Hotspur in Henry V is thick of tongue but a stutter isn't written into the text; what else could it mean?

Question

I'm trying to determine what Shakespeare meant the audience to think of Hotspur's idiosyncracies of speech.

Answer 1

Well, first of all, Jeffrey B is right: there's no Hotspur in "Henry V," which is probably because Prince Hal killed him in their duel towards the conclusion of "Henry IV, part one."

I also agree that "thick of tongue" MUST somehow be linked to Hotspur's impetuosity and inability to be politic in his speech. Consider the monologue he speaks to the King, beginning: "My liege, I did deny no prisoners..." Although he's describing an incident in which an emissary of the King behaved in a manner that the soldiers found offensive, Hotspur's criticism is clearly aimed directly at King Henry.

Perhaps "thickness" of tongue makes it impossible to CONTROL...that certainly fits Hotspur's character.

Answer 2

I feel it is just the oppose of what is written above. When Hotspur goes into a tantrum which he tends to do, it might be that he thinks quicker then he can speak and his words pile up in his mouth. Remember part of this character's problem is his rashness. He is the foil to Hal, who is waiting for the right moment to shine not pushing for the moment like Hotspur. The best way is to read the play over again and see how his speech changes. It is also great that the playwright has not told you what the problem is exactly because an actor can now make an interpetation based on the text.

Finally, I think you mean Henry the IV part I

Answer 3

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Answer 4

Almost certainly it doesn't mean a stutter. Might mean a speaker who has trouble enunciating, or it might refer to a slowness in speech. I'd tend to think of it in terms of labored, somewhat difficult to understand speech...