Henry V Character Analysis

After reading Machiavelli’s The Prince and watching Shakespeare’s Henry V in class, one begins to notice similarities between the authors’ idea of what a “perfect king” should be. The patterns between the ideal ruler of Shakespeare and the ideal ruler of Machiavelli can be seen in numerous instances throughout this story. For the duration of this essay, I will compare the similarities in both pieces to give the reader a better understanding of how Shakespeare devised his view of what a “perfect king” should be.

In Henry V, Shakespeare clearly shows that powerful speech and eloquent rhetoric is more effective in times of war than threat of sharp swords and numerous soldiers. King Henry V - the young and bright king of England - establishes himself as a devout leader to his country and his people. Throughout the story he demonstrates his ability to articulate in order to manipulate his audience, whether it be commoners, enemies, or friends. After an argument with the Dauphin of France over land claims, Henry gathers an army to invade French territory. Following a surprising march through the country against all odds, the king and his soldiers find themselves in a five to one battle, destined to fall defeated. The character of King Henry is exemplified

Henry V, written by William Shakespeare, is by far one of his more historically accurate plays. This play is the life of young King Henry V, who ascended to the throne after his father, Henry IV's death. These times were much different for England, as Henry V was a noble lord whom everyone loved, whereas angry factions haunted his father's reign. Shakespeare portrays a fairly accurate account of the historical Henry V, but certain parts are either

In Shakespeare’s play Henry IV Part 1 Prince Hal’s world influences him to transform into a strong leader that will influence . With all the detail of politics and the diverse of social status of the Tavern, the King, and the Rebels; each sector of this story has compiled together to create Hal from a rebellious boy into a persona with ideals and experience.

To examine Shakespeare’s exploration of identity as a means of control, it is important to understand what all constitutes each character’s identity. In the case of Henry, for one, it is apparent that the actions of his past alter his perceived identity throughout the play. Before Henry speaks his first lines in the play, the Bishop of Ely calls Henry a “true lover of the holy Church,” to which the Archbishop of Canterbury replies, “The courses of [Henry’s] youth promised it not” (1.1.23-24). This reckless reputation follows Henry further into the play when an ambassador from France delivers a message to Henry from the Dauphin: “…the prince our master says that you savor too much of your youth and bids you to be advised there’s naught in France that can be with a nimble galliard won: you cannot revel into dukedoms there” (1.2.250-254). Along with this message, the Dauphin included a gift of tennis balls meant to further insult Henry. Even later in the play, after the English won the battle at Harfleur, the noble Frenchmen continue to underestimate Henry’s ability as a leader: “What a wretched and peevish fellow is this King of England, to mope with his fat-brained followers so far out of his knowledge” (3.8.120-122).

“The mercy that was quick in us but late/ By your own counsel is suppressed and killed. / You must not dare, for shame, to talk of mercy,” (2.2.85-87). In Shakespeare’s Henry V, King Henry V, uses multiple personas towards certain people to gain the French throne. He justifies his right to the French throne by his descent from French royalty through the female line. Henry is still being seen as his young self and uses role play to prove that he is worthy of the French throne. Henry’s role playing is for the purpose of gaining the French throne. Henry manipulates his soldiers and opponents for his selfish want of the throne. Henry uses different personas while giving speeches and physically disguising himself to gain the French throne.

The question that Shakespeare raises throughout the series of Henry IV, Part I, Henry IV, Part II, and Henry V is that of whether Prince Hal (eventually King Henry V), is a true manifestation of an ideal ruler, and whether he is a rightful heir to his father’s ill-begotten throne. England is without a true king, being run by a ruler without the right of divine providence on his side– altogether, a very difficult situation for a young, inexperienced, and slightly delinquent Prince to take on. The task of proving himself a reliable Prince and a concerned ruler is of utmost importance to Hal, as he does not enjoy the mantle of divine right– perhaps by being an excellent ruler, Hal can make up for the

Shakespeare’s ‘King Henry IV Part I’ centres on a core theme of the conflict between order and disorder. Such conflict is brought to light by the use of many vehicles, including Hal’s inner conflict, the country’s political and social conflict, the conflict between the court world and the tavern world, and the conflicting moral values of characters from each of these worlds. This juxtaposition of certain values exists on many levels, and so is both a strikingly present and an underlying theme throughout the play. Through characterization Shakespeare explores moral conflict, and passage three is a prime example of Falstaff’s enduring moral disorder. By this stage in the play Hal has

King Henry V, is one of the only successful monarchs in Shakespeare’s plays. He displays great strength and intelligence. King Henry V is capable of uniting all of his people in his St. Crispin’s Day speech as they prepare to go to battle. The troops were greatly outnumbered and believed they had no chance at winning. But King Henry makes them feel like they are part of something important, and by doing this he motivates them to fight their hardest.

William Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1, composed during the last years of the 16th century, is as much as character study as it is a retelling of a moment in history. Though the play is titled for one king, it truly seems to revolve around the actions of the titular character's successor. Indeed, Henry IV is a story of the coming-of-age of Prince Hal and of the opposition that he must face in this evolution. This process gives narrative velocity to what is essentially a conflagration between two personality types. In Prince Hal, the audience is given a flawed but thoughtful individual. Equally flawed but more given over to action than thought is his former ally and now-nemesis, Hotspur. In the latter, Shakespeare offers a warrior and a man of action and in the former, the playwright shows a politician in his nascent stages of development. The contrast between them will drive the play's action.

Claim to Power: An Analysis of Henry V In Kenneth Branagh’s 1989 production of Henry V, a history play constructed by William Shakespeare, several themes are prevalent to convey the political and social turmoil within medieval England. The most salient themes include the notion of patriotism and social class and they were endorsed in Kenneth Branagh’s character as King Henry V. The source of conflict is Henry’s challenge on King Charles VI of France and his authority as monarch, with his dubious claims on French territories.

Henry the Fifth Character Analysis Throughout the play, multiple aspects of King Henry are shown, but the two aspects that seem to stick out the most is when he is being an inspiring towards his men and cleverly manipulative to accomplish his goals. King Henry the fifth is an inspiring, intelligent manipulator. A king who puts the good of his country before his own personal feelings; such as when he found out that Scroop, Grey and Cambridge planned to assassinate him before sailing to France and when Bardolph was being executed for stealing from a church. Everyone who saw him as a pleasure seeking youth has come to realize the brilliant king he has become.

During Shakespeare’s day, kings were often, along with the clergy, perceived and reverenced as God’s delegates on earth, and Henry V was no exception. Nevertheless, in one of William Shakespeare’s acclaimed plays about this monarch’s life, Henry V, Shakespeare depicts Henry as far from ideal, even though Henry V may have also displayed certain admirable qualities at times. This is evinced by Henry V’s motives, aggression, and lies.

Morally Responsible Character Development Responsibility in war isn’t always abundantly clear and Shakespeare uses King Henry’s dynamic character to highlight that issue. Shakespeare uses this heavily metaphysical discussion of moral responsibility in war to symbolize a permanence in Henry’s maturity by critically analyzing the position as seen by the king himself and his soldiers. The discussion between King Henry and his soldiers ultimately discusses one deep question: who is responsible for who in war? The soldiers themselves, especially Captain Bates, deem themselves responsible for their physical allegiance to the king and "if his cause be wrong, [their] obedience to the King wipes the crime of it out of them" (145).

William Shakespeare’s play Henry V showcases Henry IV’s son Henry V life as the new king, after his father’s death, and how he is going to fix his country after his dad left England in a bad state with may rebellions and made enemies with other countries. Ideal leadership, generosity, and cruelty are all things that describe Henry, but after watching the play, one would feel as if they have seen this before. His character is the embodiment of Alexander the Great. Although Shakespeare was historically accurate in most of his play, Henry V’s life is weirdly identical to Alexander’s life. The two kings succeed their fathers and faced the same challenges. Their values on life and wars they fought left behind amazing legacies that differ from each other but are similar in multiple ways. Henry V's story was shaped mostly by the life of Alexander, which Shakespeare took inspiration from and made England's Great King, Henry V, a legacy that will never be forgotten.