Henry V Analysis
Henry V – William Shakespeare
There can be little doubt that Shakespeare intended to present his protagonist in “Henry V” as the popular hero-king. His efforts are mainly concentrated on the portraiture of this “star of England”, King Henry, whom he deliberately chose out of the page of history as the finest representative of the best distinctive type of English character. He wanted his play to lead triumphantly to an English victory against overwhelming odds at Agincourt. What is not agreed among the critics is whether Shakespeare succeeded in his purpose or whether in fact he had a deeper intention more ambiguous or complex.
Shakespeare’s depiction of Henry will form the backbone of this essay – is Henry to be seen as a genuinely good man or is there hypocrisy in his character? Is he indeed Shakespeare’s favourite hero, full of kingly virtue, or is he dominated by aggression, self-centeredness and lust for personal glory? The reader will be left to draw his own conclusions.
One extra problem we are faced with in an examination of this play is that we need to make reference to the plays that immediately precede this drama, namely “Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2.” We cannot assess Henry without linking him to his father, and we cannot judge him without examining his relationship with, and his treatment of, the infamous Falstaff.
“Henry V” was almost certainly written in the spring or summer of 1599. It was first printed in 1600 but without the authority of Shakespeare’s theatre company. The first authoritative edition was that of 1623. Since eight of the nine histories written by Shakespeare in the 1590’s are devoted to the hundred years leading up to the Battle of Bosworth and the establishment of the Tudors on the English throne, the first Tudor being Henry VII, they represent an extended study of the origins of the political situation in which their Elizabethan spectators found themselves. Henry V is the new national king, the herald of the Tudor monarchy, which
There can be little doubt that Shakespeare intended to present his protagonist in “Henry V” as the popular hero-king. His efforts are mainly concentrated on the portraiture of this “star of England”, King Henry, whom he deliberately chose out of the page of history as the finest representative of the best distinctive type of English character. He wanted his play to lead triumphantly to an English victory against overwhelming odds at Agincourt. What is not agreed among the critics is whether Shakespeare succeeded in his purpose or whether in fact he had a deeper intention more ambiguous or complex.
Shakespeare’s depiction of Henry will form the backbone of this essay – is Henry to be seen as a genuinely good man or is there hypocrisy in his character? Is he indeed Shakespeare’s favourite hero, full of kingly virtue, or is he dominated by aggression, self-centeredness and lust for personal glory? The reader will be left to draw his own conclusions.
One extra problem we are faced with in an examination of this play is that we need to make reference to the plays that immediately precede this drama, namely “Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2.” We cannot assess Henry without linking him to his father, and we cannot judge him without examining his relationship with, and his treatment of, the infamous Falstaff.
“Henry V” was almost certainly written in the spring or summer of 1599. It was first printed in 1600 but without the authority of Shakespeare’s theatre company. The first authoritative edition was that of 1623. Since eight of the nine histories written by Shakespeare in the 1590’s are devoted to the hundred years leading up to the Battle of Bosworth and the establishment of the Tudors on the English throne, the first Tudor being Henry VII, they represent an extended study of the origins of the political situation in which their Elizabethan spectators found themselves. Henry V is the new national king, the herald of the Tudor monarchy, which