My favourite Shakespeare play is undoubtedly Henry V probably followed by As You Like It – though I am prejudiced about AYLI because I once acted in it. I had about six lines and only appeared for about ten minutes at the end of the play. I also sucked pretty badly which pretty much terminated a career in theatre. But I love Henry V – my favourite speech – and probably a lot of people’s favourite is the St Crispin’s day speech, excerpted here:
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne’er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember’d;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.
It’s a clever and powerful speech – I even liked Kenneth Branagh’s when he was doing the speech in his adaptation of Henry V – and I usually can’t stand him as an actor. I currently have this quote on my office door to describe the joys of our battles to sell things with a warning that all you enter my office are at risk of ending up like the French. I don’t think anyone really gets it.
Reading: Stephen Hunter Pale Horse Coming.
Listening to (and singing along to) Pete Yorn – Music For The Morning After.
