Henry V by William Shakespeare
**Overview of "Henry V" by William Shakespeare**
"Henry V" is a historical play by William Shakespeare that explores the transformation of Prince Henry into King Henry V, a leader grappling with his royal responsibilities and claims to the French throne. The narrative begins with Henry seeking legal counsel regarding his rights to rule France, which leads to an escalation of tensions with the French monarchy. When the Dauphin, the French king's son, sends an insulting gift of tennis balls, Henry's resolve strengthens, and he prepares for war.
The play depicts significant events, including the English siege of Harfleur and the famous Battle of Agincourt, where Henry's outnumbered troops achieve a surprising victory through his leadership and motivational efforts. Throughout the story, themes of honor, kingship, and the burdens of leadership are examined as Henry interacts with his soldiers and reflects on his role as king. Following the battle, negotiations with the French conclude with Henry seeking a marriage alliance with Princess Katharine, symbolizing a potential reconciliation between the two nations. "Henry V" invites audiences to ponder the complexities of power, identity, and the human cost of war.
Henry V by William Shakespeare
First produced: c. 1598–1599; first published, 1600
Type of work: Drama
Type of plot: Historical
Time of plot: Early fifteenth century
Locale: England and France
Principal Characters
Henry V , the king of EnglandCharles VI , the king of FrancePrincess Katharine , his daughterThe Dauphin , his sonMontjoy , a French herald
The Story
Once a seemingly dissolute and irresponsible prince, Henry V has become king of England. The stern but just monarch is concerned with his hereditary claim to the crown of France. Before the arrival of the French ambassadors to his court, the young king asks for legal advice from the archbishop of Canterbury. The king thinks he is the rightful heir to the throne of France through Edward III, whose claim to the French throne was, at best, questionable. The archbishop assures Henry that he has as much right to the French throne as does the French king, and both he and the bishop of Ely urge Henry to press his demands against the French.
When the ambassadors from France arrive, they come not from Charles, France’s king, but from his arrogant eldest son, the Dauphin. According to the ambassadors, the Dauphin thinks the English monarch to be the same hotheaded, irresponsible youth he was before he ascended the throne. To show that he considers Henry an unfit ruler with ridiculous demands, the Dauphin presents Henry with tennis balls. Enraged by the insult, Henry tells the French messengers to warn their master that the tennis balls will be turned into gun stones for use against the French.
The English prepare for war. The Dauphin remains contemptuous of Henry, but others, including the ambassadors who have seen Henry in his wrath, are not so confident. Henry’s army lands to lay siege to Harfleur, and Henry threatens to destroy the city and its inhabitants unless it surrenders. The French governor is forced to capitulate because help promised by the Dauphin never arrives. The French—with the exception of King Charles—are alarmed by the rapid progress of the English through France. King Charles is so sure of victory that he sends his herald, Montjoy, to Henry to demand that the English king pay a ransom to the French, give himself up, and order his soldiers to withdraw from France. Henry is not impressed by this bold gesture.
On the eve of the decisive battle of Agincourt, the English are outnumbered five to one. Henry’s troops are on foreign soil and riddled with disease. To encourage them, and also to sound out their morale, the king borrows a cloak and in this disguise walks among his troops, from watch to watch and from tent to tent. As he talks with his men, he tells them that a king is but a man like other men and that if he were a king he would not want to be anywhere except where he is, in battle with his soldiers. To himself, Henry muses over the cares and responsibilities of kingship. He thinks of himself as simply a man who differs from other men only in ceremony, itself an empty thing.
Henry’s sober reflections on the eve of a great battle, in which he thinks much English blood will be shed, are quite different from those of the French, who are exceedingly confident of their ability to defeat the enemy. Shortly before the conflict begins, Montjoy again appears to give the English one last chance to surrender. Henry, who is not discouraged by the numerical inferiority of his troops, again refuses to be intimidated. As he reasons in speaking with his officers, the fewer troops the English have, the greater will be the honor to them when they win.
The following day, the battle begins. Under Henry’s leadership, the English hold their own. When French reinforcements arrive at a crucial point in the battle, Henry orders his men to kill all their prisoners so their energies might be directed entirely against the enemy before them. Soon, the tide turns. A much humbler Montjoy approaches Henry to request a truce for burying the French dead. Henry grants the herald’s request and at the same time learns from him that the French have conceded defeat. Ten thousand French have been killed, and only twenty-nine English.
The battle over, nothing remains for Henry but to discuss with the French king terms of peace. Katharine, Charles’s beautiful daughter, is Henry’s chief demand, and while his lieutenants settle the details of surrender with the French, Henry courts the princess and asks her to marry him. Though Katharine’s knowledge of English is slight and Henry’s knowledge of French little better, they are both acquainted with the universal language of love. French Katharine consents to become English Kate and Henry’s bride.
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