty, praised be 
  God, so long as your majesty is an honest man.

• Henry V  
  God keep me so! Our heralds go with him: 
  Bring me just notice of the numbers dead 
  On both our parts. Call yonder fellow hither.

[Points to WILLIAMS. Exeunt Heralds with Montjoy]