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Home : Henry IV Part 2 : Act 2, scene ii : page 331 Read the Study Guide: Henry IV Part 2
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Henry IV Part 2
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 POINS
25 How ill it follows, after you have labored so hard, you should
  talk so idly! Tell me, how many good young princes would
  do so, their fathers being so sick as yours at this time is?
POINS
It seems wrong, after all your hard work in battle, that you should be spending your time now in idle chatter. How many other princes would behave like this if their fathers were as sick as yours?
 PRINCE HENRY
  Shall I tell thee one thing, Poins?
PRINCE HENRY
Can I tell you something, Poins?
 POINS
  Yes, faith, and let it be an excellent good thing.
POINS
Sure; and make sure it's an excellent thing.
 PRINCE HENRY
30 It shall serve among wits of no higher breeding than thine.
PRINCE HENRY
It'll be fine, for people who aren't any smarter than you are.
 POINS
  Go to. I stand the push of your one thing that you will tell.
POINS
Go ahead. I'm can take whatever you have to say.
 PRINCE HENRY
  Marry, I tell thee it is not meet that I should be sad, now my
  father is sick—albeit I could tell thee, as to one it pleases me,
  for fault of a better, to call my friend, I could be sad, and sad
35 indeed too.
PRINCE HENRY
Here it is, then. It's not seemly for me to be sad over my father's illness. But I could tell you—as a person who, for lack of anyone else, I'm pleased to call my friend—that I could be sad. I could be very sad, indeed.
 POINS
  Very hardly, upon such a subject.
POINS
It would be difficult to feel that way over a thing like this.
 PRINCE HENRY
  By this hand, thou thinkest me as far in the devil's book as
  thou and Falstaff for obduracy and persistency. Let the end
  try the man. But I tell thee, my heart bleeds inwardly that my
40 father is so sick: and keeping such vile company as thou art
  hath in reason taken from me all ostentation of sorrow.
PRINCE HENRY
I swear, you must think that I'm as sinful as you and Falstaff are, and as stubborn and persistent. We'll see about that. But I'm telling you: my heart is bleeding for my father, and for his illness. But because I'm hanging out with lowlifes like you, I can't show how sorrowful I am.
 POINS
  The reason?
POINS
Why?
 PRINCE HENRY
  What wouldst thou think of me if I should weep?
PRINCE HENRY
What would you think of me if I started crying?
 POINS
  I would think thee a most princely hypocrite.
POINS
I would think you're a royal hypocrite.

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