Henry V – How does Shakespeare show the qualities of kingship

The play Henry V was written in the reign of Elizabeth the 1st.

This was a time when the Spanish Armada was taking place and Mary Queen of Scots was probably plotting and scheming away on how she could get rid of Elizabeth and to take the throne. This was a perfect opportunity for Shakespeare to step up and to produce a morale-boosting and confidence-reclaiming play- Henry VPeople of that time were quite aware of Henry V and heir opinion of him was a sanguine one. They knew of his feats and how his status was quite a high one. Shakespeare couldn't have chosen this play to be released and performed at a better time.What makes a great king? Is it the fact that he is pious and religious, so that his people have a good example of a leader by relating with religion? Or does he have to be strategic and have situations such as country matters under control and to also have the upper-hand in wars and battles.

This is actually just a brief description of Henry. He was all of the above but the bit about him that separated him from other leaders in the past was the fact that he was altruistic and humane.In his younger days when he was acknowledged as 'Hal' he stuck around with the bad lot and watched them make trouble but made sure to not get too involved. He didn't get into trouble but actually gained experience of what it was like to live as a normal human being.

It was from here that he learnt how different types of people react in different ways and was the main factor of most of his speeches in which an audience was present.'If we are marked to die, we are enowTo do our country loss; and if to live' (lines 20-21)This is one of the most famous lines in the play. It shows Shakespeare portraying Henry as a monarch ready to give up his existence for his country. This shows the sacrifices he is willing to make and to even become a martyr due to this all in the aid of the country, and the love he possesses for it. It shows a true sense of submission to his nation which makes him an even more admirable king and a very good attribute for a king to have.'The fewer men the greater share of honour' (line 22)Henry in this piece of the speech can turn a negative factor, such as the fact that they do not have many men, into an optimistic one by saying the honour is going to be greater.

A main factor which assisted the depression of his men has now been removed from their mind as a bad factor and has made them see light at the end of this tunnel. For this to be done it requires an intelligent person and someone who has got great literary skills. Intelligence because of the manner it was transformed from bad to good and the literary skills because of the way it was put forward and how it could receive the maximum impact of thought from it.Honour in that period of time was considered as something very high and admiration was obtained from it. It could separate you from an ordinary person and was the only a person who wasn't that rich could get respect and rise up the in the ranks.

'That he which hath no stomach to this fight,Let him depart; his passport shall be made' (Lines 35-36)Though this is a risk and his men could very well leave due to this comment, King Henry is very sure that they will be doing no such thing. This is because what he has done is take a calculated risk. He is aware that no one has the guts to leave as too much pride is at stake. They have also bee informed of the bounties that are sure to follow this war if all goes well. This is more like a test for who has the most determination to avoid a way out of this death- trap. The reason why they do not hesitate in taking the offer is due to the psychological manner Henry has talked to them and has made them already sense victory.

'Then he will strip his sleeve and show his scars,And say 'These wounds I had on Crispin's day'. (Lines 47-48)Henry is filling his men's minds with flamboyant images of the future ahead of them and really boosts their self-esteem. He gives them an image of them doing an act of boastfulness which would make them happy about the fact that they have something very rare that not much others have -the fact that they participated in Saint Crispin's day. Furthermore Henry says'...

Then shall our names,Familiar in his mouth as household words' (Lines 51-52)This is again another happy image that Henry places in their minds. To have your name uttered when making toasts all around the houses of England was a very hard thing to get and to get to that point they have to be of great status. He says participating in this war will automatically get you to that desired status.'For he today that sheds blood with meShall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile' (Lines 61-62)This is the final thing that Henry V does to try to make definite that his men are going to take part in the war. He says to them that whosoever accompanies him in battle will have the reward of being his brother. This is like the icing on the cake for the men after already being hypnotised with prospects of what the future may hold.

This reward is definite as they know there is a very high chance that blood will be shed so there is a very high chance of getting that reward.Shakespeare has portrayed Henry as the almost perfect king with a very long list of qualities. This was exactly what the people of Elizabethan times needed and is still performed when wars are happening in this modern era. I think the most effective qualities that Henry has is that he is very strong-willed and the fact he can change the minds of people who have their hearts set on something contrary is very nicely exposed by Shakespeare.