Have you ever read a book that made you contemplate how it would pertain to your life or someone else’s life? Certainly, after reading the play titled King Henry V originally written by William Shakespeare and edited by Andrew Gurr, I concluded that certain situations in this book correspond to several aspects in this world. For instance, it can connect to many events that occurred during the 1590s, the time period in which this play was written. On the other hand, it correlates with other compositions that were read in class such as The Prince, but more importantly this play undoubtedly relates to my life. Even though you may not think the production titled King Henry V applies to you, you may want to reconsider your decision and realize that certain aspects of this play may indeed relate to you just as it related to me.
During the late 1590’s, William Shakespeare wrote a play that dealt with a challenge faced by King Henry V of England. This test was based on whether to invade France or not and who would ultimately succeed to the French throne next; King Henry V of England or Dauphin who is Charles son and the legitimate heir to the French throne (Gurr I. ii). As a result, this war led to King Henry V to succeed to the throne next. While King Henry V had much success in this time period, there were other events occurring as well. Before the 1590’s, an important revolution existed that would shape many countries for the better. Hence, this revolution was titled the Reformation or the Protestant Reformation. Beginning in the early 1500s, the Reformation was prompted by the Great Schism, issues with the plague, and even ideas about who may read the bible (McKay 408). Although there were many important significant political indivi...
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...ct, to correspond I have held various positions throughout my high school and in the community which pertain to the same ideals in which King Henry V portrayed. Whether you think so or not, a book can in fact pertain to your life just like the play King Henry V correlated to my life.
Works Cited
Cavendish, Richard. N.p.. Web. 5 Nov 2013. .
Gurr, Andrew. King Henry V . Updated Edition . New York : Cambridge University Press, 2005. Print.
Knight, K.. N.p.. Web. 14 Nov 2013. .
Machiavelli, Niccolò. The Prince: with Related Documents. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2005. Print.
McKay, John P., Bennett D. Hill, John Buckler, Clare Haru Crowston, Merry E. Wiesner-Hanks, and Joe Perry. A History of Western Society. 10th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2011. Print.
When we look at Henry as a king we have to look in the context of
The reformation was a religious and political movement that took place in the year 1517. This movement was spread by the Cristian humanist Martin Luther, when he posted his “Ninety Five Theses”. The reformation itself is one of those things everybody has heard about but no one quite understands, even nowadays, 500 years after this movement occurred.
The given documents are examples of the monarch’s ability to assert their authority through word. The different proclamations illustrate the problems of the time, and how the assumed power of the monarch addressed it. It is assumed that their power goes to include power over the church and all papal authority, ultimate power over Parliament, power over other lands, and it goes as far as suggesting that their power has been bestowed upon them by God. The assumed nature and extent of the Tudors’ power alters over time, each king reacting to a different situation. King Henry VII establishes a strong and clear claim to the crown for the Tudors when there were doubts about his claim. King Henry VIII extends the power of the monarch by annexing the
In the historical play Henry V by William Shakespeare, we are introduced to the story of a young and influential King Henry V of England, and his quest to conquer France under the ruler ship of Charles VI of France. This play details Henry’s life leading up to and following the Battle of Agincourt in the year 1415, which according to the “Hundred Years’ War”, was fought between England and France from 1337 to 1453. Now, in the source “William Shakespeare Biography”, it was found that Shakespeare lived from “c. 1564-1616” and is “widely considered the greatest dramatist of all time.” He too is of English descent, which suggests the bias that is present in this play, as according to “Henry V List of Characters”, Shakespeare’s primary purpose
Henry II was known as one of England’s greatest kings. Along with being king of England, he was also Count of Anjou, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Duke of Normandy, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland, and controlled little bits of Western France and Scotland. He was most famous for his legal administrative systems, his long disputes with the Church, and his dramatic turmoil with his family. One of his greatest quotes was, “Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?”
Shakespeare, William. The Life of King Henry the Fifth. New York: Unicorn Publishers Inc, 1950. Pg. 173-295.
...in themes similar to those found in the two Henry IV plays, such as usurpation, rebellion, and the issue of lineage of royal right. But Richard II and King Henry V are decidedly more serious in tone, and in comparing them to I Henry IV and II Henry IV, the argument can be made that it is these two latter plays which resound with greater realism with the broader spectrum of life which they present. Shakespeare carefully balances comedy and drama in I Henry IV and II Henry IV, and in doing so the bard gives us what are perhaps the most memorable characters in all of English literature.
Henry V, like most characters created by Shakespeare, is very complex, and cannot by defined in black and white or as good or bad. However, he is the sum of his actions, and his actions and decisions during the campaign during the campaign in France lead him to be classified as a war criminal. A politician who works for his own good and through that, the good of his country, Henry’s decisions are often cold and calculated, designed to manipulate those around him.
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 inflated"deflated, or conflated to dramatize Henry V as a character suitable for a Renaissance audience.
When one thinks of Henry the eighth the first thing that comes up is fat, wife-killer, meat eater, old, mean and overall horrendous. But almost no one refers to him as misunderstood, manipulated or young man who was not meant to be King of England. This is how Suzannah Lipscomb portrays Henry VIII in her book, 1536: The Year that Changed Henry VIII, King Henry faces many tribulations in 1536 that shaped the rest of his reign; from his marriages, injuries, heirs, to his influence in the European spectrum.
In the play Henry V written by Shakespeare. Henry was presented as the ideal Christian king. His mercy, wisdom, and other characteristics demonstrated the behavior of a Christian king. Yet at the same time he is shown to be man like any other. The way he behaves in his past is just like an ordinary man. But in Henry’s own mind he describes himself as “the mirror of all Christian kings” and also a “true lover of the holly church.
McKay, John P., Bennett D. Hill, and John Buckler. A History of Western Society. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1983. Print.
Shakespeare, William, and Claire McEachern. The First Part of King Henry the Fourth. New York: Penguin, 2000. Print.
Henry V is not a simple one as it has many aspects. By looking into
Lynn Hunt et al., The Making of the West: peoples and cultures, a Concise History (Boston:Bedford/St. Martin's, 2003), 43, 45, 132, 136, 179-180