How we cite our quotes: (Act.Scene.Line)
Quote #7
ARTHUR
Lo, by my troth, the instrument is cold,
And would not harm me.
HUBERT, taking back the iron
I can heat it, boy.
ARTHUR
No, in good sooth. The fire is dead with grief,
Being create for comfort, to be used
In undeserved extremes. See else yourself.
There is no malice in this burning coal.
The breath of heaven hath blown his spirit out
And strewed repentant ashes on his head.
HUBERT
But with my breath I can revive it, boy.
ARTHUR
And if you do, you will but make it blush
And glow with shame of your proceedings, Hubert. (4.1.115-126)
In these lines, we can see Arthur's rhetoric (the art of convincing people through speech) at its most brilliant. He starts off by pointing out that the iron poker, which Hubert had heated up to burn Arthur's eyes out, has gone cold. This shows that Arthur's speech is working on one very basic level: he has been able to buy time. But then he makes a brilliant mental leap, by turning the poker into a metaphor for Hubert's own emotions; this shift happens after the phrase "see else yourself." Everything after this point is actually referring to Hubert, not to the burning poker. So, Arthur uses the poker as a bridge to talk about the change that is happening with Hubert's own emotions: his heated murderous rage has been cooled by compassion. The final twist comes after Hubert says he can heat "it" (does he mean the poker or himself?) back up: Arthur says that if he does, its red glow won't be an angry glow, but the blushing glow of shame. Given this skillful manipulation—especially coming from a helpless and innocent child—is it any surprise that Hubert finds he can't go through with his plan?
Quote #8
BASTARD
If thou didst but consent
To this most cruel act, do but despair,
And if thou want'st a cord, the smallest thread
That ever spider twisted from her womb
Will serve to strangle thee; a rush will be a beam
To hang thee on. Or wouldst thou drown thyself,
Put but a little water in a spoon
And it shall be as all the ocean,
Enough to stifle such a villain up. (4.3.132-140)
With these words, the Bastard interrogates Hubert, demanding to know whether or not he actually had anything to do with Arthur's death. (Arthur is indeed dead by this point.) The Bastard thinks that such a crime would be so heinous that there would be no possibility for forgiveness: the person who committed it can do nothing "but despair." By bringing in this reference to "despair," with its Christian echoes, the Bastard hints that there won't even be any divine forgiveness for such a crime. Then he goes on to list a lot of weird, small things that he says will be able to kill Hubert if Hubert was guilty of the crime. What do you make of this part of the Bastard's speech? Does he mean that Hubert will feel so guilty that even the smallest thing will be able to kill him?
Quote #9
DAUPHIN
A noble temper dost thou show in this,
And great affections wrestling in thy bosom
Doth make an earthquake of nobility.
O, what a noble combat hast thou fought
Between compulsion and a brave respect!
Let me wipe off this honorable dew,
That silverly doth progress on thy cheeks.
My heart hath melted at a lady's tears,
Being an ordinary inundation,
But this effusion of such manly drops,
This shower, blown up by tempest of the soul,
Startles mine eyes, and makes me more amazed
Than had I seen the vaulty top of heaven
Figured quite o'er with burning meteors. (5.2.40-53)
With these words, Louis tells Salisbury that he forgives him for his tirade against rebellion and against foreigners (like Louis) who menace England. Louis says that he is so astonished by these tears coming from a grown man that he can't help feeling compassion for him. The irony, of course, is that Louis is secretly planning to have Salisbury executed once their war with King John is over.