Day Nine

Henry VI, Part 1

2.3

SYNOPSIS

The scene begins with the countess talking about her plan, thus immediately proving, explicitly, earlier paranoia.

Countess

The plot is laid.  If all things fall out right,

I shall as famous be...

When Talbot arrives, there is a bit of gamesmanship, when looking upon him for the first time says, "What? Is this the man?..Is this the scourge of France?...I thought I should have seen some Hercules..."  The Countess lays it on pretty thick, and when Talbot resists her BS, her porter returns with some keys, and tells Talbot, "If thou be he, then art thou prisoner."  They argue momentarily, then Talbot laughs at her threats, and as she is shocked, he winds his horn and calls for his soldiers.  She is immediately shamed into praising Talbot for his power.  He asks to stay for dinner.

IMPRESSIONS

Shit really hit the fan here.  Both suspicions I had at the end of the previous scene came to fruition in this scene!  It was a trap, and Talbot did have something up his sleeve.  Well, alright.  When the countess first springs the trap and arrests Talbot, I kept thinking about the earlier scene when Falstaff abandoned him, and he was captured.  Man, this guy is no good at evading capture.  I really like the word play, particularly with the word shadow, and it is the first major characteristic of the play that makes Henry VI, Part 1 feel like Shakespeare.

Countess

Long time thy shadow hath been thrall to me

Later, Talbot describes her opinion of his capabilities, that the real Talbot is...well, a shadow.

Talbot

...I am but shadow of myself

You are deceiv'd, my substance is not here

"What is his substance?" you ask.  Talbot "winds his horn," and in enter Talbot's shoulders, the real substance.  She does a quick, boss-Hogg like turnaround.  "Oh, you're so great, Talbot!  Got me!"

...AND THEN SOME

Just downloaded the Shakespeare App for my iPhone.  Contains all the plays and poetry, and includes a contested play (that is, severely contested): Double Falsehood, the text of which may or may not have been derived from a Shakespeare play co-authored with John Fletcher, and itself a derivation of Don Quixote...I think.  Anyhow, I read the remainder of the second act on my iPhone while cat-sat for some friends.  I'm very fond of it.