Day Twenty

Henry VI, Part 1

4.5

SYNOPSIS

The scene begins with Talbot lamenting. He had asked his son to join him in order to teach in the ways of war, but now he lays surrounded and will surely die, and he feels it best John (his son) leave:

Talbot

Now thou art come unto a feast of death

...

Therefore, dear boy, mount on my swiftest horse

The rest of this scene is a drawn out back-and-forth between the parties about leaving. They finally decide to stay together and fight together.

IMPRESSIONS

Finally, after all this talk, we finally get to spend some time with Talbot again, and this time he is with his son, though for the most part, they just argue about who should leave, why leaving would be bad for either party or both, and why it would be good. I caught several allusions to Icarus beyond the Father/Son dynamic and the somewhat imprisonment. But there were outright suggestions of Icarus

John

Shall I fly?

Talbot

Fly, to revenge my death, if I be slain

John

He that flies so will ne’er return again.

Another short one. These are killing me. But, ever onward! We will conquer!  Act V is around the corner.

Henry VI, Part 1

4.6
SYNOPSIS
The very  next scene is now about Talbot and son in battle.    It begins with Talbot leading the charge and rescuing his son.

Talbot
I gave thee life, and rescu'd thee from death.

John
O, twice my father, twice am I thy son!

Again Talbot tries to convince John to leave, which he won't.  They fight on.

IMPRESSIONS
The lines feel like true couplets now, virtually every line here is part of a rhyming couplet...ironic?  Considering the context: war, and the heat of battle.  Also, Talbot explicitly calls his son Icarus this time...some blatant foreshadowing, perhaps?

Talbot
Then follow thou thy desp'rate sire of Crete,
Thou Icarus; thy life to me is sweet.
If thou wilt fight, fight by thy father's side,
And commendable prov'd, let's die in pride.

Act V is right around the corner now!