SparkNotes: Free Study Guides No Fear Shakespeare: The Bard made easy SparkCharts: Just the facts TestPrep: SAT, ACT, and more 101s: College texts condensed Subject Finder: Browse by subject SparkCollege: Get in! SparkLife: 100% study-free home_bottom home_top BN_link
Biology
 
History
 
Literature
 
Philosophy
 
Shakespeare
 
Home : Henry V : Act 4, scene i : page 172 Read the Study Guide: Henry V
Get the book: Buy it online at Barnes & Noble
Tell a friend: Email this page
Henry V
No Fear Shakespeare
NAVIGATE  

 Previous Page Next Page 
Original Text Modern Text
  That beats upon the high shore of this world.
245 No, not all these, thrice-gorgeous ceremony,
  Not all these, laid in bed majestical,
  Can sleep so soundly as the wretched slave,
  Who, with a body filled and vacant mind,
  Gets him to rest, crammed with distressful bread;
250 Never sees horrid night, the child of hell,
  But, like a lackey, from the rise to set
  Sweats in the eye of Phoebus, and all night
  Sleeps in Elysium; next day after dawn,
  Doth rise and help Hyperion to his horse,
255 And follows so the ever-running year
  With profitable labor to his grave.
  And, but for ceremony, such a wretch,
  Winding up days with toil and nights with sleep,
  Had the forehand and vantage of a king.
260 The slave, a member of the country's peace,
  Enjoys it, but in gross brain little wots
  What watch the king keeps to maintain the peace,
  Whose hours the peasant best advantages.
dusk and all night long sleeps in peace. Come morning, he wakes and helps the sun into his chariot and so wears out the ever-rolling years until his death. Apart from ceremony, this poor creature who spends his days in toil and his nights in sleep is better off than the king. The peasant enjoys his country's peace without ever worrying his dull head about the vigil the king must keep to maintain that peace.
Enter ERPINGHAM
ERPINGHAM enters.
 ERPINGHAM
  My lord, your nobles, jealous of your absence,
265 Seek through your camp to find you.
ERPINGHAM
My lord, your noble subjects are looking for you all over the camp. They're anxious to see you.
 KING HENRY
  Good old knight,
  Collect them all together at my tent.
  I'll be before thee.
KING HENRY
Good old knight, gather them all together at my tent. I'll meet you there.
 ERPINGHAM
  I shall do't, my lord.
ERPINGHAM
Consider it done, my lord.
Exit
He exits.

 Previous Page Next Page 
IPOD SPARKNOTES
Read SparkNotes on your iPod.
More...
Study Guides
Learn more about the subject you're studying with these related SparkNotes.
Henry V

Message Boards
Ask a question on the SparkNotes community boards.
Henry V
Shakespeare
Staging Shakespeare's Plays

SparkCharts
Printable, portable charts on this subject.
Shakespeare

Help | Feedback | Make a request | Report an error | Send to a friend
No Fear Shakespeare
NAVIGATE  
Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions | About | Sitemap
©2008 SparkNotes LLC, All Rights Reserved.