The King's Choice

Prince Charles cites this speech in a wonderfully barking collection of his favourite bits from Shakespeare which is called the prince's choice. Henry then withdraws into a soliloquy so we're still going through what happens in Act 4. He seems to have forgotten that he's just met three soldiers who were sitting up at night sick with worry. It seems that Shakespeare wants these men and their challenge to Henry's authority to echo in Henry'ssoliloquy here. And as Henry thinks about himself and his position he caricatures the wretched slave in a manner which is rather different from the gestures of brotherhood but the play wants to assert.