Test Your Understanding of Written English
LESSON 1
Reading English
Text from Henry V (Act 4, Scene 3)
by William Shakespeare
What’s he that wishes so?
My cousin Westmoreland? No, my fair cousin:
If we are mark’d to die, we are enow
To do our country loss; and if to live,
The fewer men, the greater share of honour.
God’s will! I pray thee, wish not one man more.
By Jove, I am not covetous for gold,
Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost;
It yearns me not if men my garments wear;
Such outward things dwell not in my desires:
But if it be a sin to covet honour,
I am the most offending soul alive.
No, faith, my coz, wish not a man from England:
God’s peace! I would not lose so great an honour
As one man more, methinks, would share from me
For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more!
Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host,
That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made
And crowns for convoy put into his purse:
We would not die in that man’s company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.
This day is called the feast of Crispian:
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when the day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say ‘To-morrow is Saint Crispian:’
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars.
And say ‘These wounds I had on Crispin’s day.’
Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot,
But he’ll remember with advantages
What feats he did that day: then shall our names.
Familiar in his mouth as household words
Harry the king, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester,
Be in their flowing cups freshly remember’d.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne’er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember’d;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.
Perhaps the most important 400 words in the English Language so read and enjoy the learning process that follows. Check your understanding by answering the questions. Send them to Alphatutors by email and you will receive a marked reply. There is no charge for this.
If you can understand the speech, you will have mastered the very essence of sentence construction, elegant phrasing and the marriage of language to beauty.
Commentary
Each sentence is full of meaning and is significant. From the first line we have a problem.
“What`s he that wishes so?” is a question. Do not be afraid to consider this initial question: what is it that a man so wishes?
This is an extract and think of a situation where you arrive late for a meeting or you overhear part of a conversation and you rush in. You have some vague idea about the context. A battle between the French and the English is about to take place (the real event was the Battle of Agincourt in 1415); in all likelihood, a bloody confrontation where limbs will be hacked off. The soldiers are scared as you would expect. We all know that terrifying apprehension – the day before an exam, the journey to a job interview or simply a trip to the dentist. It just depends: we are all the same – we know fear. So the King (Henry the Fifth) is doing his rounds to see how his troops are bearing up. And one of his lieutenants had said, “I wish we had more men, ” just a few of those people who are back in England. Again, the timeless situation: I wish we had more money, just a fraction of what those rich people have, we could afford a better house; I wish, I wish the company had better marketing staff, we could sell more, I wish we had better defenders, we would not have conceded so many goals; I wish… Shakespeare takes the problem (so few men) and turns it on its head. So few men, so much more glory per man, the “greater the share of honour” when we win. And we are going to win because those that live will be a testament to those that died. No man will die needlessly tomorrow because anyone not here will be jealous of their sacrifice; the survivors will pass on their valiant deeds from now and forever. Yes, their comrades gave their lives for their country, but life on earth is fleeting when compared to the eternity of fame. Indeed, by the conclusion of the speech, King Henry (Shakespeare) heaps pity on those not sharing the danger which they are confronting: they will be so jealous they will “think themselves accursed” and think that they are somehow cheating in life by calling themselves men when compared to a veteran of Agincourt telling his story of what happened.
QUESTIONS
1 The word “covet” means to yearn for and be jealous of those who possess something.
What is it Henry does NOT covet?
2 What is it he DOES covet?
3 Shakespeare uses the device of stipulating an exact number of additional soldiers he does NOT want, which heightens the force and clarity of his argument that more men are not required.
What is that number?
4 “This day is called the feast of Crispin.”
What is the full name of the saint?
5 “For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall………his condition:”
Shakespeare uses a common English word here twice, later as an adjective but here, unusually, as a verb.
What is the word?
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