Free Shakespeare's Kings by John Julius Norwich Page A

Charles at first objects; their conversation develops into a moral discussion about conflicting oaths and the laws of chivalry and has little bearing on what follows: at last, however, the Duke sees the force of Villiers's argument and Salisbury gets his letter.
    1. At this point the Duke of Normandy was in fact the future John II. See pp. 18-19 and 23—4 .
    Then, in line 57, although Charles remains on stage, we suddenly leap forward a whole decade to the field of Poitiers. King John (and by now he really is King John, his father Philip VI having died six years earlier) tells Charles (who is now transmuted into John's eldest son, born in 1350 and Duke of Normandy since his father's accession) that the Black Prince is surrounded and outnumbered. The first of these statements is unhistorical - the Prince's troops were never in such difficulties - the second is true, though John's estimate of the French strength as 'threescore thousand at the least' is obviously an exaggeration. 1 Charles replies by telling his father of a threefold prophecy, the first part of which, 'When feather'd fowl shall make thine army tremble', is reported in both Froissart and Holinshed - in connection, however, not with Poitiers but with Crecy, ten yean before.
    There follows an extremely unhistorical account of the battle itself. It begins with a conversation between the Prince and his friend Lord Audley, who had fought beside him at Crecy, confirming King John's view of the situation:
    At Cressy field our clouds of warlike smoke Chok'd up those French mouths and dissever'd them: But now their multitudes of millions hide, Masking as 'twere, the beauteous-burning sun; Leaving no hope to us but sullen dark And eyeless terror of all-ending night.
    Audley describes the disposition of the enemy, much as the Mariner did before the battle of Sluys, 2 and the Prince replies with words of encouragement vaguely reminiscent - though they are a good deal less polished - of the St Crispin's Day speech in Henry V. Next three French heralds arrive to taunt the Prince — an incident that recalls the scene of the tennis balls in the same play. He dismisses them with contempt, after which he and Audley prepare themselves for imminent death.
    Then, suddenly, the sky darkens and a strange silence falls, shortly to be broken by a flight of ravens croaking over the French army. The prophecy is fulfilled and panic ensues, as more and more Frenchmen
See p. 37.
See p. 24.
    take to their heels. At this point Lord Salisbury is brought before the French King, having tried unsuccessfully to make his way through the enemy ranks. 1 John orders his execution, but Salisbury shows his letter of safe conduct, signed by Charles of Normandy, who is fortunately present. An argument ensues between Charles and his father on the same lines as that between Villiers and Charles in IV.iii; the King finally capitulates and allows his prisoner to proceed on his way to Calais, but not before he has delivered a parting shot:
    Some two leagues hence there is a lofty hill. . .
    And thence behold the wretched Prince of Wales,
    Hoop'd with a band of iron round about.
    After which sight to Calice [Calais] spur amain,
    And say, the prince was smother'd and not slain:
    And tell the king, this is not all his ill,
    For I will greet him ere he thinks I will.
    Meanwhile, thanks to the ravens, the tide of battle has turned and the entire French army is in flight. King John himself is taken prisoner and brought before the Black Prince; but the Prince appears far more concerned with his friend Audley, who has been seriously - though, as we later learn, not fatally - wounded.
    With Act V, scene i - the last scene in the play - we are back in Calais for the conclusion of the story of the burghers. 'The two days' respite is not yet expir'd', and they duly present themselves before King Edward 'in their shirts, bare foot, with halters about their necks'. He at first condemns them, but Queen Philippa intercedes and