What are the functions of the Chorus in Shakespeare's Henry V?
What are the functions of the Chorus in Shakespeare's Henry V? In Shakespeare's Henry V, the chorus plays a prominent role. There are few other plays written by Shakespeare that include a chorus, however in no other play does the chorus have such an important role. The principal purpose of the chorus is that of story telling. The chorus acts as a guide for the audience, narrating parts that wouldn't fit into the action of the play. For example in the Act II Chorus, we are told about treason: 'The sum is paid, the traitors are agreed, the king is now set from London, and the scene is now transported, gentles, to Southampton.' As we can see, the chorus reviews what has happened in previous scenes and also tell us where we are going next. Kenneth Branagh made a film version of Shakespeare's Henry V in 1989. He made several alterations to the script and especially to parts of the chorus. I think he chose to do this for two main reasons. Firstly, to sustain levels of dramatic tension and interest, as modern audiences have a far lower attention span. Branagh was also able to make cuts because he had created the play through a modern medium, not all the explanation of the action was necessary, as it could be shown. This is effective for Branagh, as stage technology has developed since Shakespeare's time. Shakespeare would need to explain several scenes in the play in close
Media Comparative Essay: Concerning the 2 well known film versions of Shakespeare's Henry V of Olivier (1944) and Branagh (1989)
English/ English Literature Joint Coursework Folder Media Comparative Essay: (in the medium of film) concerning the 2 well known film versions of Shakespeare's Henry V of Olivier (1944) and Branagh (1989) in the specific scenes of "A Little Touch of Harry in the Night" and "The Crispin Crispian Speech" A comparison of these scenes in the two film versions of Henry V indicated above in a discussion of all the major cinematic issues in integrating a story like Shakespeare's and to include some discussion of the relative success in conveying to a cinema audience the director's message. "...We few, we happy few, we band of brothers. For he today who sheds his blood with me shall be my brother. Be he ne'er so vile, this day shall gentle his condition, and gentlemen in England now abed shall think themselves accursed they were not here, and hold their manhood's cheap whilst any speaks, that fought with us upon St. Crispin's day!" Henry V Act 4, Scene 3 There is no more stirring summons to arms in all of literature than Henry's speech to his troops on St. Crispin's Day. Such words have been acted and recited to their own epic proportions in the numerous times they have been performed. How could an extract so uniformly expressed since its Shakespearean origin, be modified in conveying a totally antithetical message? What would be the effect in displaying such a contrasting
Many modern critics have commented on the attitudes to war presented in the play. Using the two speeches, "... deliver up the crown ... in this controversy" (Act II, Scene 4) and "... On your noblest English ... And teach them how to war,"
Many modern critics have commented on the attitudes to war presented in the play. Using the two speeches, "... deliver up the crown ... in this controversy" (Act II, Scene 4) and "... On your noblest English ... And teach them how to war," (Act III, Scene 1) as starting points, And any further productions you might have seen or heard, e.g. Olivier, Branagh and OU cassette versions, * Explore the ways, in which you think Shakespeare dramatically presents war and its consequences in the play as a whole. * How the attitudes of war have been dramatically presented in the play as a whole have affected the Olivier, Branagh and OU productions. Many modern critics have commented on the attitudes to war presented in the play. This can be seen in the two speeches, "Deliver up the crown ... in this controversy", (Act II, Scene 4) and "On, on you noblest English ... And teach them how to war," (Act III, Scene 1). Within Act II, Scene 4, we see the French King orders his nobles and his son to strengthen the defences against the English invasion, 'It is most meet we arm us 'gainst the foe' (Act II, Scene 4, pg.90). The Dauphin agrees that precautions should be taken but refuses to accept that the English King is a serious threat. He brushes aside a warning from the Constable of France who believes that Henry has changed. We are here reminded that Henry has cast off his previous
How Successfully Does Shakespeare Present To An Audience Henry As The 'Ideal King'
How Successfully Does Shakespeare Present To An Audience Henry As The 'Ideal King' In this essay I will show you how successfully Shakespeare presents to an audience Henry as the 'ideal king'. In this essay I will first examine the historical context of the play (what actually happened), then I will discuss how Shakespeare portrayed Henry in the play compared to the real Henry and how successfully did Shakespeare present to an audience Henry as the 'ideal king'. Third I will demonstrate how Shakespeare is able to show these events on a stage. Finally I will end the essay with my own conclusion of how successfully Shakespeare presents to an audience Henry as the 'ideal king'. In reality the king at the time Henry did not have a right to the throne of France- after all he had no right to that of England's either- but it was an ineluctably traditional claim: a real king in England was obliged to pretend to the throne of France. When countries went to war it brought the country together and Henry partly wanted to do this and of course partly wanted to be the ruler of France. According to the legend, the war displayed Henry's military genius. Really it was a story of gambler's luck. Henry V, aged 28, set sail from Southampton, UK on 11 August, 1415, with a fleet of about 300 ships to claim his birthright of the Duchy of Normandy. They landed at Harfleur, Northern France,
In the tradition of aesthetics, Oscar Wilde said, “There is no such thing as a moral or immoral book” to what extent is ‘The picture of Dorian Gray’ an immoral book?
In the tradition of aesthetics, Oscar Wilde said, "There is no such thing as a moral or immoral book" to what extent is 'The picture of Dorian Gray' an immoral book? Oscar Wilde believed that art was only for one reason "Art for art sake", he once said, "There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written, that is it". Oscar has contradicted himself here because whilst he has tried to create a beautiful book, for no reason other than beauty he has created a piece of art full of moral and immoral actions. Oscar Wilde was influenced by the works of an English poet and critic, Algernon Charles Swinburne in much the same way that Dorian Grey was influenced by Lord Henry Wotton. In "The picture of Dorian Grey" Dorian's character is always in dramatic change. This is generally because of the influence of Lord Henry. "You are too charming to go in for philanthropy....."Lord Henry knows Dorian will soon be aware of his own beauty. Lord Henry influences his motives, making him become something that Lord Henry wants him to be. Dorian is made to think that beauty is the most important thing in the world, by Lord Henry; because of these influences Dorian's character becomes immoral. This is reflected thus can be seen when he sells his soul for his beauty, he wishes to stay beautiful. Dorian's character is also reflecting immorality.
Does Henry V offer a patriotic version of Henry's campaigns on the surface while a sceptical subtext runs throughout the play?
Does Henry V offer a patriotic version of Henry's campaigns on the surface while a sceptical subtext runs throughout the play? The play I will write about is Henry V by William Shakespeare was written in the time of Elizabeth I but refers to the events of 1415 when King Henry V led a war against the French. The play is the fourth in a series of history plays that Shakespeare wrote beginning with Richard II and continuing with Henry IV Parts 1 and 2. The two Henry IV plays chart the adventures of 'Prince Hal' who later becomes Henry V. Prince Hal did not stay in court and prepare to be a King but spent his time drinking in the Boar's Head Tavern with characters such as Pistol, Nym and Bardolph, who are in this play and Sir John Falstaff. On becoming King Henry had to renounce Falstaff, which broke Falstaff's heart. It must be remembered that some people who would have seen Henry V would also have seen Henry IV where Henry betrays Falstaff and so Henry's character would have this fact hanging over him from the previous play. The play was performed in the 1590s and people still had strong memories of the Spanish Armada in 1588. Many people saw that conflict as a religious and righteous war as it was Protestant England against Catholic Spain. This made war a subject of some debate and whether a war could ever be 'just' considering the immense suffering that any conflict causes.
Explore how Shakespeare creates humour for the audience in the scenes in which the wives humiliate Falstaff.
Explore how Shakespeare creates humour for the audience in the scenes in which the wives humiliate Falstaff Through history, there have been many explanations at to why Shakespeare wrote the "Merry Wives of Windsor". Some have argued that the play was written for the Garter Ceremony held on April 23, 1597, when the patron of Shakespeare's company, Lord Hudson, was installed; supposedly, the play was later revised for public performance, around 1601. Shakespeare wrote the "Merry Wives of Windsor" as a comedy, however it does not obey all typical conventions of a Shakespearean comedy as noticeable differences in the plot show. Key parts of the play in which Shakespeare creates the main humour are the scenes in which the wives manage to humiliate and deceive Falstaff, a fat knight with a devious mind and inflated ego. A convention used repeatedly in this play to create verbal, and physical humour, is disguise and misunderstanding. Within the category of disguise and misunderstanding comes incongruity and ironic knowledge. In act 3, scene 3, the wives have discovered Falstaff's identical letters to them both, and have secretly planned their revenge on him. The fact that the wives received the same letters in the first place shows the audience how little Falstaff actually cared for the women, and shows his desperation. This has a great affect on the audience's reactions.
The character of Henry V fulfilled the Tudor ideal of the perfect leader and king, yet for 21st century audiences, he remains an ambiguous figure. Consider the difficulties faced by a director of this play.
KING HENRY V The character of Henry V fulfilled the Tudor ideal of the perfect leader and king, yet for 21^st century audiences, he remains an ambiguous figure. Consider the difficulties faced by a director of this play. Does Shakespeare present Henry as a ruthless war-like figure in pursuit of victory whatever the cost, as a golden hero whose story glorifies war, or as a just, sincere man in search of everlasting peace? Discuss with close reference to the text and any film productions you have seen. There are two possible viewpoints to consider when answering this question, looking from the Tudors point of view, there is one simple answer, yes King Henry V was a heroic, patriotic and brilliant leader to his people. However the real depth of a question such as this one is in answering the question from a modern standing, looking back at an often naïve period of history. Over time, attitudes toward subject such as war, heroism, and what indeed makes a person "great" have undergone drastic changes, people have become individual in their way of thinking and personal viewpoints have become more widely accepted. It is because of this that we can begin to see other sides of Shakespeare's King, and begin to contemplate such things as motive, and personal gratification through Henrys behaviour and decisions. It is through doing this it is possible to
Comparing Shakespeare's Henry V to Kenneth Branagh's 1989 Film.
Comparing Shakespeare's Henry V to Kenneth Branagh's 1989 Film Like cinema, Shakespeare makes time flexible, dilating or compressing it at will, returning to the past or visiting the future -- but he achieves those effects in an exclusively verbal mode. For example, the Chorus' speeches in Henry V link historical episodes, which are, separated in time and the Epilogue gives us a glimpse of the future, stating that France will soon be lost. The metaphorical and poetical use of language creates no exterior visions on stage but interior visions in the minds of the spectators. Whereas, Adapting Shakespearean plays on screen, always involves a shift from one enunciative system to another. Given its verbal nature, theatrical enunciation is generally considered to be more able to 'tell,' whereas screen enunciation is usually thought to be more able to 'show' through the semiotic diversity of images and sounds it can convey. The most important function of the play's Chorus is that it encourages the audience to be patient and reminds them to use their imagination to envision the events that occur in the play, to really imagine the royal courts of England and France, and to really imagine the battle scenes with all the horses and men. The prologue to the beginning of this play calls upon the "Muse" to help present the play. The Chorus explains to the audience of the difficulties
Discussing ‘Honour’ in Henry IV (i)
Discussing 'Honour' in Henry IV (i) There are differing concepts of honour throughout the play of Henry IV shown by different characters. There are two characters that depict extremes on each end of the scale, Hotspur (Henry Percy) and Falstaff. This essay will demonstrate the different types of opinions towards what honour is from each character and also give a comparison with examples for each. Hostpur, or Henry Percy, is the son of Northumberland and is a very fiery character with a short temperament and who is quick to jump to conclusions. His idea of honour lies purely on the battlefield and he believes that the only possible way honour can be measured is with the amount of battles won and opponents conquered. He certainly believes himself to be more honourable than any man and this may explain two things. Firstly it will explain his confidence about his fighting and military knowledge as well as his concept that his idea is always the right one. Secondly it may also explain his rudeness, brashness and sometimes complete disrespect when addressing others, especially those in royalty. He gives a good speech when talking to Worcester and Northumberland about his honour and how he has claimed it. By heaven, methinks it were an easy leap To pluck bright honour from the pale faced moon, Or dive into the bottom of the deep, Where fathomline could never touch the