Instant Access To 100,000+ Essays!

Hotspur’s soliloquy comes just after the meeting between Worcester, and the Douglas. They are planning a strategy to attack Hal’s troops. Sir Richard Vernon soon enters the scene and reveals news that Hal is on his way to attack Shrewsbury with seven thousand men. Vernon describes Hal’s army, “As full of spirit as the month of May”, and “And gorgeous as the sun at midsummer”. Hotspur begins his soliloquy, almost interrupting Sir Richard Vernon’s praise of Hal. He says, “No more, no more: worse than the sun in March,/ This praise doth nourish agues.” Hotspur is telling Vernon to stop complementing Hal’s troops already. Hotspur says these complements are not only worse than the sun in March, but are also giving him a severe fever. Shakespeare uses striking imagery to describe Hotspur’s angst. “Worse than the sun in March” was probably used as a common aphorism of the time, and is used to show that this praise of Hal’s troops is even worse than an ague (an acute or severe fever ). This demonstrates his utter frustration and anxiety in the upcoming arrival of Hal’s troops. Hotspur quickly changes the tone of the passage. He says, “Let them come:/ They come like sacrifices in their trim/ And