Henry V: A Biased Shakespearean Portrayal

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

in writing this piece is, “to portray King Henry as the ultimate hero: noble, humble, and strong.” For this reason, there are certain historical aspects that are omitted or skewed in this play, such as the compressing of the Battle of Agincourt in order to concentrate “on certain aspects to highlight Henry’s strengths, ignore his weaknesses, and create the archetype for heroic Kings.” In this passage, King Henry has just been presented a chest full of tennis balls sent from the Dauphin, who is the son of the King of France, as a form of mockery to indicate that King Henry is much too young, and ought to be out playing tennis instead of leading a country. This then leads up to Henry’s powerful rant that he delivers in retaliation to the mockery.

From the information delivered by Shakespeare on King Henry, it symbolizes the significance of Henry’s multifaceted personality in becoming a successful ruler, and the fact that relationships will be torn apart, in order to achieve success on the battlefield. When analyzing this specific passage of Henry V, one of the most prevalent literary elements within King Henry’s monologue is his usage of hyperboles to symbolize the anger and vengeance he wishes to impose on the Dauphin when he threatens, “And tell the pleasant prince this mock of his Hath turned his balls to gun stones,” (293-294). This line exemplifies not only King Henry’s ruthless behavior, but also his seriousness of approach to war in comparison to the Dauphin, as his threat to unleash cannonballs upon France indicates the importance of war to him as monarch, and that he is prepared to defend himself and his country’s honor when necessary. It also suggests the maturity Henry possesses in dealing with the subject of war, as the Dauphin’s threat actually backfires on him when Henry responds in a passionate and

no-nonsense tone. Thus, this line also denotes the double-edged personality of King Henry as a leader, given the very fiery personality he unleashes when angered. Another instance of his usage of hyperboles to indicate the wrath he wishes to impose on France is when he later bellows, “His soul Shall stand sore charged for the wasteful vengeance That shall fly with them; for many a thousand widows.” (294-297). In this passage, Henry has released his fury upon the Dauphin, in which his usage of multiple hyperboles in this passage serves to provide imagery of the destruction and death that will come to the country of France for being mocked. This passage also portrays Henry’s merciless behavior when it comes to war, and it foretells how Henry will later address high-pressure situations during the war which ultimately both helps and hinders his situation as ruler. Next, another important literary element to consider from King Henry’s speech is the violent imagery he delivers to the reader in order to showcase the amount of rage he holds against the Dauphin and the French. One passage in particular that exemplifies Henry’s intention to arise with all his might, and bring forth utter destruction is when he proclaims, “But I will rise there with so full a glory That I will dazzle all the eyes of France,” (290-291). From this passage, the reader is given insight as to how boastfully Henry thinks of himself through his depiction of the gunfire and explosions that “will dazzle” France as a result of him being “mocked”. Another example of the crucial effect imagery plays, is when he speaks upon the after effects that will occur in France after he has brutalized the entire country in retaliation to the French people who have mocked him by ordering, “When thousands more weep than did laugh at it.—Convey them with safe conduct.” (309-310). In this example, his strong usage of imagery allows him to foretell how sorrowful and ashamed the French people will feel about joining in with the Dauphin to mock Henry, and we are once again given an insight as to how ruthless King Henry really is, and just how abusively Henry wishes to instill fear within all of the French hearts when the time comes to engage in war. In addition, another noteworthy element is Henry’s devotional allusion to God, as he holds the belief that God will be in approval with him to strike vengeance upon France when he announces, But all this lies within the will of God, To whom I do appeal, and in whose name Tell you the Dauphin I am coming on, To venge me as I may and to put forth My rightful hand in a well-hallowed cause. (302-306)
This allusion to God can be interpreted as a reference to the famous Biblical verse from Galatians 6:7, “You reap what you sow”, as well as the phrase, “An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth”.

In this speech, Henry is alluding to both phrases as a sense of Biblical justification for him to impose destruction on France as a result of the Dauphin mocking him. This passage also displays the religious side of King Henry and his willingness to use evidence in support of his decisions rather than purely making decisions off of first instinct. While at the same time, this passage also shines light on Henry’s strategic, yet arrogant nature as a ruler when making the claim that through God’s will, it is only just that he declares war with the French when clearly there are many different interpretations that can be made when reading from The Bible based on the person’s background and culture. As a result, Henry’s interpretation is shaped by his noble bloodline, as well as his forefathers’ rich history with conquering the French, as King Charles later references in Act 4 of Scene 2. Therefore, King Henry’s usage of biblical allusions to God symbolizes his cunning and decisive nature when making decisions, but also how recklessly he chooses to retaliate against his enemies, and how that ultimately works against him as it severs his relationships with others such as Sir John Falstaff. When analyzing the form of King Henry’s violent monologue, one of its most striking features

is his inclusion of repetition by using the word “mock” as another manner of allusion to phrases mentioned earlier in The Bible in order to depict the retribution he will impose on the French for being mocked with the chest full of tennis balls. This is demonstrated during Henry’s tirade as he begins to address the Ambassadors about the images the French will be seeing when England has invaded France and the horrific events that will ensue as a result, when he declares, “Shall this mock mock out of their dear husbands, Mock mothers from their sons, mock castles down;” (298-299). Through Henry’s such deliberate usage of the word “mock” repeatedly within this passage, it signals how much rage he currently holds against the Dauphin and the French, as well as the amount of impatience he has with the interest of destroying France into ruins. Even more, due to the malicious and vile tone he uses with the word “mock”, it can be inferred how sharply Henry and the Dauphin’s approaches to war contrast with one another. In particular, Henry views war in a much more serious and spiritual manner, while the Dauphin approaches war in a much more childish and insignificant manner. This is clearly evident based on Henry’s retaliation to the Dauphin’s childish “mock”, which then provoked Henry to threaten to unleash savage death and destruction on the entire country of France, while the Dauphin still views Henry as a child who is incapable of leading a country. For this reason, Henry’s incessant use of the word “mock” exposes his savage and prideful nature that plays a defining role in portraying himself as a menacing leader who is unafraid to fight for what he believes is righteous. One other literary element worth noting in regards to the form and syntax of King Henry’s speech is the inclusion of two dashes, as he is just about to send the Ambassadors away. When considering the importance of Henry’s usage of the dash, you must consider that Henry has been going off on a rampage about the damage he will inflict on France, and he is continuing to ramble on about the vengeance he will put forth on the Dauphin by proposing to invade and unleash destruction on France during this tennis match of a war that the Dauphin has proposed. Immediately after, Henry then portrays his multifaceted personality by switching from a wrathful to reverent tone as he addresses the Ambassadors before exiting by saluting, “When thousands weep more than did laugh at it. —Convey them with safe conduct. —Fare you well.” From this passage, we are given insight into the caring and restrained nature of King Henry as well, which is noted through Shakepeare’s inclusion of dashes to indicate this dramatic shift/pause that occurs when he wishes peace for the Ambassadors as they depart back to France. It also suggests the humble nature of Henry as well in that even though he may sound very boastful and irate when handling the war, he still understands how to keep his composure and remain respectful as a leader and diplomat. In short, the literary elements presented in this passage allow us to uncover the defining characteristics that shaped King Henry into the well renowned historical figure of today. While at the same time, how crucial of a role his multidimensional personality plays in determining the many different interpretations of him as a person, which ultimately does not negate his successes as King of England.