Part of a succession of popular history plays, Henry V (1600) by William Shakespeare (1564-1616) follows the life of King Henry V as he attempts to invade France and take it for his own. The play has a large number of characters but focuses substantially on Henry as he grapples with kingship.
History plays are a key theatrical genre. They are plays based on real historical events, often with some fictionalisation on the playwright's part. Shakespeare is particularly known for his pioneering plays in the genre. Examples include Richard II (1597) and King John (1623).
Henry V: play
Henry V opens as King Henry V has just ascended the throne after his father's death. He has previously had a reputation as a debaucherous and rebellious young man, which he now must put to rest and become a more mature monarch. One thing Henry plans to do as monarch is seize properties from the Church. The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Ely wish to stop this and so they offer to fund a military campaign that would take France for King Henry. The Archbishop convinces Henry that he is entitled to France due to antiquated and complex inheritance laws. Henry's claims to France are mocked by the Dauphin, the son of the French King. This infuriates Henry, who declares war on France. He is supported by both the clergy and his nobles.
Fig. 1 - This is what Henry V is likely to have looked like.
The play also includes characters from the King's eventful past. These include Bardolph, Pistol, and Nim. As men of fighting age, they have decided to join in the King's war against France. Despite once being close to Henry, he has now abandoned the three men. As he took the throne, Henry wished to distance himself from his past. Bardolph, Pistol, and Nim also discuss the death of Sir John Falstaff, their friend and the once mentor of King Henry. It is believed he died of a broken heart. Henry too abandoned Falstaff after becoming king.
Henry's shameful past can be read about in the two Shakespeare plays preceding this one, Henry IV, Part One (1598) and Henry IV, Part Two (1600).
Just before the English set sail for France, Henry discovers a plot against his life. Three lords and former friends of his, Scroop, Cambridge, and Grey, have been bribed by the French to kill him. Henry has all three men put to death as an example to those who betray him. Their convoy then sets sail for France.
Henry gives the French an ultimatum. He orders King Charles of France to either surrender or face brutal attacks. In an attempt to placate him, King Charles offers Henry his daughter Katherine's hand in marriage along with small portions of land. Henry refuses and his army begins an attack on the town of Harfleur. Through bloody and difficult battles, the English emerge victorious, aided by King Henry's rousing speeches. Upon taking the town, Henry orders his soldiers to treat the French citizens kindly.
Between battles, Nim and Bardolph are caught stealing and Henry orders their execution. He does not seem to consider the past relationship he has with these men. He is more concerned with solidifying his authority as king. By this point, the English army are exhausted and beaten down, but Henry insists that they will fight the next day regardless. In these circumstances, the French feel sure of victory. That night, Henry disguises himself as a normal soldier and walks around the English camp, trying to bolster his men. He learns about them and their lives on a more personal level. When alone again, Henry laments the responsibilities that rest on his shoulders as monarch.
The next morning, the battle takes place, becoming known as the Battle of Agincourt. Henry gives his soldiers a rousing and powerful speech that propels them to fight bravely. Despite being severely outnumbered by the French, the English eventually fight their way to victory. They have suffered minimal losses, while thousands of French are dead. Henry orders that all those English who have lost their lives be given proper Christian burials.
In the final act of Henry V, some of the soldiers discuss the importance of respecting other cultures. Fluellen, a Welsh captain who was heavily involved in the fighting, takes part in this conversation. Meanwhile, King Henry and King Charles are engaged in peace negotiations. Charles agrees to all of Henry's demands, including his foremost wish to marry Katherine. It is decided that Henry and Katherine's child will rule France. However, before the play closes, the audience is informed that this child will go on to lose France not long after his father had gained it. This story plays out in another of Shakespeare's plays, the first part of Henry VI (1592).
Henry V: characters
As with many Shakespeare plays, Henry V contains an expansive host of characters, both major and minor. Shakespeare uses many of these characters as devices to either advance or exemplify King Henry's growth journey.
| Character | Explanation | Key Traits |
| King Henry V | Henry is the new English monarch. He has a rebellious past that involved a lot of drinking and debauchery, but he has left this behind to become a mature and measured monarch. He is firm in his leadership and knows how to motivate his men. However, he privately feels the burdens of being a king. | Mature, confident, strong leadership abilities. |
| Princess Katherine | Katherine does not play an active role in Henry V, yet she remains important. Her hand in marriage is one of Henry's key demands in the peace negotiations. She represents his opportunity to have his family rule France. As was common at the time, Katherine has very little control over her own future. Her father decides who she will marry, despite the fact that she is initially very suspicious of Henry. | Passive, mistrusting, lacking in agency. |
| Michael Williams | Michael is one of the soldiers that Henry converses with while wandering around the English camp in disguise. Michael and Henry have a robust conversation about the value of the war and the King's part in sending his men off to die. They agree to fight the next day, but Henry eventually reveals his true identity. Instead of punishing Michael for his doubts, Henry rewards him, showing himself to be a reasonable and mature ruler. | Independent, critical, sensible. |
| Bardolph | Bardolph is a lower-class man, often involved in criminality and underhand dealings. He and King Henry were once good friends before Henry became monarch. However, after looting a French town, Henry orders Bardolph's swift execution. Bardolph serves to represent Henry's sharp break with a past that he is ashamed of. | Untrustworthy, deceitful, criminal. |
Henry V: speech
Speeches are an important literary device used by Shakespeare in Henry V. King Henry utilises them multiple times to rouse and embolden his men to victory. The best-known and most influential of these speeches is the one Henry says before the Battle of Agincourt. His men are exhausted and have little hope, but the power of this speech pushes them to fight for victory. He speaks of the glory of battle and how, even if they don't survive, they will all be remembered forever. As quoted below, Henry's speech presents warfare in the name of one's country as something honourable that men should be willing to die for.
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when the day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian:'
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars.
And say 'These wounds I had on Crispin's day.'
Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember with advantages
What feats he did that day: then shall our names.
Familiar in his mouth as household words.
(King Henry, Act 4)
Many critics have used this speech to analyse the themes of warfare and its value that run throughout Henry V. The morality of Henry subjecting ordinary men to war for his own gains is questioned in Shakespeare's play. However, they all seem roused by this speech. Henry depicts war as an opportunity for brotherhood between men; it is glorious to die for your comrades and your country. Shakespeare undercuts this by remarking that Henry's own son will lose France only a generation later. The complexity of war is shown in Henry V.
Henry V: Shakespeare
As you likely know, William Shakespeare is the most famous playwright to have ever lived. Shakespeare was born in 1564 in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon, leading a relatively comfortable childhood. He married his wife, Anne Hathaway, at the age of eighteen, and the couple went on to have three children together.
Fig. 2 - A portrait of Shakespeare, the world's best-known playwright.
In the latter half of the 1500s, Shakespeare moved to London and began working in the bustling theatrical scene, likely as both an actor and writer. This is when Shakespeare began to write the plays that would make his name, both in his own time and afterwards. In his career, Shakespeare mostly wrote histories, tragedies, and comedies, including Henry V (1600), Macbeth (1623), and A Midsummer Night's Dream (1600). Shakespeare's plays were highly popular in his time, garnering much interest. Today, he is one of the most important literary and cultural figures in history, known for his witty dialogue, incisive social commentary, and creative storylines and characters.
In his late forties, Shakespeare moved back to Stratford, dying in 1616 at fifty-two years old. The cause of his death remains unknown.
Henry V: quotes
Read on for key quotes from Henry V.
| Quote | Act | Explanation |
| 'The game's afoot:Follow your spirit, and upon this chargeCry ''God for Harry, England, and Saint George!" | Act 3. | This is another instance of a rousing speech said by Henry to his men. He prioritises nationhood here, telling the men that they are fighting for England. In doing this, he also associates his name with England. As monarch, he is seen as the nation's representative. |
| 'And tell the pleasant Prince this mock of hisHath turned his balls to gunstones, ...—for many a thousand widowsShall this his mock mock out of their dear husbands,Mock mothers from their sons, mock castles down.' | Act 1. | Also uttered by Henry, this is his response to the Dauphin's mocking of Henry's threats to invade France. The Dauphin sends him a package of tennis balls, mocking his youth and inexperience. This sends Henry into a fury, determined to prove the Dauphin wrong. He references the violence he will inflict on the French people, detracting somewhat from his image as a reasonable ruler. |
| 'But if the cause be not good, the king himself hath a heavy reckoning to make, when all those legs and arms and heads, chopped off in battle, shall join together at the latter day and cry all ''We died at such a place." | Act 4. | These are the lines said by Michael Williams in his discussion with the disguised Henry. He questions the purpose of the conflict and suggests that if the purpose is not good, then the King may have blood on his hands. Despite the power he holds, Henry debates Michael instead of reprimanding him. |
Henry V - Key takeaways
- Henry V (1600) is a history play by William Shakespeare.
- It follows the inexperienced King Henry as he invades France.
- One of Henry's key aims is to throw off his reputation as a debaucherous young man.
- Many of the characters in the play are used to contribute to Henry's growth.
- Henry also makes a number of powerful speeches throughout the play, particularly the one he says at the Battle of Agincourt.
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