These thoughts are substantiated in Act 1, Scene 1. Shakespeare creates suspense in his play by using the conversation between the two bishops discussing their concerns over Henry, but then they go on to say how he has really changed; for example:
“The King is full of good grace and holy regard.” (Act 1, Scene 1, line 22).
Henry was honest with himself and admitted that he had failed in the past. This shows us that he could have turned over a new leaf. He appears to have left his previous life behind. As the first scene develops, one begins to realise that King Henry is polite and respectful. He kept quiet when the Archbishop of Canterbury was blabbing on in his boring, long speeches. The Bishops in the end helped Henry to decide whether to go to war or not. The Bishops were clever politicians and appealed to Henry’s vanity by suggesting war with France could bring him glory. We also get the impression that Henry is calm and composed. When the French ambassadors arrive, Henry does not panic but instead is courteous and considerate. This is a strong scene, which leaves the reader with feelings of anticipation and expectation about the development of Henry’s character during the forthcoming play.
Also, when the Dauphin sent tennis balls to the King, Henry kept calm, cool and collected. The Dauphin was implying that he was only a boy and should be playing games, not running a country. Perhaps Henry V’s most remarkable quality is his resolve: once he has set his mind to accomplishing a goal, he uses every resource at his disposal to see that it is accomplished. He carefully presents himself as an unstoppable force to which others must actively choose how to react. This tactic may seem morally questionable, but it is a valuable psychological weapon that Henry uses to pressure his enemies into doing what he wants. Again and again, Henry acts in a manner that would be deplorable for a common citizen but this makes him an exemplary king. For example, Henry often draws criticism from modern readers for refusing to take responsibility for the war in France. He even tells the French governor at Harfleur that if the French do not surrender, they will be responsible for the carnage that Henry will create. Some people said that Henry was cruel and only wanted glory. For example, he ordered three traitors, Scroop, Gray and Cambridge to be executed for trying to plot against him. Shakespeare demonstrates that Henry was cunning and enjoyed revenge.
King Henry did a number of things to get the English onto his side. The English army was made up of a number of different nationalities. For example, there was Fluellen, who was Welsh, Macmorris, who was Irish and Jamy, who was Scottish. These people came from different backgrounds and therefore had individual views on life. This is shown by their half-hearted arguments amongst each other. These were not serious arguments, but Henry made them respect each other and to work as a team. This meant that most of the time they got on well and enjoyed each other’s company. All four of the British nationalities had totally different accents. Shakespeare emphasises this by using characters with very broad Irish, Welsh, English and Scottish accents respectively. Even in the book, every effort is made to emphasise the differences in the language.
Many of the Englishmen fighting in the battle had social differences. This meant they weren’t all from the same social class. Some people had more money and were “posher” than others. This did not affect them as much as one might expect. They knew that they weren’t all the same, but they all had a common goal, which brought them together. The only thing that mattered was that they were all fighting together as a team for England, and these are views that Henry reinforced by being strong and leading at the helm.
The men had different personalities, so this made it harder to get on and they had to encourage each other. This maybe seen as an obstacle to the army being successful as not all men were as encouraging as they might have been, so Henry had to lead by example and motivate the men at all times. This attitude helped the English and they were not fazed but simply buckled down and got on with it. They made more of an effort to be polite and sociable.
The men in the English army fighting for Henry in the Battle of Agincourt had different attitudes towards the war. Some men thought that the war was a bad idea and were angry at having to be there. An example of one of these men is Michael Williams who states
‘Tis certain every man that dies ill, the ill upon his own head; the King is not to answer it’ (Act 4 Scene 1, 175)
As John Bates, Alex Court and Michael Williams were having a bitter conversation arguing about the King’s responsibility for the situation, Henry dressed in disguise joins in with their dilemmas. The soldiers were worried about dying in the battle. They blamed the King for the desperate situation they were in. Henry said it wasn’t the King’s fault at all, and ends up quarrelling with Michael Williams. He said,
“I beseech you take it for your own fault and not mine,
for had you been as I took you for, I made no offence…”
After this, Williams challenged him to a duel.
An opposing view to this is that many people thought that the war was a good idea and were right behind Henry. To make the army of England work together to win the battle, Henry had to be a strong leader otherwise the army would fall apart. He did this by using his facility with language. Henry’s rhetorical skill is a forceful weapon, the strength of which nearly equals that of his army’s swords. With words, Henry can inspire and rouse his followers, intimidate his enemies, and persuade nearly anyone who hears him. With Henry’s speeches, Shakespeare creates a rhetoric that is, like Henry himself, at once candidly frank and extremely sophisticated. Henry can be cold and menacing, as when he speaks to the Dauphin’s messenger; he can be passionate and uplifting, as in his St. Crispin’s Day speech; and he can be gruesomely terrifying, as in his diatribe against the Governor of Harfleur. In each case, Henry’s words suggest that he is merely speaking his mind at the moment, but these speeches are brilliantly crafted and work powerfully on the minds of his listeners. Henry has a very special quality for a king: the ability to present himself honestly while still manipulating his audience.
His battle speeches seem to show that he respects his men and trusts them to fight well. He isn’t afraid to die himself, since he refuses to agree a ransom with the French. Henry talks about equality between him and his men in battle – he says they’re all brothers when he says:
“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he today that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother.” (Act 4, Scene 3, 60-62)
Shakespeare’s play continually reinforces these characteristics of leadership in King Henry. He was well organised, confident, determined, motivating, empathetic and understanding. He knew that not all men are the same, but believes they are all equal in battle. Everything he asks his men to do, he is not afraid to do himself. It is these vital components of leadership that enabled the English to win the battle of Agincourt. The French appeared the overwhelming favourites because they had a large and well-trained army and were on home territory, but they had not accounted for the English army who had a much better spirit and were more determined to win the battle for each other. So Shakespeare, by emphasising the national differences through class, language and identity, demonstrates Henry’s leadership as he unites these men.
Earlier in the play, Shakespeare gives us the impression that Henry is a strong military leader who will not be taken lightly. Shakespeare demonstrates this with the Bardolph execution. When Llewellyn told Henry that Bardolph has been stealing from the church, Henry was not at all lenient on him. Even though Bardolph was one of Henry’s ex-drinking pals, he ignored the fact that he once knew Bardolph and ordered him to be hanged. This demonstrates the fact that Henry will not tolerate anyone in his army stealing, especially a religious painting. In becoming a great King, Henry is forced to act in a way that, were he a common man, might seem immoral or even unforgivable. In order to strengthen the stability to his throne, Henry betrays friends such as Falstaff. Henry talks of favouring peace, but once his mind is settled on a course of action, he is willing to condone and even create massive and unprovoked violence in order to achieve his goal.
Henry continually talks to his own soldiers-especially Fluellen after the battle. Also as previously stated, he goes round the camp in disguise before Agincourt, so he can talk to his men. He tries to encourage them but finds himself arguing with Bates, Court and Williams. He and Williams argue about whether the King is right to have brought so many men into battle where they might die. Henry loses his temper and ends up challenging Williams to a duel after the battle. The French nobles never spoke to their ordinary soldiers-this shows that Henry is the better leader and led by example. Henry made lots of rousing speeches during the battle of Agincourt. This put his soldiers in a buoyant mood, motivating them and increased their confidence so they were certain of victory. This enabled them to fight with more vigour and determination. He put England first before anything else.
In Branagh’s version of the film “Henry V”, Henry, when he is making his bold speeches, is on the soldiers level. He touches them to make them more confident. He makes eye contact with his soldiers to make them think that they were special and that he was personally talking to them. He smiles to his men and walks among them. Also, he wears no crown to make them feel like equals. This shows that he thinks that he is no better than the rest of the army.
On the other hand, Henry did have feelings, but he never really got the chance to show them in public. This shows how much pressure was on him to succeed. A King, in Shakespeare’s portrayal, is responsible for the well-being and stability of his entire nation. Shakespeare thinks that the King must subordinate his personal feelings for the benefit of the country. In Act 4, Scene 1, Henry worries about the pressures of being King-he thinks his subjects have an easier life than he does. He also feels guilty because his father took over as King by forcing Richard II to give up his power. He prays to God and asks not to be punished for his father’s sin. He says he’s done his best to make up for it-he reburied Richard II and dedicated two chapels to him. By writing this, Shakespeare shows us that Henry isn’t superhuman and that he does have fears and emotions. Shakespeare shows Henry feeling lonely. He has sacrificed his feelings for the benefit for the country.
On the day of the battle, the French army were sure of success, so didn’t prepare as seriously as they perhaps should have. The British on the contrary were up for the battle and were desperate to win. They were enthusiastic and proud to be fighting. This motive was what kept the British going throughout the war. Right from the beginning, the British were on top, raring to go. The French army was chaotic and they were ashamed, weak, feeble and cowardly. Towards the end of the war, the French were getting desperate because the British were on the verge of victory. They made a last-ditch attempt to salvage the battle by killing all of the British boys. This made Henry furious so he ordered all of the French prisoners to be killed and for the French to either surrender or fight on. In the end, the French gave up and the British were victorious. Henry named the battle after a nearby castle, Agincourt.
During the scenes after the battle of Agincourt, we see a different side to Henry’s personality. Shakespeare shows us that Henry does have true feelings and he isn’t just a brave soldier fighting for his country. As the scenes involving Katherine, the Princess of France, develop, we see the real Henry acting in his normal everyday way. He shows that he has real potential to be a peace time leader. In the final scene of the play, the audience sees Henry chat Katherine up and flirt with her. He does this in a very cunning way to make Katherine like him. Shakespeare demonstrates that Henry is clever in the matter. Henry flatters Katherine by saying that he loves who she is and it isn’t a convenient arranged marriage which is best all round. He tells her that he is simply a blunt soldier and that he is no good at being romantic but is good at being a wartime leader. As it is known earlier on in the play, Katherine is a very likeable figure who cares for others. For example, when she was trying to learn English, she made the audience laugh because she pronounced the English words in such a ridiculous French way. Due to Katherine’s caring nature, she sympathises with Henry and he makes her laugh at him. Really though, Henry knew exactly what he was doing. He wasn’t really just a blunt soldier. In fact he was very confident and wasn’t as stupid as he made out to be. This approach towards Katherine made her like him and although she knew that she had to marry him for political reasons, it made her want to. Henry did very well in uniting the two disparate countries. With Henry and Katherine being married suggested that England and France would probably get on and be in peace.
In conclusion the character of Henry dominates the play throughout, overshadowing the other characters. He is a religious man, reinforced in Act I Scene I and has all the qualities of being a great leader. He is able to manage people exceptionally well shown by his unification of the army as a strong force. Shakespeare shows Henry’s physical courage is never in doubt as he is a brave responsible soldier who does all that he can to protect his men. On the other hand, Shakespeare also shows Henry as a normal person who is mature, understanding sympathetic, with a sense of humour emphasised by the trick he plays on Williams and Fluellen. In matters of state Henry is firm and decisive as demonstrated by his reply to the Dauphin’s ‘tennis balls’ insult, which is dignified but restrained. He is also fair and just. Shakespeare’s exploration of leadership, through the character of Henry V, Shakespeare shows us that Henry has truly changed from the real tearaway he used to be. It seems that Shakespeare has presented us with the ideal monarch. Henry is loyal and leads by example. I think that the play was a great success. It gave the country a big boost and improved their self-esteem, which gave the citizens of England more confidence. However another opinion is that Henry is cold hearted, and a cynical ruthless manipulator, his piety a mask for his ambition and in seeking the approval of the church gave him someone to blame if all went wrong.
