O for a Muse of Fire
-Shakespeare’s Henry V
When Henry IV dies, Prince Hal must become King Henry V but can he shake the wild, childishness of his past? The young King goes from assuming the throne to waging war with the French. The play is epic! How could a theatre company fit this story on its stage? With a little imagination.
Black River Falls area family physician, Ben Boardman, was drawn to the Henry V prologue since his early theatre days. He says, “I love the pace and flow of the words and the images they carry. This piece speaks to me of what theater is and what we must do as actors or audience to participate in a magic that only requires our “willful suspension of disbelief.”
Boardman’s first love has always been the stage. He has acted, directed, and produced theatre with Falls Players in Black River Falls where he was active for 15 years. “I continue as a physician whose greatest passion has always been the theatre and I strive to instill education, humor and entertainment into all my patient care,” he says.
Ben Boardman as the Chorus in Henry V:
THE MONOLOGUE: HENRY V, PROLOGUE, CHORUS BY BEN BOARDMAN
“O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend
The brightest heaven of invention,
A kingdom for a stage, princes to act
And monarchs to behold the swelling scene!
Then should the warlike Harry, like himself,
Assume the port of Mars; and at his heels,
Leash’d in like hounds, should famine, sword and fire
Crouch for employment. But pardon, and gentles all,
The flat upraised spirits that have dared
On this unworthy scaffold to bring forth
So great an object: can this cockpit hold
The vasty fields of France? or may we cram
Within this wooden O the very casques
That did affright the air at Agincourt?
O, pardon! Since a crooked figure may
Attest in little place a million;
And let us, ciphers to this great accompt,
On your imaginary forces work.
Suppose within the girdle of these walls
Are now confined two mighty monarchies,
Whose high upreared and abutting fronts
The perilous narrow ocean parts asunder:
Piece out our imperfections with your thoughts;
Into a thousand parts divide one man,
And make imaginary puissance;
Think when we talk of horses, that you see them
Printing their proud hoofs i’ the receiving earth;
For ’tis your thoughts that now must deck our kings,
Carry them here and there; jumping o’er times,
Turning the accomplishment of many years
Into an hour-glass: for the which supply,
Admit me Chorus to this history;
Who prologue-like your humble patience pray,
Gently to hear, kindly to judge, our play.”
MORE ABOUT THE MONOLOGUE PROJECT
Our goal of Shakespeare from the Ground’s Monologue Project is to collect a library of Shakespearean monologues to share with our community for virtual entertainment while we are still socially distanced. You don’t need to be a professional actor to participate. If you’re inspired and ready to record, great! If you need help selecting your Shakespeare Monologue or getting it recorded, reach out and we’ll help you get the ball rolling. Are you ready to take to the boards once again…virtually?
