Free Essays,College Free Essays,Free College Essays at Anti Essays

The Life and Growth of King Henry V and England












Henry V is a masterful tale of power, greed, maturity, good and evil. Shakespeare draws an excellent comparison between the budding Christian king, Harry, to the whole of England rising up for the pursuit of “glory“ and “crowns“. Through some brief dialogue between the bishop of Canterbury and his court; we learn Harry has confirmed his claim to both the crowns(used throughout the play) of England and France. The stage is now set for the awakening England to challenge the pompous and pretentious France. “ Now all the youth of England are on fire”(2.2.1). This signifies the anticipation of war and excitement but also the question of whether Harry can shed the supposed ignorance and dormancy of his youth . Now all of England revels in the excitement of anticipating war but there is worry as to whether Harry can command the forces he has inherited.

Harry was thought to be incompetent in his youth where he maintained a social veneer but was also waiting(possibly planning)for his opportunity to take his charge as king, rise up and claim glory as stated by the Bishop of Ely: “wholesome berries thrive/by fruit of lesser quality/prince obscured his contemplation/unseen, yet crescive in his faculty“(1.1.60-66). Thus Shakespeare uses multiple characters to compare the rise of Harry directly to his subjects as the whole of England is rising with their king to claim crowns and glory as well. The Archbishop of Canterbury first tells us of Harry’s change in lines(1.1.24-37). Harry, in response to the dauphin’s jest, points out how the dauphin has underestimated his kingdom “How he comes o’er us with our wilder days/I will keep my state/I will dazzle all the eyes of France”(1.2.268-280). Harry also repeatedly refers to his troops as “brothers” and having “noble blood” in his rousing war speeches....