Chapter 16 - Shakespeare's Henry V (continued) The War Continues Henry V - Act III and Beyond The French and British are still at it. By now, Henry s army is sick and cold. The French are convinced that Henry s spirits will fail him when he sees the might of the approaching French army and give up in shame when he sees them. King Henry later tells the French ambassador that he is not ready to fight. Against direct orders, Bardolph, an old friend of Henry s, steals a pax from a church and is sentenced to be hung--the King had specifically instructed that there was to be no looting. Henry s iron will and integrity becomes the skeleton on which the flesh of the play is hung. It s Not the Size of the Dog in the Fight, But the Size of the Fight in the Dog The English are camped 1500 paces away from the French as the battle approaches. One stark similarity between this battle and the Battle of Crécy is the overconfidence of the French. Even after being sick, cold, outnumbered five to one, and not ready to fight, King Henry walks through the camp 1
encouraging his troops the key element to igniting courage in the English army at this lonely and precarious hour. What er thy joys, they vanish with the day: Whate er thy griefs, in sleep they fade away, To sleep! To sleep! Sleep, mournful heart, and let the past be past: Sleep, happy soul, all life will sleep at last. Alfred Tennyson Foresters. Song. As you can imagine, going into war is tough on the leader of a country even sleep doesn t come with ease! According to the king, the slave sleeps most soundly because he has no responsibility and his mind is not wracked by troubles. Henry begs God s forgiveness for his father s crime of taking the throne from Richard II. He also asks for courage. Realizing the importance of this time, both Henry and Williams exchange gloves so they can recognize each other and finish their quarrel at a different time. This was no time to be petty. Williams reward for keeping the promise he made to King Henry about the glove is that he receives the glove back full of gold coins. For an interesting view of Henry V, go to: http://dewey.lib.upenn.edu/ceti/furness/index.cfm?textid=henryv&pageposition=1 2
A Breach in the Etiquette of War Hitting Below the Belt Has Its Price While in battle, the French act of attacking and ransacking the king s defenseless camp enrages Henry as he claims I was not so angry since I came to France / Until this instant. This cowardly act was regarded as dishonorable according to the etiquette of warfare for that era. As a result of this French misconduct, Henry commanded all the French prisoners to be slain. According to the play, only 25 English died in battle, and when compared to the 10,000 dead French. Henry emerged quite victorious and was one tough cookie. Poetic License and Leeks In the play, he does not agree to negotiate his ransom*, possibly one of the reasons Fluellen compares him to Alexander the Great. In Act V, we learn that Fluellen beats Pistol, because Pistol had made fun of him, particularly his Welsh fondness for leeks.** Judging from Fluellen s reaction here, you wonder if Fluellen had a higher regard for leeks than for Henry V. *History records that Henry did in fact try to negotiate a ransom. Shakespeare exercises poetic license here. (Poetic license is an alteration of the facts to create an effect.) ** In the Dark Ages, house-leeks were supposed to prevent lightning from striking your house. Charlemagne issued an edit that all citizens must place house-leeks on their rooftops for that purpose. Leeks are herbs with tasty leaves. For more on Charlemagne, click on: http://www2.lucidcafe.com/lucidcafe/library/96apr/charlemagne.html 3
In God We Trust All Others Pay Cash After this battle, Henry goes to Calais and then home to England. But unlike many self-seeking kings, he does not want recognition and honor for the great victory at Agincourt because he attributes the success to God. Far from the mind of the riotous youth, King Henry insures that God is to receive the credit from his army: Come, go we in procession to the village. And be it death proclaimed through our host To boast of this or take the praise from God Which is his only. Act 4 Scene 8 It is not a fashion for the maids in France to kiss before they are married Henry V, Act 5, Scene 2 But we re not through yet! No good story is complete without the giddy fragrance of romance. After all, King Henry and Katharine did get a little close when she allows Henry to kiss her. He confides in her that the most valuable quality in a person is a constant, good heart a scarce commodity even today! The Epilogue concludes the story by discussing the future reign of Katharine and King Henry s son, Henry VI. Despite Henry V s great gains in France, it is revealed that their son would lose France and make England bleed. 4
A Friend Is Forever Henry V swells with action, death, and passion. Just as a book can be a friend we visit from time to time, this play should be on our list of life-long acquaintances. We leave this play with the thought that our youth is fleeting, and things that are, will not be: A good leg will fall; A straight back will stoop; A black beard will turn white; A curled pate will grow bald; A fair face will wither; A full eye will wax hollow: But a good heart, Kate, is the sun For it shines bright and never changes, But keeps his course truly. Henry V, Act 5, Scene 2 King Henry Addressing His Future Wife and Queen, Katharine Capital letters used to enhance readability. To view the complete text of Henry V, visit: http://tech-two.mit.edu/shakespeare/history/kinghenryv/kinghenryv.html 5