Summary: Act III, scene i
In Wales, at the castle of Owain Glyndwr,
the leaders of the rebel armies have gathered to discuss strategy.
The two most important members of the Percy family, Hotspur and
Worcester, are there, along with Lord Mortimer (Hotspur’s brother-in-law,
referred to in the play as his cousin). Their host, Glyndwr,
is Mortimer’s father-in-law and the leader of the Welsh rebels.
He believes strongly in the ancient Welsh pagan traditions of prophecies,
omens, magic, and demons. He claims to be able to call spirits from
hell, and he says that at his birth the earth shook and the sky
was full of fire. Hotspur makes fun of the Welsh leader’s claims
of magical power. Despite his best efforts, Mortimer cannot get
his tactless brother-in-law to shut up. Hotspur mocks Glyndwr’s
claim to be able to command the devil; Glyndwr
then asserts that he has repelled Henry’s invasions three times.
By the time the four actually get down to discussing strategy, Glyndwr
is none too pleased with his youngest guest.
The men take out a large map of Britain and divide it
up as they have earlier discussed: after they defeat King Henry,
Glyndwr will get the western
part of Britain—western England and all of Wales; Mortimer will
get the southeast part of England, including London; Hotspur will
get the northern part, home to his family. Hotspur begins to complain
because he does not like the way that a river curves through his
land, and he says that he will have the river straightened out.
Irritated, Glyndwr tells Hotspur
that he must not do so, and the two bicker again, although Glyndwr
ends the dispute this time by giving in.
After Glyndwr leaves
the room, Mortimer chides Hotspur for bothering Glyndwr.
Hotspur says he is bored and annoyed with Glyndwr’s
talk of prophecies and magic. Mortimer reminds him that Glyndwr
is a powerful, courageous, and well-read man, and also possibly
a dangerous magician. He points out that Glyndwr
has been very tolerant of Hotspur’s youthful obnoxiousness. Anyone else,
he warns, would have felt the force of Glyndwr’s
anger already. Worcester agrees and urges Hotspur to mind
his manners and show respect. Hotspur claims unconvincingly that
he has learned his lesson.
Glyndwr brings in
Mortimer’s and Hotspur’s wives; the four must say goodbye, for the
men must ride off to meet their allies that very night. Lady Mortimer,
Glyndwr’s daughter, cannot speak English,
and Mortimer knows no Welsh. Lady Mortimer weeps for her husband,
who speaks lovingly to her, and Glyndwr
translates between them. Mortimer lays his head in her lap, and
she sings the company a song in Welsh. Meanwhile, Hotspur and his
wife, Lady Percy, bid each other farewell in a half-affectionate,
half-fighting manner. By the time Lady Mortimer’s song is over,
the formal contracts of agreement among the rebel leaders have been
drawn up. The men sign them, and Mortimer, Hotspur, and Worcester
then set forth. They are heading to Shrewsbury, near the English
border with Wales, to meet the Earl of Northumberland (Hotspur’s
father) and his ally, the Douglas of Scotland, who will bring with
him a thousand soldiers. Glyndwr,
meanwhile, will gather his army, which he plans to lead into England
within two weeks.
Read a translation of
Act III, scene i →
Analysis
Hotspur’s quick temper and insolence flare up once again
in this scene: with a few rude words, he alienates the extremely
powerful Owain Glyndwr, one
of his family’s most important allies. By this point, Hotspur’s
immaturity is apparent as the negative side of his boldness and
sharp military instincts. As Worcester insightfully notes, Hotspur’s
greatest asset—his boldness and quick temper—is also his worst flaw;
he is valiant in battle but cannot manipulate or work with people
behind the scenes. This flaw eventually proves a deadly weakness
for Hotspur, since manipulation and diplomacy are among the greatest
strengths of Prince Harry, his archrival. This tension emphasizes
the importance the play places on understanding the qualities of
true leadership.
This scene also provides us with a strong taste of Welsh
culture and tradition, which Glyndwr
embodies. The English regarded the ancient Welsh customs and supernatural
traditions with mingled disdain and unease. On the one hand, they
felt that a more advanced civilization (as they considered themselves)
should have no fear of ancient superstitions. On the other hand,
however, no one could be sure that the Welsh were not really magicians.
This scene recalls the horror with which Westmoreland speaks, in
Act I, scene i, about the ritualistic mutilations that the Welsh
women performed upon the English dead.
