Henry V

The Chorus announces that King Henry is travelling to Calais and then on to London. The people of England are jubilant that the soldiers have come home unharmed. They praise their King and line the streets to celebrate. The peace treaty is to be negotiated between England and France.

Fluellen and Gower in France while the peace negotiations are held. Gower asks the Welshman Fluellen why he wears a leek (a national symbol of Wales) even though St. Davy’s Day (the day of the patron saint of Wales, St. David) has long passed. Fluellen explains, with typical longwindedness, that Pistol insulted him on St. David’s Day by suggesting that he eat his leek. Pistol appears and Fluellen launches himself at the soldier, beating him with a cudgel until he agrees to Fluellen’s demand that he eat the leek that has been worn on Fluellen’s hat for some time. After Pistol has eaten the leek, Fluellen gives him a small sum of money to make up for his wounds. Fluellen exits and Pistol swears revenge against the Welsh Captain. Gower tells the “counterfeit, cowardly” (5.1.66) Pistol that he was at fault. He accuses Pistol of underestimating Fluellen because of his Welsh