Henry IV, Part I · Chapter
Scene I explained
The rebel leaders—Hotspur, Worcester, Mortimer, and Glendower—meet at the Archdeacon's house in Bangor to divide the kingdom according to their tripartite indenture.
What happens
The rebel leaders—Hotspur, Worcester, Mortimer, and Glendower—meet at the Archdeacon's house in Bangor to divide the kingdom according to their tripartite indenture. Hotspur clashes with Glendower over the Welshman's boasts of supernatural birth and his claim to a larger share of land, revealing Hotspur's impulsive and quarrelsome nature. Mortimer and Worcester counsel patience. The scene ends with the arrival of their wives, including Mortimer's Welsh-speaking wife and Lady Percy, and a tender, comic exchange before the rebels depart to muster forces.
Themes in this chapter
Rebellion and Civil War
The scene depicts the rebel leaders dividing the kingdom, planning military action, and preparing for war against King Henry IV.
Appearance vs. Reality
Glendower's claims of supernatural power and Hotspur's dismissive mockery highlight the tension between grandiose self-presentation and actual capability.
Honor and Reputation
Worcester warns Hotspur that his pride and harshness stain his reputation and lose men's hearts, linking personal honour to political leadership.
Characters to notice
- Hotspur
Hotspur mocks Glendower's claims of supernatural birth, quarrels over the map's division of land, and shows impatience with poetry and ceremony. He is chided by Worcester for his wilfulness.
- Owen Glendower
Glendower asserts his extraordinary birth and magical powers, claims to command spirits, and insists on the natural course of the River Trent. He is offended by Hotspur's mockery.
- Edmund Mortimer
Mortimer mediates between Hotspur and Glendower, praises Glendower's learning and valour, and expresses frustration that his wife speaks no English.
- Worcester
Worcester advises Hotspur to amend his fault of harsh rage and pride, warning that such behaviour loses men's hearts.
- Lady Percy
Lady Percy (Kate) exchanges playful banter with Hotspur, refusing to sing and teasing him about his oaths and humour.
- Dame Mortimer
Dame Mortimer, Glendower's daughter and Mortimer's wife, speaks only Welsh and weeps at the prospect of parting from her husband. She offers to sing for him.
Key passages
“I can call spirits from the vasty deep. / Why, so can I, or so can any man; / But will they come when you do call for them?”
Glendower boasts he can summon spirits, but Hotspur retorts that anyone can claim that—the real test is whether they actually appear.
Hotspur deflates Glendower's mystical pretensions with blunt pragmatism.
“Methinks my moiety, north from Burton here, / In quantity equals not one of yours: / See how this river comes me cranking in, / And cuts me from the best of all my land”
Hotspur complains that his share of land is smaller because the River Trent winds through it, taking away the best part.
Hotspur's quarrel over the map reveals his greed and impatience.
“I had rather be a kitten and cry mew / Than one of these same metre ballad-mongers”
Hotspur says he would prefer to be a mewing kitten than a poet who writes in metre.
Hotspur's disdain for poetry and refinement contrasts with Glendower's cultured background.