King of France

The King of France moves from military alarm to diplomatic accommodation in the evidence supplied: he recognizes Henry’s strength, orders his princes to arm, and later acknowledges the English king’s crossing of the Somme before yielding to a request in negotiation.

Identity and Court

The King of France appears at his palace in France amid a royal gathering that includes the Dauphin, the Constable of France, and other courtiers. The staging presents him as a ruler acting within a court and council, with the French response to the invasion discussed among the kingdom’s senior figures.

Preparing to Meet Henry

The King of France judges Henry strong and tells the princes to arm themselves to meet him. His warning makes the English king’s military power a matter of immediate concern at court; the response is preparation for confrontation, not dismissal of the threat.

When the King of France appears again, now with the Dauphin and the Constable of France, he states that Henry has passed the river Somme. The brief confirmation marks the invader’s advance as established fact and carries the scene’s focus from anticipating an encounter to recognizing how far the English force has progressed.

From Alarm to Concession

In the later diplomatic exchange, the King of France addresses his interlocutor as brother. He says he has not denied the matter, but that the request will make him let it pass. The line records a concession while leaving its precise object unstated in the supplied evidence. Set beside his earlier command to arm, it shows the King of France in two distinct circumstances: first responding to Henry’s advance with preparations for war, and later allowing a request to shape his response in negotiation.