The Representation of Masculinity and Violence in Henry V and The Rover

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Recommended: Gender roles for women in Shakespeare plays

The Representation of Masculinity and Violence in Henry V and The Rover

Representing violence as an essential tool to gaining control, Henry V

is dominated by masculine power, in this case, with the control of

France.

The cast is mainly male, containing just four female characters,

namely Mistress Quickly, Isabel Queen of France, Katherine her

daughter and Alice, the attendant.

The chorus sets the scene of war in the prologue, with ‘Then should

the warlike Harry’ and ‘That did affright the air at Agincourt’. This

image is further represented when the Archbishop of Canterbury is

conferring with the Bishop of Ely about the King, ‘List his last

discourse of war, and you shall hear / A fearful battle rendered you

in music. (I.1. 43/44), and further on ‘His hours filled up with

riots’, (I.1. 56).

Henry lays responsibilities on others for his actions, justifying

these actions by appealing to the church for answers, a Christian

King, putting all his trust in God. In his speech to the Archbishop of

Canterbury, Henry threatens the violence of war, as he appeals to him

with ‘For God doth know how many now in health / Shall drop their

blood in approbation / Of what your reverence shall incite us to. /

Therefore take heed how you impawn our person, / How you awake our

sleeping sword of war.’ (I.2.18-22), placing responsibility on

Canterbury for the violence that will ensue from him usurping the

French Sovereignty. Canterbury confirms Henry’s entitlement to France

with his ancestors having held it, also stating that the Salic law is

not upheld in France, this being that ‘No woman shall succeed in Salic

land’ (I.2. 39). He states ‘T...

... middle of paper ...

... horror at this sight,

that tells thee, / Thou hast not long to boast thy shameful conquest?’

(P.235 The Rover).

In conclusion, Henry V seems to maintain gender boundaries, with

masculinity being active alongside violence. Whereas The Rover stands

between the acceptance of masculine power and female dominance.

Bibliography

OWENS, W.R. and GOODMAN, Lizbeth, Ed. Shakespeare, Aphra Behn and the

Canon (London: Routledge in association with the Open University,

1996).

BEHN, Aphra. Oroonoko, The Rover and other works (London: Penguin,

1992).

SHAKESPEARE, William. Henry v (London: Penguin, 1968, 1996).

Audio / Visual

TV 3: The Authentick & Ironicall Historie of Henry V

VC 1: A210 Approaching Literature: The Rover

Audio Cassette 6: Henry V AC2125

Audio Cassette 7: Henry V AC2126

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