It is clear from the above that Ely and Canterbury thought there king truly was a perfect Christian and Henry clearly had their backing, this was very good for Henry as it was important as a king to get the churches approval as religion played a large role in medieval England.
In the play we are also confronted with the dilemma of whether or not Henry should take England to war with France. Canterbury gives an impressive, long speech trying to persuade the king to go to war with France (to take his mind off the bill), but it would take more than a speech to make the kings mind up. He really thinks of the pros and cons of taking his men out to fight. He thinks of everything even an invasion from the Scots ‘we must not only arm t’invade the French but lay down our promotions to defend against the Scot, who will make road upon us with all advantages’. He thinks of his nation- will they back his decision or loose all faith in his judgment? But over all he realises that innocent men will die if he decides to go, is it worth it? All these questions he asked himself. He didn’t take the thought of war lightly. He’s constantly questioning his judgment ‘May I with right and conscience make this claim?’ Henry says to himself in act 1 scene 2, I think this quality in him adds to his brilliant kingship.
Before he takes his men to France he has to deal with 3 very close friends who have betrayed him, when the three traitors are asked their opinion on a man who abused the monarch with words when very drunk, they all recommend sever punishment, the king says ‘It was excess of wine that set him on, and on his more advice we pardon him’ but the 3 traitors argue back thinking he is being unwise, ‘that’s mercy but to much security, let him be punished’ Scroop says ‘Oh let us be merciful’ the king argues back, Gray even says ‘ Sir you show great mercy if you give him life. That’s when they’re confronted with their death penalties, to be hung drawn and quartered. When confronted the 3 traitors throw them selves at Henrys mercy ‘ I do confess my faults, and do submit me to your highness’. But who were they to talk of mercy when two minuets ago they had been condemning a drunk, scared man to death for a few words, this man had no power what could he do? He couldn’t do any thing to hurt or jeopardise the king. In this scene the king shows he is ruthless, cunning and manipulative.
He was most upset by the betrayal of his lord Scroop, the king even says ‘Thou did’st bear the key of all my counsels, that knew’st the very bottom of my soul’ but despite all the emotion he’s probably felt he turned all his attentions to the war with France. This scene proves he realises as a king you must show mercy and love to his people and his physical and mental strength as a king to those who have the power to harm you.
Henrys Victory at Harfleur shows his ability to as a motivational leader, he gives one of his famous speeches to his army that just his whole army rearing to go, ‘For I am a soldier, a name that in my thoughts becomes me best, if I become the battery once again I will not leave harfleur till in her ashes she lies buried.’ The king shouts down at his men raring them on with every word. He also shows that he wasn’t afraid to get stuck in the thick of it with his men and once again he shows us of his cunning intellect. Show the French mercy he says after the battle was won. He wanted to get the French’s backing and realised by setting fire to their belongings and being mean he would never accomplish that and gain their trust.
Also in the play has to have a once dear friend from his days of being a drunken teenage executed, ‘to be executed for robbing a church, one bardolph’ llewellyn explains to the king, some past kings would of given their friend the benefit of the doubt and stop the execution, but not Henry he realised that as a king he must be fair and treat everyone as an equal. Henry says to his men ‘there be nothing compelled from the villages, nothing taken but paid for, none of the French upbraided or abused in disdainful language’ he goes on to explain ‘for when lenity and cruelty play for a kingdom, the gentle gamester is the soonest winner’. He realises that that if he wants France it will come with the French people, he must win their hearts first and he’s not going to achieve that by robbing their churches. I feel that his judgment of how to handle the matter and what to do in this scene was harsh but fair; it showed good kingship and no favouritism.
At the battle of Agencore the king proves himself in so many ways. He showed us his intellectual power by laying out a great set of war tactics for example his bow men that whipped out half of the French infantry, he laid his men out with precision and even judged the weather bringing light nibble female horses with him that could almost float over the seas of mud, where as the French had heavy stallions that just sunk in the mud.
Before the battle he made a motivating speech that like before got the whole army of men going, they listened and cheered ‘We few, we happy few, we band of brothers’ he proclaimed as the adrenalin began to pump. Him and his men rode into battle, Henry wasn’t scared to get stuck in and through out the battle. Henry fought in the thick of it alongside his men he turned the pain of seeing loved ones like the duke of York into anger why fighting.
In act 4 we see the king wandering around the English camp (in disguise) talking to different soldiers. He hears (and for the first time we hear) what his people actually think of him. We hear of their complaints, and see him trying to answer some of their questions, at the end of the scene we see him thinking of the moral responsibilities of a king. ‘He could wish himself in Thames up to the neck and so I would he were and by him at all adventures’ a man called Bates says and before that a man named Pistol says, ‘The king’s a bawcock and a heart of gold, a lad of life, an imp of fame, of parents good, of first most valiant. I kiss his dirty shoe, and from heartstring I love the lovely bully’. When he talks to himself we hear him debating whether he should even be king and we hear him questioning himself as a leader ‘what king of god art thou, that suffer’st more of mortal grief than do thy worshipers’. One thing that is proved in this scene is that Ely was right ‘never was a king more feared and loved’.
In one of the last scenes we see Henry wooing Katherine. It takes place in the French Kings palace at Troyes as the peace treaty and the wedding contracts are finally decided upon and signed. Everyone leaves the room leaving Henry, Katherine and her maid Alice ( to translate) together. To begin with Henry is very pragmatic ‘for if thou couldst thou wouldst find me such a plain king that thou wouldst think I had sold my farm to buy my crown’ but he dose woo her over with some romantic words, but I think this may been him just thinking on his feet rather than being romantic, he says ‘An angel is like you, Kate, and you are like an angel’ and ‘there is witch craft in your lips’. He dose get annoyed with Katherine though ‘can any of your neighbours tell, Kate? I’ll ask them’ he snapped at her when she couldn’t make up her mind. Katherine asks ‘is it possible dat I should love de ennemi of France?’ once again we see Henry using his brain and thinking on his feet, he replies ‘In loving me you should love a friend of France, for I love France so much that I would not part with a village of it .I will have it all mine’.
So I conclude that Henry was the ideal Christian, medieval king. He had all the qualities needed, he was nice, smart, a good warrior, wasn’t arrogant, ruthless and cunning; the list goes on. Henry was just what England needed despite his out of control teen years. He may not of made a particular good friend but being a good king and good friend are two totally different things.