Henry IV Part 2: Novel Summary: Act V Scene 3

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Act V Scene 3

Act V Scene 3
Shallow, Silence, Falstaff, Bardolph and the Page are sitting in Shallow's orchard after supper while Davy serves the food and wine. Silence, who is drunk, cannot stop singing.
Pistol arrives with the news that their old pal Prince Harry has been crowned king. Falstaff, delighted, readies himself to go to London immediately. He promises Shallow any office in the land he desires, and says that the laws of England are his to command. He plans to reward his friends and punish the Lord Chief Justice.
Analysis
The audience senses, from the behavior of the new Henry V in the previous scenes, that Falstaff's anticipation that he will be able to do what he wants under the new ruler is misplaced. This scene helps to build the audience's interest in what may happen when the new King and his old companion meet.