Group: humanities.lit.authors.shakespeare
From: Bill McClain <20071214.20.wmcclain@spamgourmet.com>
Date: Monday, February 18, 2008 3:46 PM
Subject: Re: Henry IV Part I a couple of questions...

On 2008-02-18, Peter Brooks wrote:
> I've just enjoyed the BBC 1979 production that is part of their DVD
> issue of the almost full canon. I doesn't have the lavish production
> fashion that we see in the 'Tudors', but it seems pretty good to me.

> I have a couple of questions that a google search hasn't answered
> satisfactorily. The first is about the Welsh. The original play has,
> in Act 3 Scene 1, a few places where the instruction is that the
> characters speak Welsh (but not what they say) and that there is a
> Welsh song, but not which one. Is there a translation anywhere of what
> is actually used in this production?

This is well-known as ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT. The only English version I know
of uses these lyrics, but I don't know if they correspond to the Welsh:

http://www.kididdles.com/lyrics/a002.html

> Also, more to the point of the play, why does Worcester, lie to
> Hotspur about the King's offer of a pardon? It seems a pretty pivotal
> point and the various essays and commentaries suggest that it is
> because he doesn't believe that the King is sincere. I don't see any
> evidence for this in the play. What have I missed?

He wants war. Now that it's started he wins or dies.

By the way, I have brief Shakespeare movie reviews here:

http://watershade.net/wmcclain/ws-movies.html

-Bill
--
Sattre Press Tales of War
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