First folio
| Modern text
| Definitions
| Key line
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| Enter the King and all his Traine before the Gates. | Some citizens of Harfleur appear on the walls. Enter | | H5 III.iii.1.1 | |
| the King and all his train before the gates | train (n.) retinue, following, entourage | H5 III.iii.1.2 | |
| King. | KING HENRY | | | |
| How yet resolues the Gouernour of the Towne? | How yet resolves the Governor of the town? | resolve (v.)decide, make up one's mind | H5 III.iii.1 | |
| This is the latest Parle we will admit: | This is the latest parle we will admit: | parle, parley (n.)negotiation, meeting [between enemies under a truce, to discuss terms] | H5 III.iii.2 | |
| | latest (adj.)last, final | | |
| Therefore to our best mercy giue your selues, | Therefore to our best mercy give yourselves, | | H5 III.iii.3 | |
| Or like to men prowd of destruction, | Or, like to men proud of destruction, | proud (adj.)taking pride in, elated by the thought of | H5 III.iii.4 | |
| | like to / unto (conj./prep.)similar to, comparable with | | |
| | destruction (n.)death, slaughter | | |
| Defie vs to our worst: for as I am a Souldier, | Defy us to our worst; for, as I am a soldier, | | H5 III.iii.5 | |
| A Name that in my thoughts becomes me best; | A name that in my thoughts becomes me best, | become (v.)grace, honour, dignify | H5 III.iii.6 | |
| If I begin the batt'rie once againe, | If I begin the battery once again, | | H5 III.iii.7 | |
| I will not leaue the halfe-atchieued Harflew, | I will not leave the half-achieved Harfleur | | H5 III.iii.8 | |
| Till in her ashes she lye buryed. | Till in her ashes she lie buried. | | H5 III.iii.9 | |
| The Gates of Mercy shall be all shut vp, | The gates of mercy shall be all shut up, | | H5 III.iii.10 | |
| And the flesh'd Souldier, rough and hard of heart, | And the fleshed soldier, rough and hard of heart, | fleshed (adj.)well used to bloodshed, hardened | H5 III.iii.11 | |
| In libertie of bloody hand, shall raunge | In liberty of bloody hand shall range | bloody (adj.)bloodthirsty, warlike, ferocious | H5 III.iii.12 | |
| With Conscience wide as Hell, mowing like Grasse | With conscience wide as hell, mowing like grass | | H5 III.iii.13 | |
| Your fresh faire Virgins, and your flowring Infants. | Your fresh fair virgins, and your flowering infants. | | H5 III.iii.14 | |
| What is it then to me, if impious Warre, | What is it then to me, if impious war, | impious (adj.)lacking reverence towards God, wicked, irreligious | H5 III.iii.15 | |
| Arrayed in flames like to the Prince of Fiends, | Arrayed in flames, like to the prince of fiends, | like to / unto (conj./prep.)similar to, comparable with | H5 III.iii.16 | |
| Doe with his smyrcht complexion all fell feats, | Do, with his smirched complexion, all fell feats | smirched (adj.)marked, soiled, stained | H5 III.iii.17 | |
| | feat (n.)[wicked] deed, action, crime | | |
| | fell (adj.)cruel, fierce, savage | | |
| Enlynckt to wast and desolation? | Enlinked to waste and desolation? | enlink (v.)connect, chain, join closely [to] | H5 III.iii.18 | |
| What is't to me, when you your selues are cause, | What is't to me, when you yourselves are cause, | | H5 III.iii.19 | |
| If your pure Maydens fall into the hand | If your pure maidens fall into the hand | | H5 III.iii.20 | |
| Of hot and forcing Violation? | Of hot and forcing violation? | | H5 III.iii.21 | |
| What Reyne can hold licentious Wickednesse, | What rein can hold licentious wickedness | | H5 III.iii.22 | |
| When downe the Hill he holds his fierce Carriere? | When down the hill he holds his fierce career? | career (n.)[of a horse in a combat] charge, gallop, course | H5 III.iii.23 | |
| We may as bootlesse spend our vaine Command | We may as bootless spend our vain command | bootless (adv.)fruitlessly, uselessly, unsuccessfully, in vain | H5 III.iii.24 | |
| Vpon th' enraged Souldiers in their spoyle, | Upon th' enraged soldiers in their spoil | spoil (n.)plundering, pillaging, despoiling | H5 III.iii.25 | |
| As send Precepts to the Leuiathan, to come ashore. | As send precepts to the leviathan | leviathan (n.)sea-monster, whale | H5 III.iii.26 | |
| Therefore, you men of Harflew, | To come ashore. Therefore, you men of Harfleur, | | H5 III.iii.27 | |
| Take pitty of your Towne and of your People, | Take pity of your town and of your people | | H5 III.iii.28 | |
| Whiles yet my Souldiers are in my Command, | Whiles yet my soldiers are in my command, | | H5 III.iii.29 | |
| Whiles yet the coole and temperate Wind of Grace | Whiles yet the cool and temperate wind of grace | | H5 III.iii.30 | |
| O're-blowes the filthy and contagious Clouds | O'erblows the filthy and contagious clouds | overblow (v.)blow away, blow off | H5 III.iii.31 | |
| | contagious (adj.)pestilential, harmful, noxious | | |
| Of heady Murther, Spoyle, and Villany. | Of heady murder, spoil, and villainy. | spoil (n.)plundering, pillaging, despoiling | H5 III.iii.32 | |
| | heady (adj.)violent, weighty, raging | | |
| If not: why in a moment looke to see | If not, why, in a moment look to see | | H5 III.iii.33 | |
| The blind and bloody Souldier, with foule hand | The blind and bloody soldier with foul hand | blind (adj.)heedless, reckless, headstrong | H5 III.iii.34 | |
| | bloody (adj.)bloodthirsty, warlike, ferocious | | |
| Desire the Locks of your shrill-shriking Daughters: | Defile the locks of your shrill-shrieking daughters; | | H5 III.iii.35 | |
| Your Fathers taken by the siluer Beards, | Your fathers taken by the silver beards, | | H5 III.iii.36 | |
| And their most reuerend Heads dasht to the Walls: | And their most reverend heads dashed to the walls; | | H5 III.iii.37 | |
| Your naked Infants spitted vpon Pykes, | Your naked infants spitted upon pikes, | pike, pick (n.)weapon with a long handle ending in a spearhead | H5 III.iii.38 | |
| Whiles the mad Mothers, with their howles confus'd, | Whiles the mad mothers with their howls confused | | H5 III.iii.39 | |
| Doe breake the Clouds; as did the Wiues of Iewry, | Do break the clouds, as did the wives of Jewry | | H5 III.iii.40 | |
| At Herods bloody-hunting slaughter-men. | At Herod's bloody-hunting slaughtermen. | Herod (n.)in the Bible, a Judean king, portrayed in medieval mystery plays as a wild and angry figure | H5 III.iii.41 | |
| What say you? Will you yeeld, and this auoyd? | What say you? Will you yield, and this avoid? | | H5 III.iii.42 | |
| Or guiltie in defence, be thus destroy'd. | Or, guilty in defence, be thus destroyed? | | H5 III.iii.43 | |
| Enter Gouernour. | Enter the Governor on the wall | | H5 III.iii.44.1 | |
| Gouer. | GOVERNOR | | | |
| Our expectation hath this day an end: | Our expectation hath this day an end. | expectation (n.)anticipation, hopefulness | H5 III.iii.44 | |
| The Dolphin, whom of Succours we entreated, | The Dauphin, whom of succours we entreated, | succour (n.)reinforcements, military assistance | H5 III.iii.45 | |
| Returnes vs, that his Powers are yet not ready, | Returns us that his powers are yet not ready | power (n.)armed force, troops, host, army | H5 III.iii.46 | |
| | return (v.)answer, report, say in reply [to] | | |
| To rayse so great a Siege: Therefore great King, | To raise so great a siege. Therefore, great King, | | H5 III.iii.47 | |
| We yeeld our Towne and Liues to thy soft Mercy: | We yield our town and lives to thy soft mercy. | soft (adj.)tender, compassionate, kind | H5 III.iii.48 | |
| Enter our Gates, dispose of vs and ours, | Enter our gates, dispose of us and ours, | | H5 III.iii.49 | |
| For we no longer are defensible. | For we no longer are defensible. | defensible (adj.)defendable, capable of providing a defence | H5 III.iii.50 | |
| King. | KING HENRY | | | |
| Open your Gates: | Open your gates. | | H5 III.iii.51.1 | |
| Exit Governor | | H5 III.iii.51 | |
| Come Vnckle Exeter, | Come, uncle Exeter, | | H5 III.iii.51.2 | |
| Goe you and enter Harflew; there remaine, | Go you and enter Harfleur; there remain, | | H5 III.iii.52 | |
| And fortifie it strongly 'gainst the French: | And fortify it strongly 'gainst the French. | | H5 III.iii.53 | |
| Vse mercy to them all for vs, deare Vnckle. | Use mercy to them all. For us, dear uncle, | | H5 III.iii.54 | |
| The Winter comming on, and Sicknesse growing | The winter coming on, and sickness growing | | H5 III.iii.55 | |
| Vpon our Souldiers, we will retyre to Calis. | Upon our soldiers, we will retire to Calais. | | H5 III.iii.56 | |
| To night in Harflew will we be your Guest, | Tonight in Harfleur will we be your guest; | | H5 III.iii.57 | |
| To morrow for the March are we addrest. | Tomorrow for the march are we addressed. | address (v.)prepare, make ready, poise to act | H5 III.iii.58 | |
| Flourish, and enter the Towne. | Flourish, and enter the town | | H5 III.iii.58 | |