Is Henry V a man of high morality? - This is a question that could serve as the driving force of someone who might get interested in reading the story with that title written by William Shakespeare. The stage plays that would be conducted as a result of this story would be re-interpreted throughout the generations that follow.
Written in 1599, It creatively depicts the racial and cultural diversity in England during that time. Throughout the story, characters of all races and classes from Wales, Ireland, and other areas in the United Kingdom are included. Because of such diversity, the appearance and image of Henry V look even more appealing to the audience.
It Is About A War Drama
The story also spends a lot of time dramatizing war and battle and Shakespeare is doing an excellent job at it. A debate about whether he is viewing battle to be good or bad is one of the most notable issues that spring from the popularity of Henry V’s story. One of the most important themes of the story is how France and England are united. Another crucial element to the play is how far the protagonist would detach himself from his friends and loved ones just for the fulfillment of his goals and visions.
As the story opens, the death of Henry IV is still a freshly-mourned event all over England. This is where his successor Henry V is about to take over the throne. As he does so, he must grapple with his past. During his early years as a young man, he has known to spend a lot of time with thieves, drunkards, and other lowlifes that thrive in the area. This highly indicates that he is a man with a shady past and that he is someone with a not-so-polished reputation.
Henry V Has A Childish Mindscape
While on the first phases of becoming a king, lays claim to some parts of France because of his strong adherence of his roots to the French royal family. Upon hearing Henry V’s claim, a French prince sends him an insulting letter with the emphasis that he has no right to such a claim.
The letter came packaged with a chest of tennis balls which further heightened the anger of Henry V. In response, he invaded France while alluding to cannonballs as tennis balls in response to the message of the prince that insulted him. A plot element like this highly suggests that Henry V can be a bit childish in his dealings with his enemies.
Truly, you cannot be declared as a wise king if you resort to childishness. A good king must only use rational thinking to make decisions. A battle plan or any executive decision for that matter must not be dictated by playful thoughts as it could highly endanger the kingdom that the king in question is ruling over.
He Was A Wise Ruler, But A Ruthless One
Knowing that they are about to be in a very huge and heated battle, many of Henry V’s former friends prepare themselves for battle. As the war ensued, Falstaff, a valiant, elderly knight who was one of the king’s very close friends dies. No war campaign is ever conducted without insubordination and conspiracies, and Henry V is of no exception to such an occurrence. A conspiracy has arisen against him and upon finding out the three conspirators, he orders the execution of those men. One of those 3 was a close friend of his.
That event of the story shows that Henry is a wise ruler, he is willing to make hard choices to truly solidify his image as a king and to show his power so that people will greatly fear him and respect him. It can be noted that he is very willing to leave his friends and even betray him if it means making showing his renown to the greatest heights possible.
Such action is proof that he is really a ruthless leader who will stop at nothing to eliminate whatever obstacle of his kingship that shows up along the way. Whether you are a friend or if you are someone he loves, he will still have you punished, and he seems ever-ready to deal with the consequences of his actions.
The Legendary Battle Of Agincourt
His next move was sailing to France, and conquer the town of Harfleur. As the battle further progressed, they got into the now widely-renowned battle of Agincourt, upon which Henry V’s men were hugely outnumbered. The night before that, a central element of the story happened in which Henry disguised himself as an ordinary soldier and talked to some of his men.
During the conversation, he learned a lot about what the plain soldiers are thinking about especially when they die in the next battle. Overwhelmed by a deep concern for his men, he prayed for them. This is a big twist to the story, for the flow of the story, a great game-changer so to speak.
Henry’s character is established to be a carefree young man and a ruthless ruler who will have no qualms of killing his friends if they get in the way. It seems surprising that he is a religious man after all. His views about the human soul are evident in his statement that goes, “Every subject’s duty is the king’s, but every subject’s soul is his own.”
The next morning, he gave a very strong and compelling speech to his men. Motivated to fight even more courageously, the English men won the battle against the French army. Such a scene is proof of Henry V’s great communication and rhetorical skills. He is so good at motivating others through words alone. He can sway anyone and urge a huge number of people into giving the best of themselves in order to conquer great obstacles that lie ahead of them.
Though they are greatly outnumbered by the French, they still managed to win the war. His words, "Men of few words are the best men," appear to be contradicted in such a motivational speech. It was quite long which makes it truly effective for the battle that ensued right after.
Knowing that other wars between France and England could still emerge in the future, Henry V and the King of France discussed terms of peace. The result of such a negotiation ended in the marriage between him and a princess named Catherine.
Conclusion
As a reader or viewer of the play finishes the story, indications of a great man with a wild past during his youth are clear, which can make the reader question if he is truly worthy to be a king at all. But such a story element makes the story even more interesting to read. If we put it into perspective, many of the literary characters in these modern times are very flawed and ambiguous.
If a writer makes a protagonist too perfect, the story would be too boring to read – it would be very much of a cliché and predictable. In conclusion, Henry V turned out to be a prominent figure, but he shows signs of being humble as a man when he said, “I think the king is but a man, as I am: the violet smells to him as it doth to me.”
