Written during the reign of Elizabeth I, Henry V is part of a series of History Plays, which document the lives of England’s monarchs. However, like the Star Wars franchise, Shakespeare’s History Plays were not produced in chronological order.
In fact, he began with the most recent histories, Henry VI and Richard III. Perhaps because these proved popular, Shakespeare chose to delve into the more distant history for dramatic inspiration.
Background of the Play
Henry V was first performed in 1599. As mentioned above, at the time, England was under the rule of Queen Elizabeth I and the country was enjoying global success the like of which it had never seen. England was taking its place as a world power, therefore, it was a period of patriotic fervour in which optimistic audiences were hungry to witness the nation’s great victories played out on stage.
The battle of Agincourt, with England outnumbered five to one, and the brave leadership of Henry are excellent examples of the country’s success in battle and the dramatic re-enactment of these events was, perhaps unsurprisingly, very popular with Shakespeare’s audiences.
Use of the Play to Promote Patriotism
In more recent times too, Henry V has been used arouse jingoism in England. During the Victorian era, the themes of the play were employed to encourage and justify the expansion of the British Empire.
Additionally, the play has proved popular during less optimistic times of conflict, such as the first and second World Wars. In fact, one of the most well known adaptations of the play, Laurence Olivier’s 1944 film version, was created during the dark days of the Second World War.
Synopsis of Henry V
The action of the play picks up where Henry IV part II left off. During the Henry IV plays, Prince Hal, who becomes Henry V, is a wild young man. He garners a reputation for idleness and keeps company with the likes of Falstaff, a lecherous and greedy drunkard.
However, Henry, now a grown man, has ascended to the throne following his father’s death and must take his new position of authority seriously, because France (an old enemy of England) is massing her armies. The King’s unfortunate reputation for a life of play prompts Charles VI of France to humiliate and goad the young King by sending him a gift of tennis balls. Enraged by this insult, Henry determines to wage war against the French.
What follows is the now infamous battle of Agincourt, during which Henry must not only have a sound strategy, but he must also motivate his vastly outnumbered army to victory.
Once More Unto the Breach…
Henry’s famous St Crispin's Day speech to his troops contains some of the most frequently quoted Shakespearean lines. Obviously, this epic and moving speech is intended to illustrate how Henry may have roused his men to victory.
However, there may also be a practical reason for it. The medium of theatre, especially rudimentary theatre, does not allow for the visual spectacle of battle, for which Shakespeare apologizes in the prologue, so the drama has to be produced predominantly through language alone. Therefore, Henry’s powerful monologue is created, at least in part, to replace the drama of a full-scale battle, which has in more recent times been made possible in film.
Due to its fame, the speech is apt for satirising and was famously spoofed in the first series of Blackadder (1983) by Peter Cook.
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