How does Shakespeare use language to entertain and motivate in Act 3, scene 1 and the rest of the play? Discuss with reference to the dramatic realisation of the play in Shakespeare's time and in the two twentieth century film versions.

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How does Shakespeare use language to entertain and motivate in Act 3,

scene 1 and the rest of the play? Discuss with reference to the dramatic

realisation of the play in Shakespeare’s time and in the two twentieth

century film versions.

       Shakespeare uses language to entertain and motivate the audience in many ways.

Shakespeare uses his language in Henry V to entertain and motivate the audience to

create a mood in keeping with the political and social need of his day. In the play “Henry

V” there is particular importance attached to the historical context at the time it was

written.

       

       In the time of Shakespeare, the people thought the monarchy was ‘approved by

god’, but things were about to change. The god given right to be the king or queen was

being seriously challenged and people were questioning god’s choice of monarchy.

People’s faith was down as the pope had been opposed by Henry VIII. He had set up his

own church against the pope. Again, according to the people, if anyone opposed the pope,

then they would be punished badly but nothing happened to Henry VIII. People were

questioning the pope and god.

       

       When the play was written England was a powerful country and had a big empire.

The people of England were used to being at the top. At this time, in Ireland, the Earl of

Tyrone had led a rebellion against the English forces in Ireland. Queen Elizabeth had

appointed the popular Earl of Essex as governor of Ireland as he set off to calm the Irish.

Ireland was making progress against the British army. National morale was low because

Essex was not successful. Shakespeare puts a reference in Act 5, lines 30 – 34 about

Essex’s ‘triumphant’ return even though at the time Essex had not returned. We can see

the similarities between two men who are trying to reclaim their rightful throne, Henry

going to France in the play to claim his rights and, in real life, Essex goes to Ireland to do

the same on behalf of Queen Elizabeth I.

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       Shakespeare uses the chorus to introduce and set the scene before every act. He

tells the audience that they must use their imagination to understand the play, but this

only happens in the play and Olivier’s version, but the chorus in the Branaugh’s version is

completely different. They are told to imagine a cockpit as the vast fields of France and

told to imagine fleets of boats going to France, by the chorus.  When they get to Harfleur,

they have to use their imagination to see the big ...

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