Aug 21, 2008

Henry V | Act II, Scene 1 Summary and Analysis

New Characters:
Bardolph, Pistol, Nym: thieves and cowards; all were friends of Henry during his wild youth

Boy: young man who at first associates with Bardolph, Pistol, and Nym

Hostess Quickly: peasant woman; wife of Pistol

Summary
In this scene, five low-class characters—Pistol, Bardolph, Nym, Hostess Quickly, and a boy—meet on a London street. Nym and Bardolph appear first, and we learn that their friend Pistol has married Hostess Quickly, who is Nym’s former fiancée. When the couple enters, Nym insults Pistol by calling him “host” instead of his...