The Fall of Pistol and the Commoner’s Burden
Throughout Henry V, Pistol has been known to be the comical relief for the audience. Pistol, as a soldier, is the character that can relate to the common man. What was really interesting in the final act was what happened…
Henry V, Act 5
In Act 5 of Henry V we see King Henry attempting to persuade Princess Katharine to marry him. Though this is made difficult by the fact that Katharine only speaks broken English and Henry only speaks broken French, she ultimately…
The Duke of York
In Act IV scene vi of the play, Exeter updates Henry on the battle going on with the French. The English are winning overwhelmingly, but two cousins, the Duke of York and the Earl of Suffolk have been killed. The…
The Chorus: Cry No More, for the Lack Thereof
In Shakespeare’s Henry V, the chorus, unlike most of the playwright’s other works, appears in every Act of the play. He (or she) is one person, as usual, and this person explicitly converses with the audience to inform them about…
Henry V’s rhetoric
What I find most interesting about Henry V is that I can see a clear difference in his language compared to some of the other characters in the play. He never uses malaprop, unlike many other characters, and he is so…
Humble Nobility
In act III, when Henry is encouraging his men for the battle, he uses a tactic that, I believe, was very wise and powerful; raising them to equal status with nobility. This shows something special about Henry and shows how…
Does King Henry show a softer side?
In Act 4 Scene 1 King Henry disguised himself as a soldier in his army. Many would think this would be a bad idea, but it is not. It is actually very smart because by doing this he can hear…
Where’s the love? King Henry and Bardolph’s Execution
Having read “Henry IV Pat I”, it was surprising, for me at least, to see King Henry’s reaction to being informed that Bardolph was been sentenced to death after being found guilty of stealing from the French in Act III…
The Journey to Battle Begins: Who’s Scared Now?
Act IV opens with the Chorus painting a picture of camp life the night before the battle is to begin. The once arrogant and poised English soldiers are now reflecting on the possibility of their untimely death that awaits their…
Is Henry’s War with France Justified?
In the prologue of Act four the chorus describes the scenes of both the English and French camps the night before battle. The reader sees how the tables have turned and the English fear death in battle because of how…