Henry V Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Henry V - Essay Example l as an understanding not only of the history of Henry V and how Englishmen generally felt about him but also of the period during which Shakespeare wrote this play reveals that he was entirely sincere in his attempts to honor the man who figures so prominently in the title and the play. The play chronicles the short reign of King Henry V, particularly as it pertains to his campaign in France and victory in Agincourt. This campaign is introduced as a means of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Ely to distract their young king from passing a new bill that would strip the church, and therefore themselves, of a great deal of the riches and lands they’ve been given by noblemen with no sons left to inherit. Henry himself is presented as having completely reformed himself from earlier plays when he used to hang out in low-class bars and is now presented as a towering Christian hero prince. â€Å"Hear him but reason in divinity, / And, all-admiring, with an inward wish, / You would desire the king were made a prelate; / Hear him debate of commonwealth affairs, / You would say it hath been all in his study; / List his discourse of war, and you shall hear / A fearful battle rend’red you in music† (38-44). The bulk of the play takes place as t he King marches his way through France and wins Agincourt as well as his future bride, Catherine of France. One of the claims that Shakespeare was making a parody of King Henry has been based on such speeches as can be found in Act 4, Scene 7 when Fluellen attempts to make a comparison between the King and Alexander the Great, based primarily upon the facts that they were both born in towns that start with the letter M and are both towns that have a river going through it. However, the care that Shakespeare took in writing the play illustrates the importance of the topic to him. â€Å"[Shakespeare] took its serious portions seriously and went beyond the existing theatrical versions of Henry’s career for his