Is King Henry V Truly Epic?

Between the years 1489 and 1499, Henry received three main threats to his royal authority: the Yorkshire Rebellion in 1489; the pretender, Perkin Warbeck (from 1491 to 1499); and the Cornish uprising in 1497. All of these threats were quelled successfully; however each one presented problems to Henry and highlighted his instability on the throne. I believe that Henry dealt with the challenges successfully, but his policies suffered as a result.

In Henry V, Shakespeare clearly shows that powerful speech and eloquent rhetoric is more effective in times of war than threat of sharp swords and numerous soldiers. King Henry V - the young and bright king of England - establishes himself as a devout leader to his country and his people. Throughout the story he demonstrates his ability to articulate in order to manipulate his audience, whether it be commoners, enemies, or friends. After an argument with the Dauphin of France over land claims, Henry gathers an army to invade French territory. Following a surprising march through the country against all odds, the king and his soldiers find themselves in a five to one battle, destined to fall defeated. The character of King Henry is exemplified

Almost every scholar who has learned about King Henry V can agree that he is one of the most popular kings of his time period. Henry V was a young king so many scholars have questioned his actions. Especially, due to his earlier lifestyle because Henry V was an immature adult before he became king but when he became king he seemed very wise. This might be because he did not want people to expect much of him. But, one question that has been debated for a long time now is: is Henry V a Christian King or a Machiavelli tyrant? Henry V was a Machiavelli cruel leader and not a Christian king for these three reasons: He was not merciful, he led his men into battle because of his own desires, and Henry’s disguise.

In Henry V written by Shakespeare, Henry V is exhibited as an idle Christian king. But throughout the play his actions and his past show him to be a typical man. Although, some of his characteristics as a king show him to be as he was perceived. King Henry started out as a Christian king but as the play goes on he is further seen as an average man in his speeches and his actions, but is still seen by the audience as a man of God.

n Shakespeare's King Henry V, King Henry prepares his troops for battle with a passionate speech about fighting, honor, and kinship. Henry uses strong ethos and pathos to persuade his men to fight the French, though they are outnumbered in the battle. Henry notes that his troops feel unprepared and overwhelmed for battle. This speech marks the moment where the boy Hal transforms into King Henry. For the first time, Henry takes on the role of a valiant king and takes control of the situation. He seizes the moment to prepare them and inspire them. Henry hopes by making an effective speech his men will understand why they need to fight.

Even after he had come of age, Henry suffered from a lack of popular support, something that invariably helps the "other side" in a civil war. He was considered a fool by the general populace, which weakened his authority. During his reign, there were many charges of seditious libel to come before the courts (Storey, 34) and they usually dealt with someone slandering the king. Common people and yeomen were calling the king a "lunatic", a child, and a fool (Storey, 35). For instance, one Sussex yeoman called the king a "natural fool" and said that "the king was no person able to rule the land" (Storey, 35). Evidently, if even the common people were slandering the king, they must have had some basis for it. The king did nothing to prove the people wrong, rarely going on progresses to smooth out his image. He stayed in the Home Counties for much of his reign, and even that did not improve his image with the people.

As a king, Henry becomes known for being a man of resilience, strategy, and combat. These traits, according to Machiavelli, are necessary to become the “ideal king.” As stated by Machiavelli, “…a prince ought to have no other aim or thought, nor select anything else for his study, than war and its rules and discipline; for this is the sole art that belongs to him who rules.” (Machiavelli) This can be seen when the Dauphin presents Henry with a gift of tennis balls and an insulting speech practically telling him to stay out of grown men’s affairs. This gives Henry the leverage he needs to start a war with France without looking like the instigator. He can now put the blame of war on the Dauphin and the many lives of whom will be killed. Henry uses this to move toward his strength and show his full potential.

Henry V is a wise and loyal king, changing from a wild youth to a mature king. He is described to be an intelligent, thoughtful and an efficient statesman. He thinks carefully whether to invade France or not which represents his responsible character. King Henry gives a very strong speech which gave courage and confidence to his army that they could win the battle. This character describes him to be a king of great ability to fight and having good administrative skills. Throughout the play Henry’s nature is religious, merciful and compassionate.

The powerlessness of Henry VI is a central factor of the outbreak of the war. He was known to be too soft and malleable to the wishes of his surrounding that had influence and control of him. Henry was considered to be a person who was very uninterested in the politics of the country. He also felt the lack of cleverness and strong features of character that were fundamental

Unlike Hal, King Henry’s role consist of three qualities that radiate kingship, the traits being composed, assertive and commanding. Despite these traits being essential to kingship, they ultimately lead to the court turning against King Henry and planning a rebellion against him. When discussing news of war and casualties in his throne room, Henry remains composed and finds the positive points in the situation rather the

Henry VIII is one of the few English monarchs recognizable even in America, for his antics are legendary on both sides of the Atlantic. He is as notorious for killing important people as he is for getting married six times and his break with Rome. Indeed, Henry's reign would make a good comic book, for he was always off on some new half-baked project, be it invading France or plotting a crusade. His whole life was marked by impulsiveness and his "OK, that was fun, what's next?" attitude. He never outgrew many childlike character traits, at times stubborn and the next moment almost a gullible pushover. This childish disposition is the key to why he

Henry V demonstrates his ability to make all of his men feel valued and equal by saying “ If we are mark’d to die, we are now doing our country loss; and if to live , The fewer men, the greater share of honour, which means that he is encouraging them to fight with a stride of pride and if they go down in flames so be it, own that moment. Also i would like to include that Henry V is making each and every one of them feel special by giving them a pep talk. Henry V led by example, situating himself in the middle of fighting, whereas with the French king. He trusted his nobles by leaving them under the leadership of the army.

It might be inferred that Henry was less than impressive as he was clearly insecure. Source two shows Henry seeking to compare favourability with his rival king Francis I of France. He persistently asks the Venetian ambassador

This may be one of the reasons why the reformation was as smooth as it

Throughout the five act in the play King Henry the V, King Henry shows his morality and character through many actions and decisions. King Henry is the most significant characte1r in the play and is known as the protagonist or hero. Henry uses his intelligence and leadership qualities through out the acts and also displays a sense of maturity from his youth days. We are told in the beginning of the play that King Henry used to be very immature, crazy, and not determined as a teenage boy. King Henry is now developed into a successful and hard working king with lots of charisma. Henry has many tough decisions ahead and uses his brilliant mind to do whatever he needs to do to receive the goal. King Henry displays