Henry V See attachment 1300 words See attachment

William Shakespeare: Comedies, Histories, and Poems

Henry V Essay

1300 Words and 5 quotes - MINIMUM

Henry V [1599]: In the past (even up until World War II) it has been often considered a “patriotic” play about England’s destiny and special relationship in “God’s plan”; however, more recently critics have tended to see the play’s portrait of Henry as ambiguous or troubled at best. Shakespeare’s real portrait of Henry may lie somewhere between two extremes: England’s virtuous, conquering hero, bravely leading his men to God-sanctioned victory over French aristocrats. Or, a Machiavellian operator who manipulates his men through rhetoric and other means to accomplish personal glory on the battlefield and an expansion of his power – it is also possible with Shakespeare that Henry combines BOTH extremes into a fully complicated portrait. Write an essay which

1. Addresses this complex issue of Henry’s character

2. Develops some thoughts about how the play might have contributed the formation of a specific identity for England as a unified NATION.

3. Merge these thoughts into a concluding meditation on how Henry’s good and bad leadership AND the against all odds victory at Agincourt may have contributed to Shakespeare’s conception of an English unified nation