The gates of mercy shall be all shut up, And the flesh'd soldier, rough and hard of heart, In liberty of bloody hand shall range With conscience wide as hell, mowing like grass Your fresh-fair virgins and your flowering infants. What is it then to me, if impious war, Array'd in flames like to the prince of fiends, Do, with his smirch'd complexion, all fell feats Enlink'd to waste and desolation? What is't to me, when you yourselves are cause,
The Agincourt speech is very brilliant but also well known as is the "Into the breech speech". I like the Harfleaur speech for it's emotional rawness. You really don't know if he is bluffing or not. Today most people would play it as a bluff, but in the Vietnam war it was often played out as a genuine threat. He does honor his pledge to treat them with fairness because they do surrender.
The other reason this was left out of Oliviers version is that it frames the battle of Agincourt in the context of the English as a band of bedraggled fugitives just trying to make their way home.
It wouldnt be good propaganda to show an English army invading the continent and then coming horribly unstuck while trying to take some insignificant provincial city (like ooo I dunno Caan for example).
Well, it was bluff in the sense that the English were at the end of their endurance. Exhausted and plaugued by disease they couldnt have kept the seige of Harfleur up much longer, let alone conqured the whole of France.
It was also an accepted military law that if a town held out till taken by force, the inhabitants could legally be slaughtered. This acted as a deterrent to beseiged cities not to waste lives. Work for Cromwell in Ireland after Drogheda (though he only killed soldiers).
CakeOrDeath1967, this is not a bluff, King Henry would not have commanded his soldiers to do that, but he knows what happens when you let a bunch of mercenaries overrun a town. Therefore because he doesn't want Harfleur ruined he is asking the elders to surrender "while my men are still in my command".
A Brilliant scene, its incredible that this was left out of the Ollivier version, but then again I guess they wanted to portray a benevolent and 'clean' king as opposed to Branagh's more faulted version
How true but even Branagh doesn't use the whole speech. He misses out the really gory threats. e.g.
"The fleshed soldier rough and hard of heart, in liberty of bloody hand, shall rage with conscience wide as hell, moving like grass your fresh-fair virgins and your flowering infants" OR "You pure maidens fall into hand of hot and forcing violation" --- Great stuff.
The gates of mercy shall be all shut up, ~insert your part~ What is it then to me, if impious war, Array'd in flames like to the prince of fiends, Do, with his smirch'd complexion, all fell feats Enlink'd to waste and desolation?What is't to me, when you yourselves are cause, If your pure maidens fall into the hand Of hot and forcing violation? What rein can hold licentious wickedness When down the hill he holds his fierce career? We may as bootless spend our vain command Upon the enraged
Right, exactly. Olivier and his producers wanted to rally England and her allies behind the last push of WW II. Therefore, he excised stuff -- like the Harfleur speech -- that would have made Henry's character ambiguous. I'm NOT denigrating Olivier's film, which is certainly great. But Branagh digs deeper into the play and therefore presents more of that which Shakespeare intended:) --
@joohn01010 Yeah, and Henry V and his followers were probably the real bad guys in the Hundred Years War, as apposed to the French, who are made to appear evil in this. Branagh did a good job covering that up.
@joohn01010 That and the olivier version was intended as a propaganda film, and the idea of going into france and liberating hearts and minds in the literal sense probably wasn't the best way to influence joining the army, or the convince the british public of the virtues of the soldiers.
I love how despite the fact he was ranting how they're all going to kill all of them, he seems incredibly relieved that he doesn't have to.
InsertShankHere 3 weeks ago
@kblargh . Harfleur did yield
senlac1000 4 months ago
uhhm I yield!
Visiondrugs1 4 months ago
Somewhere on YouTube is a video of the 100 or so greatest movie threats. This speech is left out. This should have been number one.
abstractthreat 5 months ago
"Your naked infants spitted upon PIKES!!!" I screamed this speech in a paintball game once, much to the horror/amusement of the other side.
God I love Shakespeare, and Branagh.
Nelsonhojax15 6 months ago 2
@Nelsonhojax15 did they yield?
kblargh 6 months ago
@kblargh Sadly, no. But we did win :D
Nelsonhojax15 6 months ago
@Nelsonhojax15 must've sucked for their shrill shrieking daughters
kblargh 6 months ago
godbluffvdgg 7 months ago
There's someone who understands the value of a threat.
captainbadd 8 months ago
i yield
GNBcorporal 9 months ago
WILL YOU YIELD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
generalcircle 9 months ago
This and the scene with the traitors are my favs. Makes sense Olivier left out both, but that is one reason why I prefer Branagh's version.
idreamedmusic 10 months ago
i dislike this video
andresrojas22 11 months ago
In summary: I will fuck you up!!
oTHEBIGBOSSo 1 year ago 7
Great king, great speech...
teddyroosevelt05 1 year ago
@teddyroosevelt05, But Henry was just a piker compared to your "great" mass murders of 200,000 Filipinos, right little Teddy?
AdnanKhashoggi 1 year ago
@teddyroosevelt05 Yup indeed! Shows the less noble side of Harry. The hanging of Bardolph is a good scene for that theme as well.
tommyt1971 1 year ago
@TheLegolasguy
The Agincourt speech is very brilliant but also well known as is the "Into the breech speech". I like the Harfleaur speech for it's emotional rawness. You really don't know if he is bluffing or not. Today most people would play it as a bluff, but in the Vietnam war it was often played out as a genuine threat. He does honor his pledge to treat them with fairness because they do surrender.
frankantoniomartin 1 year ago 3
I think I would yield
Ptrgamb 1 year ago 4
"your naked infants spitted upon PIKES!" love the sheer brutality of this line and the way Brannagh delivers it.
Nelsonhojax15 1 year ago 2
The other reason this was left out of Oliviers version is that it frames the battle of Agincourt in the context of the English as a band of bedraggled fugitives just trying to make their way home.
It wouldnt be good propaganda to show an English army invading the continent and then coming horribly unstuck while trying to take some insignificant provincial city (like ooo I dunno Caan for example).
jonewer 1 year ago
Well, it was bluff in the sense that the English were at the end of their endurance. Exhausted and plaugued by disease they couldnt have kept the seige of Harfleur up much longer, let alone conqured the whole of France.
It was also an accepted military law that if a town held out till taken by force, the inhabitants could legally be slaughtered. This acted as a deterrent to beseiged cities not to waste lives. Work for Cromwell in Ireland after Drogheda (though he only killed soldiers).
jonewer 1 year ago 3
One of the most effective and vivid speeches ever written.
frankantoniomartin 1 year ago
@frankantoniomartin Did you hear the Agincourt speech later on in the movie, that was probably one of the best there is. and the longest too.
TheLegolasguy 1 year ago
Comment removed
Feaisian 1 year ago
CakeOrDeath1967, this is not a bluff, King Henry would not have commanded his soldiers to do that, but he knows what happens when you let a bunch of mercenaries overrun a town. Therefore because he doesn't want Harfleur ruined he is asking the elders to surrender "while my men are still in my command".
peacecanhappen27 2 years ago
good point!
iluvpuddnz 2 years ago
That sheakespear fellow wrote a pretty kewl play.
GregPotemkin 2 years ago 5
he was half clever.
Strompy82 2 years ago
you're an idiot. I was clever you dumb fool, not just half. I hope you choke on your own tongue you retard.
jdstocco 2 years ago
If you, as the leader of that town, saw and heard that man at your gates, knowing no help will come...
Fantastic scene!
jrrtknight 3 years ago 3
This comment has received too many negative votes show
The British have always been good at the bluff hey if it works use it.
Damian7132 3 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
what do you know, you are nothing but a dumb nigger
drskylermallicote 3 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
that guy's a douchebag killing civillians is a dick move I hope he went to hell
jimmeyjimjim 3 years ago
" Your infants spitted upon pikes "
no wonder the elders of harfleur quit the fight - better to be subject to temporary foregn rule - than to have an entire town slaughtered .
chisacat 3 years ago 5
What say YOOOUUU! This is such a bluf, Harry was really overspent... played it cool and won the hand...
CakeOrDeath1967 3 years ago 10
brilliant scene,brilliant actor,brilliant writer
PhiltheBard 3 years ago 25
@PhiltheBard
fake and gay ;D
Rivannous 1 month ago
A Brilliant scene, its incredible that this was left out of the Ollivier version, but then again I guess they wanted to portray a benevolent and 'clean' king as opposed to Branagh's more faulted version
joohn01010 3 years ago 19
How true but even Branagh doesn't use the whole speech. He misses out the really gory threats. e.g.
"The fleshed soldier rough and hard of heart, in liberty of bloody hand, shall rage with conscience wide as hell, moving like grass your fresh-fair virgins and your flowering infants" OR "You pure maidens fall into hand of hot and forcing violation" --- Great stuff.
Pactrolus 3 years ago 8
godbluffvdgg 2 years ago
Right, exactly. Olivier and his producers wanted to rally England and her allies behind the last push of WW II. Therefore, he excised stuff -- like the Harfleur speech -- that would have made Henry's character ambiguous. I'm NOT denigrating Olivier's film, which is certainly great. But Branagh digs deeper into the play and therefore presents more of that which Shakespeare intended:) --
stevevandien 2 years ago 3
@joohn01010 Yeah, and Henry V and his followers were probably the real bad guys in the Hundred Years War, as apposed to the French, who are made to appear evil in this. Branagh did a good job covering that up.
TheLegolasguy 1 year ago
@joohn01010 That and the olivier version was intended as a propaganda film, and the idea of going into france and liberating hearts and minds in the literal sense probably wasn't the best way to influence joining the army, or the convince the british public of the virtues of the soldiers.
Hrolfgartheviking 1 year ago
@joohn01010
I can't evar nevar hear again that fu'king word brilliant.
stop it. stopping. stotp NOW
Rivannous 1 month ago