How does Shakespeare show the qualities of kingship in Henry V
Henry V- How does Shakespeare show the qualities of kingship? The play Henry V was written in the reign of Elizabeth the 1st. This was a time when the Spanish Armada was taking place and Mary Queen of Scots was probably plotting and scheming away on how she could get rid of Elizabeth and to take the throne. This was a perfect opportunity for Shakespeare to step up and to produce a morale-boosting and confidence-reclaiming play- Henry V People of that time were quite aware of Henry V and heir opinion of him was a sanguine one. They knew of his feats and how his status was quite a high one. Shakespeare couldn't have chosen this play to be released and performed at a better time. What makes a great king? Is it the fact that he is pious and religious, so that his people have a good example of a leader by relating with religion? Or does he have to be strategic and have situations such as country matters under control and to also have the upper-hand in wars and battles. This is actually just a brief description of Henry. He was all of the above but the bit about him that separated him from other leaders in the past was the fact that he was altruistic and humane. In his younger days when he was acknowledged as 'Hal' he stuck around with the bad lot and watched them make trouble but made sure to not get too involved. He didn't get into trouble but actually gained experience of what
Henry V Coursework
Melanie Parkes Henry V Coursework From "nimble-footed madcap Prince of Wales" to the "mirror of all Christian kings": Select what you consider to be some important episodes in the play and discuss Shakespeare's dramatic presentation of Henry's career. How does Henry come across to an audience as a man and a king? As a young man and heir to the throne, Henry is shown by Shakespeare to be ambitious, calculating and in some respects cold-hearted. At the end of Act One, Scene Two, comes one of the most important speeches in "Henry IV". Hal speaks his soliloquy in verse, which is a contrast to the light conversation earlier in the scene. The verse makes him seem more of a nobleman and is more fitting to the Prince of Wales. He knows that his friends are unsuitable for a prince and that his behaviour has attracted serious criticism. However: "...Herein will I imitate the sun, Who doth permit the base contagious clouds To smother up his beauty from the world." This is not the most endearing of speeches. We have just met Hal's friends and seen how he acts with them, yet here he is planning how he will "throw off" "this loose behaviour". He makes no reference to how he feels this would affect the people he is close to, and he appears only to aspire to his "reformation, glitt'ring o'er my fault". This seems particularly callous behaviour, as we are aware of the anguish Hal
The character of Henry V act 1 scene 2
Henry's character is revelled in more depth in this scene. Shakespeare has given Henry the attributes of a respectable king and a skilful soldier. He has the qualities to win against the Dauphin. Henry is a devoutly religious man, 'save those to God that run before our business.' In addition he seeks approval and support of the Church before waging war. He prays sincerely, entrusting his enterprise to God's will. Henry is said to be ambitious, 'I will rise there with so full a glory that I will dazzle the eyes of France.' Here he says he will win the war against the Dauphin and he is shown to be very confident when he says this. 'We are no tyrants, but a Christian king unto whose grace our passion is as subject.' This quote gives the evidence that Henry has a courteous side to him. This means that he has respect and belief that his subjects will stand by him all the way. Henry is very patient in this scene since the French ambassador took a long time to come and see Henry and proves his claim is right to the throne. Henry's reply to the Dauphin's message shows dignity, self-control and wit. There is also, menacing determination in his speech. The message from the Dauphin was that Henry's life was always a game so he sent Henry tennis balls to play with. Henry using his self controls turns the gift to mocker the Dauphin by saying the war will be a brutal game.
Was Henry V an inspiring leader or a cold and severe king?
Was Henry V an inspiring leader or a cold and severe king? "Henry was an inspiring leader but a cold and severe king." In this essay I am going to look at the evidence in the play and using this decide which of the points in this statement I agree with. There is no doubt that Henry was a very inspirational man because, by 'firing them up' with his speeches he leads his troops to victory at the battle of Agincourt against all the odds. He inspires them and fires them up getting them ready for battle by telling them they are "lords of the battlefield" and his equal. His stirring speech inspires his men and prepares them to die for King and Country if necessary. However, Shakespeare shows us in the play that Henry can be very cold and severe. For example, he executes his friends Bardolph and Nym for stealing from a holy place. He also rejects and casts his best friend Falstaff away and as the play informs us, he "kills his heart." Henry is inspiring and cold and severe depending on the situation. In the previous plays Henry was a young mischievous boy but in this play it shows Henrys' great transformation from a young wild boy into a great king. This explains his actions towards Falstaff. Henry's actions during the play can be interpreted in different ways. For example when he executes his best friends Bardolph and Nymn for robbing a French church, this could be seen
A comparison of William Faulkners "A Rose For Emily" and Louise Erdrich's "Red Convertible".
A COMPARISON OF WILLIAM FAULKNER'S "A ROSE FOR EMILY" & LOUISE ERDRICH'S "RED CONVERTIBLE" By Miranda Melvin-Self For English Comp II Dr. David Sidore 1 September 00 Every author has the difficult task of trying to bridge an invisible gap between the characters they are creating in their stories, and the audience the author is writing for. In reading William Faulkners "A Rose For Emily" and Louise Erdrichs "Red Convertible," I felt an undeniable connection with the protagonist in each story which I feel is due to my perceived point of the stories. More specifically, I felt that each story was filled with morals and ideals each of us as humans may possess or at least have felt at one time or another in our lives. Each story shows that we all have our breaking points, which lead me to question my own. In "A Rose For Emily," we are introduced to Miss Emily Grierson. She is a woman who embodies the term 'strong-willed' or 'thick-headed.' She is controlled by a father who is equally as strong of the mind, and is forced by him, in life and in death, to lead a life of isolation and confinement. While her father is alive, the reason for confinement is simple. Although Miss Emily has many suitors, no one is good enough in her father's eyes for the fact that he would rather keep her for his own use instead. The result of such actions by her father is a life of
The Education of Prince Hal - King Henry IV Part 1
Alexander Williamson The Education of Prince Hal King Henry IV Part 1 The main aim of this play is to chart Prince Hal's transition from a rogue to his proper princely position. As with real people who are making a conscious effort to change the way they are, Prince Hal is always altering the perception of the world that he holds and peoples perception of himself. However, we only really get to see the changes that he is making at certain times in the play set at sufficiently regular intervals to allow them to be seen as updates on his personal progress. These are his soliloquies, speeches spoken towards other characters but there for the benefit of the audience only. They are included to show us what is happening inside his head and about his emotional condition. Showing the emotion demonstrated in the soliloquies as part of a conversational piece of script would have seemed unrealistic in the time the play was written and so the soliloquy was utilised to both dramatic and realistic effect. We also see that with each soliloquy Hal matures and becomes more honourable. The three soliloquies that I will be analysing are in Act 1 Scene 2, Act 3 Scene 2 and Act 5 Scene 4. Each shows Prince Hal's progression from a layabout to royalty and the story so effectively that it would be possible to follow what is happening using only these speeches and a minimal amount of other text.
Discussing the play Henry V.
ENGLISH COURSEWORK HENRY V The play opens to Canterbury and Ely discussing Henry, on how his youth was savage and dishonest "the courses of his youth promised it not" but Canterbury also comments on how Henry has changed since his wilder days. "The breath no sooner left his father's body, but that wilderness, mortified him, seemed to die too, yea at that very moment consideration like an angel came and whipped the offending Adam out of him..." This shows us how his subjects view Henry as someone who has matured and become wise and responsible. Ely comments we are blessed by this change" This is also shows the trust f his subjects and hoe they now believe in his new authority. The dauphins gift shows us the first sign of a matured Henry, his speech is spoken in a powerful tone " ...shall strike his father's crown into the [email protected] He is not shy in explaining his actions "when we have matched our rackets ..." but also speaks in a sarcastic maner to make a mockery of the French King "...and we understand him well, how he comes o' er us with our wilder days, not measuring what use we made them.." It is this that shows us how Henry is building a good reputaion for himself coming to full fruition, this would have influenced the audience of the time making him a role model showing how he is becoming more experienced in his reign. The manner in which
Comment on the significance of Act 3 Scene 7 in what it suggests about kingship Henry, Society and the nature of war.
Comment on the significance of Act 3 Scene 7 in what it suggests about kingship Henry, Society and the nature of war. Henry V was written by William Shakespeare in the 1590's. In Act 3 Scene 6, the English have captured Harfleur and are on their way to Calais. Henry and his army are battle worn. In this scene the audience is introduced to the conflict between Henry's public side and his private side as a human being. This scene portrays Henry in various ways. Firstly, as a model king, Henry cannot display any signs of weakness or appear flexible. However, Shakespeare implies that Henry loses his temper by portraying him as speaking in prose. This lack of verse brings him down to the same level as Bardolph and the other base characters. Henry does not acknowledge knowing Bardolph even after he has been named by Fluellen: 'We would have all such offenders so cut off'. This statement suggests that Henry is trying to control his emotions and appear in a professional manner. Also, Henry justifies his reasons for punishing Bardolph to Fluellen; 'And/We give express charge, that in our marches through the country, there be nothing compelled from the village.' A model king should not have to justify his actions to his subjects as this suggests disloyalty and distrust. Friendship is portrayed in this scene also, in Pistol's plea for Bardolph's life. Fortune is Bardolph's foe''.
An Exploration of Shakespeare(TM)s Presentation of the King in Henry V(TM).
An Exploration of Shakespeare's Presentation of the King in 'Henry V'. The play 'Henry V' written by William Shakespeare depicts Henry to be a magnanimous but ruthless king. He is portrayed as a soldier, a romantic, a friend as well as a king. In the first prologue of the play Henry is shown as having a mythical significance, which sets up an image of Henry before the audience actually encounter him. It is implied to the audience that Henry is an all-powerful being with 'famine, sword and fire' at his feet. This has a strong impact on the audience as a comparison between Henry and the Roman god of war suggests the magnitude of his power. 'Assume the port of Mars'. It represents not only the power he has in physical terms, but also shows his authoritative position. The Bishop develops the positive nature of Henry by referring to him as 'full of grace and fair regard', showing that he is not just an authoritative figure with immense power. In addition to this, in the conversation between Ely and Canterbury, the religious attachment of Henry is presented. For instance the quotation 'and a true lover of the holy church' shows that he is a person who loves and respects the church. Moreover, the fact that these positive comments are made by Ely and Canterbury who both have a prestigious status within the church, creates a significant effect on the audience as if such well
Is Henry V an ideal Christian king?
Shakespeare coursework - 'Henry V' Henry V is the last of the four Shakespearean plays dealing with the rise of the House of Lancaster but unlike any of its predecessors, this play focuses more on going to war rather than the issue of ruling over England. In the play Henry [V] is portrayed as being the ideal Christian king, but what made an ideal king? In this essay, I will examine four key speeches made by Henry in the play, analyse them and see what they reveal about his character and from that deduce what made an ideal Christian king. The speeches that I will consider can be found in Act 1 Scene 2 [lines 259-298], Act 2 Scene 2 [lines 79-144], Act 3 Scene 1 [whole scene] and Act 3 Scene 3 [whole scene]. The first extract [Act 1 Scene 2] is Henry's reply to the Dauphin in response to the insult with the tennis balls. The purpose of this speech is very obvious from the start; to warn the Dauphin of the forthcoming invasion of France and the defeat of the French which Henry believes will come about as a result. He also tells the Dauphin that the whole country and its future citizens will hate him for this mockery of the king. The speech starts with an ironic light hearted riposte when he says, "We are glad the Dauphin is so pleasant with us..." [line 260]. Then almost immediately the speech takes on a greater seriousness and we can feel the tension swell in the room as Henry