Fluellen Making Pistol Eat the Leek (Shakespeare, Henry V, Act 5, Scene 1) 1795

Curator: Here we have "Fluellen Making Pistol Eat the Leek (Shakespeare, Henry V, Act 5, Scene 1)," an engraving by Robert Mitchell Meadows, created in 1795. It's based on a scene from Shakespeare’s Henry V. Editor: Oof, what a predicament. Someone's definitely regretting a bad decision. You can almost taste the humiliation radiating off of that poor soul being forced to eat that… thing. Is that a leek? It looks so aggressively green. Curator: Indeed. This scene depicts the Welsh officer Fluellen forcing Pistol, a comic rogue in Shakespeare’s play, to eat a leek as punishment for mocking Welsh customs. Leeks, of course, being a national symbol of Wales. Editor: Talk about poetic justice served with a side of foliage. Look at the tension Meadows captures in Fluellen’s stance versus Pistol's sheer anguish! And those tents in the background… it grounds us, a reminder of war's context. You can almost hear their exchange amidst the wider struggle. Curator: Meadows is definitely playing on the visual humor, emphasizing the stark contrast in power dynamics. He has really made an interesting choice with the scale here. Remember that in the late 18th century, there was a huge resurgence of interest in Shakespeare, so illustrations like this one fed into a burgeoning market for popular interpretations of classic literature. Also, this print probably circulated among those of slightly higher social stature, I think there is almost a satire within a satire at work. Editor: So it’s Shakespeare interpreted through Meadows and filtered by period tastes. No wonder the composition dances between caricature and classical poise! It is an artistic echo chamber of sorts! Does anyone ever truly win when pride meets… vegetables? I love how much can be read between the lines here, you feel the layers and the playfulness so instantly. Curator: Exactly, and perhaps that's the genius of works like these; they hold a funhouse mirror to human behavior throughout the ages, Shakespeare and Meadows just shine the lights on each other from different centuries! Editor: This image reminds me to treat your greens with the appropriate amount of respect or you too might face such a dire destiny. Thanks, I appreciate these little histories that contain so much feeling.