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Comparing King Henry V And Saint Joan Of Arc

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Henry V and Saint Joan are popular plays that are focused around the same time period. The main characters, King Henry and Joan of Arc, are both leaders in battle for the 100 years war between England and France in these productions. The play King Henry V focuses on the the English King and how he dealt with the war. It expresses ideas of King Henry that are empowering and strong-willed. He motivates his men using his high class position to enter the war and keep them full of hope and confidence throughout the battles. In Saint Joan, a young peasant girl named Joan believes God has spoken to her to lead an army and retrieve the crown for the Dauphin of France. Joan has to gain the trust of the men in power before she is set out on her mission. …show more content…

When the time comes for him to surge into war with France there are expectations that come with it. Being the King, he carries the trust of the country on his back as he leads his men through war. He is seen as a strong, powerful, and influential figure who cannot grow weary. Due to this status he is faced with a great deal of pressure to stay focused on what is important and stand his ground. There are massive expectations on his shoulders to be the leader, the inspiration, and the power because he is the King. He surpasses the expectations of his powerful position in the famous speech of Act IV scene iii. Heading into the battle of Agincourt, King Harry was firm and steady in empowering his men to fight regardless of how outnumbered they were “We few, we happy few, we band of brothers—for whoever sheds his blood with me today shall be my brother… And men back in English now safe in their beds will curse themselves for not having been here, and think less of their own manhood when they listen to the stories of those who fought with us here” (Sparknotes n.pg.). This speech is a powerful example of how King Henry uses his class status as the King to unite and motivate his men. If this speech would have been given by a person of middle class status it would have not been as impactful. It is because of King Henry’s influence over the men that makes it a successful speech. His important class role is the key to being a strong …show more content…

She is born a peasant and does not have any power in her society. Joan believes she has heard the voice of God telling her to lead an army of men to victory. Since she is of the lowest class status her challenge is to convince the nobles and Dauphine that she is worthy to lead in battle. She states her claim and gets a response of “I suppose you think raising a siege is as easy as chasing cows in a meadow. You think soldiering is anybody’s job?” (Saint Joan Act 1 n.pg). The nobles are making an analogy to farm life because of Joan’s class level. She has to somehow prove her worthiness because she is seen as someone who is incapable due to her societal place. No one in her time of her status would be given the opportunity to lead an army of men. As a result of this Joan faces the uphill battle of persuading these men of high status to trust in a peasant farm girl to retrieve the crown for the

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