The chorus’ speech at the start of Act 2 describes the preparation for the war, setting the scene and mood for the start of the next act and explaining the situations between France and England , and comparing them. Also this break in the play reminds the audience that they are indeed, just watching a play. ‘Now all the youth of England are on fire, and silken dalliance in the wardrobe lies.’ By beginning the speech like this, Shakespeare gets the audiences’ mind set of the passionate English, that have put all their social life to the side and are preparing for battle. This metaphor (‘youth of England are on fire’) will create a picture in the audiences mind of heroes a blaze with anticipation and activity. The chorus’ speech portrays the excitement of the English men: ‘and hounour’s thought Reigns solely in the breast of every man.’ Shakespeare uses personification – ‘ For now sits Expectation in the air.’ Shakespeare has given expectionion a capital letter, though producing it as a noun. The reason for this being he is presenting Expectation as an important quality dispersed in the air. However the audience will not know this is present therefore, to them, this means nothing but that anticipation is in the air. There is a clear, strong contrast when the chorus begins to describe the French armys preparation. ‘ Of this most dreadful preparation Shake in their fear.’ Tgis speech makes England look more in control and calm about the upcoming battle: ‘like little body with a mighty heart’ However this backfires as the chorus begins to narrate. He tells of traitors: ‘A nest of hollow bosoms.’ Shakespeare does not choose to dramatize this section as, if told, the audience will have a clear grasp and understanding, ready to be thrown back into the play. Shakespeare uses a play on words in this narrative section of the speech. ‘ Have, for the gilt of France, -- O guilt indeed!’This adds humour to a serious mater within theplay, allowing the audience to become more confortable. The chorus then begins to prepare the audience for the next scene. It tells the audience where to locate this next scene and what they should imagine: ‘The king is set from London; and the scene Is now transported, gentles, to southamptom.’ By adding ‘gentles,’ to this statement Shakespeare is referring to the audience as friends to help them feel at ease and calm. To increase this calm feeling ,already radiating from the audience, the chorus states: ‘And thence to France shall we convey you safe And bring you back, charming the narrow swas To give you gentle pass.’ This also allows the audience feel relieved that they are not tacking this journey, but have this chorus to do so. The audience will assured and taken into consideration.
The next speech takes the audience on the journey to France. This geographical trip cannot be done with the use of actors combined with the simplicity of the stage and props available to Shakespeare. Therefore he uses the chorus and imagery to allow the audience to understand this section of the play. Again the chorus asks for the audience to use their imaginations to help the play move onto the next act: ‘Thus with imagined wing our swift scene flies In motion of no less celerity.’ Within this first section of the speech Shakespeare uses words all linked with promptness and travels: ‘ wing’, ‘swift’, ‘flies’, ‘motion,’ and ‘celerity.’ These prepare the audience with the quickness of the journey from England to France that is about to take place. The chorus shows the unshowable to the audience through the use of imagery. Shakespeare allows the chorus to comment on the power of England and the king to demonstrate to the audience the strength of the army going into battle. To help the audience to relate to the magnitude of the fleet, Shakespeare compares the normal ships, with normal men aboard, against a powerful, mystical sun god: Apollo. ‘With silken streamers the young Phoebus fanning.’ The sheer quantity off the ships is shown as so many are flying they cooled the heat of the sun. By using this imagery Shakespeare will shock and amaze the audience. The imagery used by Shakespeare continues as it lets the audiences know the size and scale of the crossing of the channel and contributes to the picture they conclude in their minds. By defining the fleet or ships as ‘You stand upon the ravage and behold A city on th’inconstant billows dancing, For so appears this fleet majestical.’ Using this sentence for portrayal Shakespeare explains to the audience the visual picture they should be imagining in their minds. The audience will be able to visualize themselves on the shore of a beach observing the fleet. Shakespeare’s concludes the image of the ships is that of one like a city on irregular waves, and the sound of the billows therefore he has completely set the scene for the audience. Describing the ships as ‘a city’ shows the audience the scale of the fleet and the amount of men aboard these boats. Also he illustrates the ships as being ‘majestical’ which means royal and stately the audience will concoct the idea of how this fleet of ships is no normal boring fleet. In addition to the crossing of the channel the chorus adds another section of the story to his speech. The reason for adding this is not to show the un-showable but simply as he believes the audience does not need to see this scene acted out but to just understand what happens. ‘The king doth offer him Katherine his daughter, and with her, to dowry, Some petty and unprofitable dukedoms.’ This is all that Shakespeare feels he needs to explain to the audience as they will understand without the need of acting. ‘The offer likes not; and the nimble gunner With linstock now the devilish cannon touches.’
With the next chorus Shakespeare uses it to describe the scene in the French and English camps the night before the battle. The chorus is able to describe the scene using a different outlook than any of the characters within the play can do. It gives a view that mirrors the ones of the men in the camp but the chorus will allow the audience to understand it and imagine it with the adjectives and imagery that Shakespeare uses. He allows the audience to really feel and understand the circumstances the camp is in. This prepares and informs them before the next act. Instead of simply describing it as that a few voices could be heard and that it was dark, Shakespeare describes the camp as: ‘when creeping murmur and the poring dark.’ This excaudate the situation and builds up the tension in the scene for the audience to imagine. Shakespeare includes every aspect of the camp, ensuring he obtains the tense scene he is wishing to create. To make the audience really feel as though they are a bystander in the present day of the play Shakespeare certifies the audience of the sounds and sights. ‘Steed threatens steed, in high and boastful neighs Piercing the night’s dull ear.’ With this sentence the audience can really understand how tense it is between the two armies, as even the horses can feel it, and react to it. Also, in this sentence it is obvious that Shakespeare adds in any extra imagery where he can: ‘night’s dull ear.’ Shakespeare repeatedly defines the sounds as quite and soft: ‘murmur’ ‘stilly sounds,’ ‘whispers.’ By doing this he makes sure that the audience imagines the quiet, tenseness of the camp. Therefore the audience unquestionably understands the conditions .The final section of the chorus’ speech to set the scene is described as adding a note of fear to the preparations. ‘And from the tents The armourers accomplishing knights, With busy hammers closing rivits up, Give dreadful note of preparation.’ This sound that Shakespeare is implanting in the audiences mind, is one of blacksmiths fitting out the knights with amour. Even though only the sound is described the audience can themselves picture that the army is not prepared. The chorus’ speech then moves on to compare the armies, the effect of this, letting the audience gather their own views on the battle to come. The chorus describes the English as: ‘and their gesture sad Investing lank-lean cheeks and war-worn coats,’ meaning they are in poor condition, pale and tired. ‘The poor condemned English, like sacrifices.’ This makes the audience feel sorry for them and On the other hand the French are stated to be not suffering and felling confident: ‘Proud of their numbers and secure in soul.’ This continues to explain that the French are so confident that bet on how many worthless Englishmen each will capture: ‘ the confident and over-lusty French Do the low-rated English play at dice.’ Once again Shakespeare uses repetition to reinforce the confidence of the French. However the chorus is not biased, which may be unexpected by some members of the audience. On reading on and discovering that , against the odds, the English army came out triumphant this chorus speech may have a different purpose. This being that, to make the French army look much more controlled and powerful than the English, yet the English still defeated them. Thus showing the inner power of the English. As well as setting the scene and comparing the two armies Shakespeare uses this chorus to tell some of the story that he feels would be better understood by the audience if described. It tells of Henry, completely reverse of the rest of the men, the purpose of this being Shakespeare demonstrates to the audience his couragness and strength. Henry attempts to calm, motivate and settle his troupes: ‘And calls them brothers, friends and countrymen.’ upon his royal face there is no note How dread an army hath enrounded him,’ this shows the contrast of Henry compared to his army, he does not dread the army. It is shown how Henry is looked up to as a leader:’ That every wretch, pining and pale before, Beholding him, plucks comfort from his looks,’ this can only be told to the audience with the use of words, and therefore, a chorus. After hearing the beginning of the speech explaining the worry of the English and the confidence of the French it will be a relief to the audience to hear that King Henry is not dreading the battle and allows them to think that England has chance yet. Also they will be confused of the outcome now as both armies have different strengths, therefore they shall wish to continues watching the play.
When the chorus appears again Shakespeare uses it to bridge a gap between the scenes and to take the audience quickly to the nex scene. He wishes not to have this section performed and dramatised. Therefore he uses the chorus to his advantage to let the audience know that time did not stand still and that, infact, Henry did do things in between the scenes. It becomes clear to the audience that a section of the play is not shown as the chorus says: ‘vouchsafe to those that have not read the story, that I may prompt them.’ Meaning that he is going to bridge the gap betweeb the two acts. Again, as it is not possible to show in the theatre, the chorus provides the audience with what to imagine: ‘toward Calais: grant him there; there seen, Heave him away upon your winged thoughts.’ Shakespeare uses imagery to help the audience with the picture in their heads: ‘Behold, the English beach Pales in the flood with men, with wives and boys, Whose shouts and claps out-voice the deep-mouthed sea,’ It is giving the setting:’the English beach,’ the view ‘Pales in the flood with ken, with wives and boys,’ and the sound ‘Whose shouts and claps out-voice the deep-mouthed sea.’ Which ensures the audience have a completed scene in their minds. Also he includes actions for the audience to help them really picture what they are doing within the scene: ‘Heave him away upon your winged thoughts.’ The chorus continues instructing to the audience what they need to imagine, step by step. In this chorus Shakespeare realtes to his audience and the events of his present day audience. Shakespeare gives direct reference to Elizabeth I who would, at one point, have watch this play: ‘Go forth and fetch their conquering Caesar in. As, by a lower but loving likelihood, Were now the General of our gracious Empress.’ This will flatter Elizabeth greatly as she is being compared to Caesar – a great ruler and Henry V a great ruler also, as seen. Also Elizabeth will like the patriotic values in this speech.
The Epilogue sums up the memorable story, with a reference to future developments, and this emphasizes the epic nature of the events. The play ends with what looks like a devastating irony in the Epilogue spoken by the Chorus, which opens by reminding us of Henry's great glory and then indicates that within a generation all his achievements were squandered by his successors. Hence, all the military and political gains of this most wonderful king have no lasting effect. This allows the audience to feel completion within the play. The effect this has on the audience is one of astonishment as they would have thought that a child of Henry V would be as powerful as he. Also the audience will respect the actions of Henry V as he will seem more accomplished than of his son. The audience knows this is the end of the play when the chorus sums up: ‘Thus far, with rough and all-unable pen, Our bending author hath pursued the story.’ Once again there is an apology of the limitations of the play: ‘In little room confining mighty men, Mangling by starts the full course of their glory.’ This epilogue also creates freedom from time allowing the audience to catch up and rest from the epic adventure that had just filled and taken over their minds.
In conclusion, Shakespeare uses the Chorus to initiate the play and summarizes each act to the audience before the next one begins. It is merely a tool to avoid the audience getting too confused. The function for the chorus is a practical one, by summarizing the plot at every available opportunity; there is little chance for confusion, even if the audience do have to use their imagination. The chorus is a reliable source to the audience engaging them between the acts. The repetition of the apologies ensures the audience understands the limitations that Shakespeare has. Each chorus does different things throughtout the olay. They form a link between the audience and the players, this occurs when the chorus constantly apologizes for the inadequacies of the stage and when asking the audience to use their imaginations. They chorus is also used by Shakespeare to bridge gaps. When a section of the play is not possible to dramatize Shakespeare wisely using the advantage of the chorus to implant the scene in the audiences mind. Also when the chorus comes to speak the audience are suddenly dragged back down to earth and reminded of where and when they are, this allows the play to seem significant in comparison. Overall Shakespeare benefits from using a chorus to help keep the audience in track with the play.
