The Function of the Chorus in Henry V Essay

Henry’s use of allusion was a sign of imagery as he refers to common stories and their end results. “… listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts…” (The Odyssey

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

Paragraph 1 - the tone of the speech was confident, persuasive, passionate, and urgent. The purpose of the speech was to the Virginia Convention. Some examples of antithesis is “give me liberty or give me death” (Henry p6) - parallel of liberty and death emphasizes difference and the other one is “there is no retreat but in submission and slavery.” Henry appeal the audience with Emotional appeals (pathos). Henry makes an appeal to ethos by making God seem more important than the earthly kings, as character and authority prevail over just authority. Although Patrick Henry emphasizes that he is patriotic towards Britain, he has a different view on how to handle the conflict with them. He does not immediately discredit the views of the audience but attempts to show them a different viewpoint. He references the Bible saying, "Different men often see the same subject in different lights." He uses the word "light" to show his view is aligned with God's purpose. “An act of disloyalty towards the majesty of heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings” Henry juxtaposes God with the earthly kings. The diction that he uses shows the authority of God over a king (King George III). The word majesty is related with splendor and quality of God. Paragraph 2 - Henry begins the second paragraph of his speech discussing the illusion of hope. Henry is trying to accomplish by saying “It is natural to man to indulge in the

Throughout the entire speech, he creates emotion that affects the audience. He created emotion throughout the speech by using other rhetorical strategies, such as repetition, imagery, rhetorical questions, and allusions. By using repetition, he made the audience feel some guilt. In the repetition “Let us not, I beseech you, sir, deceive ourselves” creates the guilt-feeling towards the audience, because if Henry were right about Great Britain, then the audience would be in fault for not going to war with Great Britain. By using imagery, the images of an “insidious smile”, “delusive phantoms of hope”, and slavery and chains, creates an unpleasant image to the mind making the audience feel angry, empty, and fearful. Henry uses many rhetorical questions. The use of the rhetorical questions is a question that can only be answered with one right answer. This is because the question being asked is the truth. Sometimes the truth can be hard to hear and accept. As Henry asks these questions, “But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction?” he evokes fear towards the audience and perhaps anger. He also uses biblical allusions in the speech. He does this to create some credibility but also to provoke some trust from the audience. When Henry mentions God or the biblical allusion it comforted or delighted the audience to know that God is a role in his speech. Although Henry uses repetition, imagery, rhetorical questions, and allusions, he incorporated emotion to those three other rhetorical strategies used.

When Henry first starts his speech he first employs ethos by creating a respectful tone toward his delegates by using a litote in the very beginning in order to illustrate his respect for the delegates: “But different men often see the same subject in different lights; and, therefore, I hope it will not be thought disrespectful to those gentlemen if, entertaining as I do of opinions of a character very opposite to theirs, I shall speak forth my sentiments freely, and without reserve.” Henry uses this litote to negate the negative and make it into a positive meaning so he can effectively convey ethos since he directs that, his thoughts may differ from their own ideals but Henry uses this as a respectable tone to draw in the delegates in toward him and let them consider what he has to say. Not only that, but Henry uses religious ideals and God, to strengthen his credibility (ethos) and to persuade that the british are full of sinister intent and against god by using a metaphor and then a allusion. First he utilizes the metaphor where he compares the simle to a trap “Is that insidious simile...will it prove a snare to your feet.” This displays the unloyalty of the British toward their people. Then he uses the allusion to demonstrate that the British are wicked by comparing them to

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.

What is evident on reading and listening to the play is that the chorus is a key character within the play with a number of functions, namely linking the narrative, introducing the historical perspective, action as a “devil’s advocate”/advisor to many of the characters and also serving as the voice of the city. It is clear that without the Chorus the play would have been quite unstructured and not had as much context within it. The chorus gave insightful historical and mythical

Patrick Henry Patrick Henry was a great patriot. He never used his fists or guns to fight

He doesn’t instantly disgrace the opinions of the audience but tries to show them another viewpoint. Henry uses his religious beliefs to better influence to audience. He alludes to the Bible by saying, “different men often see the same subject in different lights.” He utilizes the word “light” to convey that his point of view is in position with God’s desires. “Listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts” refers to the Odyssey by metaphorically suggesting the relation between the false hope the British are bestowing upon the colonists and the mythical allusion of Circe and how she attracted men to her island with false hope and then turning them into pigs.

“Give me liberty or give me death!”, Patrick Henry shouts to those attending the Virginia Convention in 1775. This “Speech to the Virginia Convention”, given one year before the colonies declared war on Great Britain, was an attempt by Henry to inspire the colonists to rebel against the oppressive rule of England and fight to save their freedom. Patrick Henry persuades the Convention to wage war against the British through his use of rhetorical questions and allusions.

One of the Founding Fathers of the United States, an orator, and a revolutionary leader, Patrick Henry, in his “Speech of the Virginia Convention,” engages the Virginia delegates into the war of England explaining that the longer they waited to take action, the harder it would be to win. Henry’s purpose is to convince the Virginia House of Burgesses to send their troops to aid the cause of the Revolutionary war and to also fight for independence. He adopts a passionate and dramatic tone in order to appeal to the emotions of the people of Virginia.

Devices used in public persuasion have been used in politics for as long as politics have been alive, some of which will be explored in rhetoric. Rhetoric being different compositional techniques for persuasive speaking or writing, which idea is to have an impressive effect on its audience. There are three main rhetorical devices that I’ve noticed in speeches/ writing: allusions, metaphors, and parallelism. Patrick Henry was an exceptional example of a historical revolutionary figure using rhetorical figures in his most popular speech, “Liberty or Death”. I will be exploring his and others uses of allusions, metaphors, and parallelism as I go on.

Henry asks his audience, “Ask yourselves how this gracious reception of our petition comports with those warlike preparations which cover our waters and darken our land. Are fleets and armies necessary to a work of love and reconciliation?” Henry tells spectators to ask themselves if their graceful appeals call for preparations that seem like they’re going to go to war. Henry also asks his audience why Britain has fleets and armies ready if they say they don’t want war. This makes attendants of the convention really think about Britain and what they really mean based upon their actions and not their words. Following, Henry uses parallelism, repetition, and pathos to give his spectators reasons for why they should take more rigorous measures towards Britain. Henry mentions, “We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before the throne, and have implored its interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and Parliament.” Patrick Henry lists the strategies they have used to ask King George to stop the tyrants of the ministry and Parliament, but have not been listened to. This gives his spectators reasons for why they should stop their peaceful behests and prepare for war. In addition, through the use of logos, Henry proves to the crowd

King Henry V also touched on a subject very pertinent to many people of that time: God. In many instances, he places God before all else. In Act 1, scene 2, England receives a message from France in the form of tennis balls. This is when he decides to make war with France final. He tells his lords: