Sharpe (TV Series)

Sharpe's Siege (1996)

Sean Bean: Major Richard Sharpe

Photos 

Quotes 

• [Anticipating battle, Harper hands Sharpe a cup of tea] 

  Sharpe : Thanks, Pat.

  Harper : I was thinking. Things could be an awful lot worse, you know.

  Sharpe : How the bloody hell could things get worse, Pat?

  Harper : We could be without the cup of tea.

• Harper : [Referring to a specific soldier]  Sir, he's got the...

  [whispers 'pox' in Sharpe's ear] 

  Sharpe : Pox! What are you whispering for Harper? I think I've seen plenty of pox in my time!

• Sharpe : What happens when you burn oyster shells?

  Capt. William Frederickson : You get ash I suppose.

  Capt. Neil Palmer : I was born in a fishing village sir. The fishermen used to burn oyster shells all the time.

  Sharpe : Why?

  Capt. Neil Palmer : To whitewash their houses sir. When you burn oyster shells, you get lime. Get that in the eyes you go blind.

• Catherine : If I were a soldier, I would have sworn an oath of loyalty to my Emperor!

  Sharpe : I understand.

  Catherine : But I am not a soldier.

• Colonel Horace Bampfylde : ...and so, having made every provision for the comfort of the wounded, I made my way back through the British lines as quickly as possible.

  Lord Wellington : And how did Colonel Maquerre conduct himself?

  Colonel Horace Bampfylde : I cannot speak too highly of the Count's conduct, Sir. Despite my pleading with him to return with me, he insisted on staying behind to raise rebellion.

  Lord Wellington : And Major Sharpe?

  Colonel Horace Bampfylde : I'm afraid Major Sharpe was away at the time, plundering a French convoy. However, I have been reliably informed by the Mayor of Arcon that he was ambushed and overpowered. I can only assume that he's either been killed or surrendered to the French.

  Lord Wellington : [looks outside his tent]  Well, I suppose we could ask him.

  Colonel Horace Bampfylde : How do you mean, sir?

  [Bampfylde looks outside the tent and is horrified to see Sharpe and a limping Palmer leading the Chosen Men and the remains of the garrison into the camp. Palmer limps into Wellington's tent on a crutch, followed by Sharpe] 

  Major Richard Sharpe : My Lord.

  Capt. Neil Palmer : Sir, under the provisions of the Army Act, I wish to charge Colonel Bampfylde with cowardice in the face of the enemy, abandoning his position, abandoning the wounded, conspiring with the Compte De Maquerre - a spy in the service of Bonaparte - to desert his position and throw the blame on Major Sharpe. I further wish to report, sir, that Major Sharpe tended the wounded, successfully repulsed an attack by General Calvet's brigade and brought us all safely back home here, sir.

  Lord Wellington : Is that all, Captain Palmer?

  Capt. Neil Palmer : Almost all, sir.

  [With difficulty, Palmer turns to his right, brings up his good leg and kicks Colonel Bampfylde in the groin] 

  Colonel Horace Bampfylde : [strained]  Field Marshall Wellington... Captain Palmer assaulted me. He struck a superior officer!

  Lord Wellington : You're no longer a superior officer, Bamfylde. Get out!

• Sharpe : You make your bed, Marquerre, and then you lie in it.Without complaining.Trouble with you is you wanted it every way.You wanted to be a spy for years, then you want to come back home, want everybody to gather round and say what a big hero you've been.The world's not like that, Marquerre.You made your bed with Bonaparte. Well, maybe he'll give you a medal.Maybe not.Me-next time you're in my sights and outside a flag of parlay, I'll shoot you.

• Sharpe : [when Reilly is feigning fatigue]  What's the matter with him?

  Rifleman Robinson : [lying for his friend]  Fatigue, sir?

  Sharpe : Hm. Looks more like fever to me.

  Rifleman Robinson : How can you tell the difference?

  Sharpe : It's simple, Robinson. Just take a big long needle, and stick it in his eyeball. If it's fever, he won't feel a thing!

  Rifleman Reilly : [jumps up at once, but tries to keep up the act of sudden 'recovery']  Where am I?

  Sharpe : You're in a war, Reilly! On one side is you, and on the other side is me! - So you and Robinson are on guard duty tonight. And tomorrow night. And the night after. And when you finish, Reilly, you'll know the difference between fever and fatigue! - Now get in line!

  [the riflemen fall in and continue marching] 

  Rifleman Reilly : [Turns to Robinson when Sharpe is out of earshot]  Do you think, would Sharpe have stuck a needle in my eye?

  Rifleman Robinson : A *needle*? He ain't got a needle. He'd use a blood *bayonet*!

• Catherine : [trying to seduce Sharpe, sitting down on his bed]  I can't sleep.

  Sharpe : I can't sleep, either.

  Catherine : Why, because of the battle

  [tomorrow] 

  Catherine : ?

  Sharpe : No. Because you're sitting on my bed!

• Major General Ross : [after Sharpe just saved his life by shooting two French troopers and threatening the third with his rifle]  Good shooting, Sharpe! How the devil did you reload in time to take on that

  [last] 

  Major General Ross : fellow?

  Sharpe : I was bluffing, sir!

  [indicating his rifle] 

  Sharpe : It was empty.

  Major General Ross : I'm deeply touched you came after me, dear boy!

  Sharpe : I had no choice, sir. I'm getting married tomorrow, and you're giving away the bride!

• Catherine : The cellar. It is full of oyster shells. Burn them.

  [walks away] 

  Sharpe : Oyster shells?