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A comprehensive guide for teachers and students to better understand Shakespeare's Henry V. It includes information on the historical context, characters, sources, and prereading activities. The guide offers various approaches to studying the play, such as analyzing language, creating visual diagrams, and freewriting. It also suggests film versions and essay topics.
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William Shakespeare’s Henry V offers challenges and rewards to those teaching the play at the high school and college levels. The benefits of studying the play are many. It has a straightforward narrative that can be easily followed by students, and it demonstrates majesty of language in Henry’s famous speeches at Harfleur and Agincourt. Its themes include coming of age, justice and mercy, appearance vs. reality, leadership, and the comradery of men in arms. Shakespeare’s depiction of Henry as an ideal Christian king is instructive as to the nature of a good king, yet it is complex enough to allow a variety of questions to be raised about Henry’s real character. Also, since the play covers significant events in England’s history, it can be integrated with the study of European history. In addition, popular film versions are available to allow students to see the play and to study the variety of interpretations of directors and actors.
The challenges of teaching the play include its historical context and references to Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2. Students need to be able to read the play with a sense of the history of the Hundred Years War and the War of the Roses. In addition, although the text is ripe for the inclusion of dramatic action when it is filmed or staged, the text itself only sparingly shows this action, and we learn of it instead through the words of the characters. Also, as is true for all of Shakespeare’s plays, the idiom of 17th century English poses difficulties for modern students.
A goal in this teaching guide is to facilitate the teaching of Henry V by pointing to strategies and resources which can lead students to overcome its challenges and appreciate its beauties. The background material in the Signet Classic edition enables students to bring a broader comprehension to the play. The Overview of Shakespeare’s life and work, the Introduction to Henry V, the Sources of Henry V, especially the Holinshed Chronicles, and the critical material offer ample provision for students (and teachers) to round out their reading and appreciation of the play. In addition to the features of this text, there are many relevant Internet resources as well as strategies and activities that can be used before, during, and after reading this play that have been included in this guide. Teachers should choose the activities which best meet students’ needs and interests.
English French King Henry the Fifth Charles the Sixth, King of France Lewis, the Dauphin Isabel, Queen Katherine, Princess
King Henry the Fifth Churchmen who serve as advisors: Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Ely Brothers and kinsmen of the king: Dukes of Gloucester and Bedford (brothers), Duke of Exeter (uncle), Duke of York (cousin) Nobles in the service of the king: Earls of Salisbury, Westmoreland, and Warwick Traitors against the king: Richard Earl of Cambridge; Henry Lord Scroop of Masham, and Sir Thomas Grey
English Army Officers: Gower, Captains Fluellen, Macmorris, and Jamy Soldiers: John Bates, Alexander Court, Michael Williams Former Companions during Henry’s youth: Pistol, Nym, and Bardolph (with Falstaff who is sick and whose death is reported) Wife of Pistol: Hostess Quickly of an Eastcheap tavern
Charles the Sixth His son: Lewis, the Dauphin His daughter, Katherine His wife, Isabel Nobles in the service of the French king: Dukes of Burgundy, Orleans, Bourbon, and Bretagne The Constable of France
will learn from this example. Henry turns their words back on them when they beg mercy and laments that their treason will now make him distrust all appearances of goodness. They confess and beg pardon, saying they are glad that their treason has been revealed and Henry saved. He sees this event as a sign that God is on the English side in the coming war.
Falstaff ’s friends relive his dying moments in which he blamed himself for his many vices. Then they decide that they, "Yokefellows in arms," want to join the fight. Pistol’s real motive is to get the spoils of war.
The French, meanwhile, prepare their border cities to meet the enemy. The Dauphin thinks this is prudent, but he does not believe Henry, who was such a dissolute youth, poses any threat. The Constable warns that he is wrong. Ambassadors from Henry produce his pedigree and demand that the French king give Henry what rightfully belongs to him. They also bring Henry’s promise of revenge against the Dauphin.
Once again the Chorus urges the audience to use their imaginations to see Henry’s fleet depart from England and lay siege to the town of Harfleur. Henry has rejected the French king’s offer to end the war in exchange for his daughter Katherine, her dowry, and several small dukedoms.
Henry urges his soldiers to fight, saying now is the time for courage, a fierce countenance, and a steady will. They will show what they are made of and make their ancestors proud. Henry’s idealistic speech is undercut in the next scene when Bardolph, Nym, Pistol, and Falstaff ’s Boy show their cowardice. Nym whines that he doesn’t have a set of lives to spare; the Boy wishes he were in an alehouse in London; and Pistol agrees that battles come and go and it’s better to live than die. The Boy knows them for what they are—all talk and no action. What’s more they will steal anything, and they want the Boy to work for them as a pickpocket.
Three British captains argue about the best way to wage war. Captain Macmorris, an Irishman, is in charge of soldiers digging under the walls and considers it a bad business. But Fluellen questions his knowledge of warfare and turns to the Scot captain Jamy to back him up. Macmorris considers it an inappropriate time for talk when the battle is raging around them. When the town sounds a parley, Fluellen gets in the last word, saying he knows the "disciplines of war."
Henry asks for the decision of the town’s governor, warning that this is the last time for talk. If the battle resumes, it will not stop until Harfleur is totally destroyed and the town will bring upon itself terrible destruction. While he has control of the soldiers, he can promise mercy, but once the battle begins he will not be able to rein in the soldiers. The governor decides to yield the town since they can expect no help from the French armies. Exeter is charged by the king to fortify Harfleur while Henry goes to Calais for the winter to give his sick army time to heal.
The next scenes switch to the French palace in Rouen. In a playful and somewhat bawdy scene Katherine practices English with her gentlewoman, going through the parts of the body. Some of the English words, when pronounced by a French speaker, sound like indecent words to Katherine. On a more serious note, the King, Dauphin, and nobles receive news that Henry has crossed the Somme river. They now vow to fight the English and show French courage. The king urges all the nobles to go to battle, to capture Henry in Rouen and demand a ransom. Constable is sure that Henry, whose army is sick and famished, will give up as soon as he sees the strength of the French army.
In the English camp, Fluellen has just come from the battle at the bridge over the Ternoise and tells Gower that he saw a common man, named Pistol, acting in a most brave and valiant manner. Fluellen is fooled by Pistol’s brave words into thinking that he is a hero. Pistol urges Fluellen to secure a pardon for Bardolph who robbed a church and is going to be executed. When Fluellen insists that discipline is important to an army, Pistol insults him. Gower recognizes Pistol, calling him "a gull, a fool, a rogue" who goes to battle only to be able to brag afterwards.
The king enters and questions Fluellen about the battle at the bridge. Fluellen says that the English have been successful, and the only man they will lose is Bardolph, who will be executed for stealing. Even though the king knows Bardolph from his youthful days, he only says that this is the right thing to do: "We would have all such offenders so cut off."
The French Herald now addresses Henry, demanding ransom for the damages Henry has inflicted on the French people. Henry says his only ransom is his own body. He would prefer not to fight the French at this time as his army is weak and sickly, but if the French will not allow his armies to pass on to Calais, then they are prepared to battle. The French, confident of their superior numbers and strength, prepare for the battle. The night seems too long as they anticipate the
glory they will achieve in war. Constable realizes that there is more talk than substance in what they say. The Dauphin enjoys talking about his bravery, but has no deeds to give substance to his words.
The Chorus again invites the audience to imagine how, during this night of watching, the armies are encamped, almost side by side. The French bet on their advantage in war, and the English sit fearfully, considering their danger. Now Henry, with a cheerful face and kind words, visits his soldiers to encourage and rally them.
From the start of the Battle at Agincourt, Henry recognizes that the English army is in grave danger yet believes it is an occasion for great courage. He wanders around the camp, disguised in a cloak, and meets different soldiers. First he is accosted by Pistol. Henry says he is a Welshman, and Pistol questions if he knows Fluellen and then insults them both. Next Henry overhears Fluellen telling Gower not to speak as loudly as the enemy but to conduct himself soberly. Then Henry meets three soldiers, John Bates, Alexander Court, and Michael Williams, who wonder if the king feels their fears. They do not judge the honor of the king’s cause; their responsibility ends with their obedience. They do not trust the king’s words. Henry argues that the king has fears like their own. Soldiers are responsible for their own sins and cannot put their guilt on the king. Also he believes that the king will live up to his word and not allow a ransom. The argument gets heated, and Henry and Williams exchange gloves so they will know each other to continue the quarrel after the battle. After the soldiers leave, Henry describes the awesome responsibility of the king. He never has the peace of the meanest slave who can rest without worry about the welfare of his country. Henry prays for his soldiers and begs forgiveness for the sin of his father who took the crown from Richard II.
At the rising of the sun, the French mount for battle. They believe the English will give up as soon as they see their great numbers. In the English camp, the nobles fear their disadvantage, but Henry urges them to consider how much more glory will come to them in the face of such overwhelming odds. This day, the Feast of Crispian, will be remembered for all time as a day of great honor.
Just as the battle is about to begin, the French Herald returns to see if Henry has changed his mind and will make terms for his ransom. Henry answers that they must kill him first and then they can sell his bones. He warns that even the English dead can still do harm to the French because their decaying bodies will breed contagion that will overrun the land.
Four different scenes show the course of the battle. Pistol takes a French noble prisoner, counting on a substantial ransom. The French nobles are confounded at their failure in the battle and commend themselves to die honorably rather than live as slaves. Henry asks after his uncle, the Duke of York, and learns that he and the Earl of Suffolk have both died. The French are regrouping and Henry orders that all prisoners be killed. In another part of the field, Fluellen wonders at Henry’s order and compares him to Alexander the Great who killed his best friend. Henry had turned away from Falstaff and caused his death. Henry enters with officers and prisoners, warning that all will be killed unless the French continue to fight or leave the field. The Herald arrives to concede the battle to the English and beg leave to pick up the wounded and dead. Henry rejoices; this is a day that will be remembered for all time.
Henry now sets Fluellen against Williams. Fluellen wears Henry’s glove, and soon Williams and Fluellen are fighting. Henry accosts Williams who claims that he meant no harm to the king as he did not know him. Henry rewards the soldier’s courage.
The dead and prisoners are tallied. Realizing that few English were killed in the battle, Henry proclaims the hand of God in the outcome.
The Chorus outlines the triumphant return of Henry to England and his travel to France to complete negotiations. In the spirit of all things being reordered, Pistol gets his due. Fluellen, insulted once too often by Pistol, decides to pay him back. He forces Pistol to eat a leek, a symbol of Welsh pride.
Meanwhile, Henry and his lords arrive at the French palace to negotiate the peace. The Duke of Burgundy has arranged this meeting in hope that peace will prevail and restore the kingdom. Henry sends his lords to the discussion, giving them the right to ratify a treaty while he talks to Katherine, whom he has chosen as the "capital demand."
Left alone, Henry speaks to Katherine of his love. He is a "plain soldier" and cannot speak or act like a romantic lover,
____ ____ 11. The long bow proved to be an effective weapon against armored cavalry.
____ ____ 12. One defense against cavalry charges in the Middle Ages was to put sharpened stakes in the ground.
____ ____ 13. During battle in the Middle Ages, men banded together as brothers, and the distinctions between nobility and commoners was forgotten.
Students will have a better understanding of this play if they are familiar with the history of the succession to the throne of England during this period. Just before the battle of Agincourt, Henry prays that God will not hold him accountable for his father’s fault "in encompassing the crown" (IV, i, 299). This single reference regarding the legitimacy of his father’s claim and therefore his own succession to the throne shows that Shakespeare does not emphasize this issue in this play as he does in other history plays. However, it is helpful for students to understand this reference in order to better appreciate the statement by the Chorus in the Epilogue that during the reign of Henry VI so many rulers mismanaged the state that “they lost France and made his England bleed" (12-13).
A clear and succinct summary of British succession issues can be found in an essay, "A Brief Note on the Historical Background to Shakespeare’s First and Second History Cycles" by Ian Johnston (http://www.mala.bc.ca/~johnstoi/eng366/roses.htm). Johnston outlines how Henry IV denied the claim to succession made by Edmund Mortimer, the husband of his cousin Phillipa. Since Phillipa was the daughter of the third son of King Edward III and Henry IV was the son of the fourth son of Edward III, Mortimer claimed rightful succession and rebelled against Henry IV. Thus Henry V’s legitimacy as king was also in question. However, Henry V was able to unite the country during his brief reign by executing the leaders among his enemies at home and conducting victorious military campaigns in France. Henry V died of an illness during one of his campaigns, and his infant son inherited the crown as Henry VI. While Henry VI was king, the old rivalries revived, and after a return to civil war (the War of the Roses), Henry VI and his son, Edward Prince of Wales, were killed. The victorious but ill Edward IV ascended to the throne. He claimed inheritance through the line of the Mortimers and also through the line of Richard, Duke of York and grandson of the fifth son of King Edward III.
The history in Henry V is treated in detail in Shakespeare’s Henry VI, Parts 1, 2, and 3. Shakespeare’s Richard III then describes how Richard III took the throne after his brother Edward IV died. According to Shakespeare (though disputed by scholars), Richard III had Edward’s two young sons and his brother Clarence killed so that he could become king. Thus Shakespeare provides justification for Henry Tudor’s invasion of England to defeat the villainous Richard III at Bosworth Field in 1485 and become King Henry VII. Henry Tudor’s shaky claim of legitimacy to the throne was based on succession from Henry V (his grandmother was Katherine, the widow of Henry V, who later married Owen Tudor). To further seal his legitimacy, Henry VII married Elizabeth, the daughter of Edward IV. By this act, he united the warring families and established the line of succession of Shakespeare’s monarch, Queen Elizabeth I.
Ask students individually or in pairs to choose one of the topics listed below and study the corresponding internet site. Prepare a 3-5 minute presentation with visuals. In order to ensure the attention of the class to these reports, provide review questions that may appear in subsequent quizzes.
Historical Background Information:
Biographies of Henry IV, Henry V http://britannia.com/history/h6f.html
Description of the Siege of Harfleur and the Battle of Agincourt (with diagram of battle lines) http://www.familychronicle.com/agincort.htm
Other descriptions of the Battle of Agincourt http://www.paladins-of-chivalry.org.uk/azincourt.htm http://web.raex.com/~agincort/gag.html
Brief history of the Hundred Years War between England and France (1337-1453) http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/history/A0824538.html
[Note: It is usually helpful to give students a rubric for your evaluation of their presentations, including such factors as clarity, interest, use of visuals, and relevance of the information presented.]
Prereading Activities:
Encyclopedia Britannica’s Shakespeare and the Globe: Then and Now http://shakespeare.eb.com/shakespeare/index2.html
A description of the history of the Globe theater and an animated tour of the Globe. http://shakespeare.eb.com/shakespeare/ind_globe.html
Biography of Shakespeare http://shakespeare.eb.com/shakespeare/macro/5009/50.html
The Elizabethan Context including politics, arts, religion http://shakespeare.eb.com/shakespeare/ind_eliz.html
Although the English of Shakespeare is considered modern, it still varies from our contemporary idiom, presenting difficulties to students.
These activities are designed to elicit students’ initial responses and lead to analysis of the themes and ideas explored in the prereading activities.
From the beginning of their reading, students will have initial impressions about the play and need time to clarify their responses based on personal experience and understanding of what they have read. Reader response writing uses open- ended and divergent questions to encourage personal, subjective responses. Here are some open-ended questions you can pose for student response: How do you feel about Henry? What images come to mind as you think about a particular scene? What is the most important line in a scene and why? Another approach to reader response writing is
to have students choose quotations. Write freely for three to five minutes about ideas the quotation brings to mind. Share responses in pairs or small groups and with the class.
The following quotations may lead to rich response:
Drama promotes and encourages students’ imagination, ability to make connections to everyday experiences, communication and public speaking skills. However, students are often uncomfortable when asked to act out a scene and are hesitant to vary pitch, use gestures or move about the classroom.
Dramatic presentation skills can be taught just like reading, writing and listening skills. Students need to be eased into dramatic presentations and should start with small scenes and limited action. Students will gain confidence, enabling them to risk more detailed dramatic presentations. Following is a list of strategies to use to develop students’ speaking and acting skills:
Canterbury: "The breath no sooner left his father’s body But that his wildness mortified in him Seemed to die too ..." (I, i, 25-27) (Right after his father died, he ended his wild behavior.)
Henry: "Now are we well resolved, and by God’s help And yours, the noble sinews of our power, France being ours, we’ll bend it to our awe, Or break it all to pieces." (I, ii, 222-225) (Because I have a just claim, I have decided to force France to recognize me as king, or else I will destroy the country, with God’s help.)
Act II, i, 1-80 with Nym, Bardolph, Pistol, and the hostess Act II, iii, 1-63 with Nym, Bardolph, Pistol, boy, and the hostess Act III, i, 1-34 with Henry and his soldiers Act III, ii, 1-27 with Nym, Bardolph, Pistol, boy, and Fluellen Act III, vii, 1-76 with Constable, Orleans, Dauphin Act IV, iii, 68-133 with Henry, Salisbury, Montjoy, and York Act IV, v, 1-24 with Constable, Orleans, Bourbon, and Dauphin Act V, i, 1-92 with Fluellen and Pistol
Students’ personal responses to the play can deepen through small group and class discussion. The goal of discussion is to help students make connections between the characters and what they suggest about Shakespeare’s overall ideas about human social and political behaviors. The following questions will help students explore character, action, and theme more fully.
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/shepherd/france_1453_shepherd.jpg.
A 1930 reading of the "Once more unto the breach" speech (III, i, 1) http://shakespeare.eb.com/shakespeare/ind_av.html
A video of Henry’s St. Crispian’s Day speech delivered by Sir Laurence Olivier (IV, iii, 40) http://shakespeare.eb.com/shakespeare/ind_av.html
Freewrite about the actor’s delivery. How did the acting affect your reaction to the the speeches? Using these models, prepare and act out your own staging and delivery of one of these speeches.
Henry V, 1944, directed by Sir Laurence Olivier and Reginald Beck (PRODUCER: Sir Laurence Olivier, Filippo Del Giudice; SCREENPLAY: Alan Dent, Laurence Olivier; STUDIO: Rank; VIDEO: Paramount; RUNNING TIME: 127 mm.)
Henry V, 1989, directed by Kenneth Branagh (PRODUCER: Bruce Sharman; SCREENPLAY: Kenneth Branagh; STUDIO: Curzon/Renaissance; VIDEO: Fox; RUNNING TIME: 138 mm).
[Note: Small groups can view both films, or the class can be divided with each half viewing one film.]
Chamber, Aidan. Postcards from No Man’s Land. Bodley Head, 1999. (WWII)
Crane, Steven. Red Badge of Courage. (Civil War)
Foote, Shelby. Shiloh. Vintage, 1991. (Civil War)
Mazer, Harry. The Last Mission. Dell, 1990. (WWII)
Myers, Walter Dean. Fallen Angels. Scholastic, 1989. (Vietnam War)
O’Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. Penguin, 1991. (Vietnam War)
Paulsen, Gary. Soldier’s Heart. Delacorte, 1998. (Civil War)
Remarque, Erich Maria. All Quiet on the Western Front. (WWI)
White, Ellen Emerson. The Road Home. Scholastic, 1995. (Vietnam War)
Daniels, Harvey. Literature Circles: Voice and Choice in the Student-Centered Classroom. Stenhouse Publishers, 1994.
Teacher’s Guides to Signet Classic Editions on the Web: http://www.penguinputnam.com/academic
W. GEIGER ELLIS, Professor Emeritus, University of Georgia, received his A.B. and M.Ed. degrees from the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) and his Ed.D. from the University of Virginia. His teaching focused on adolescent literature, having introduced the first courses on the subject at both the University of Virginia and the University of Georgia. He developed and edited The ALAN Review.
ARTHEA (CHARLIE) REED, PH.D. is currently a long-term care specialist with Northwestern Mutual Financial Network and senior partner of Long-Term Care and Associates. From 1978 to 1996 she was a professor of education and chairperson of the Education Department at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. She is the author or co-author of 15 books in the fields of adolescent literature, foundations of education, and methods of teaching. She was the editor of The ALAN Review for six years and president of the Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the National Council of Teachers of English (ALAN). She is currently co-authoring the 5th edition of A Guide to Observation, Participation, and Reflection in the Classroom (McGraw-Hill 2004). She has taught almost every grade from second grade through doctoral candidates. She lives in Asheville, North Carolina with her husband Don, two dogs, and a cat.
Visit the Penguin Group (USA) web site at www.penguin.com to browse all Signet Classic paperback editions and www.penguin.com/scessay for information about the Annual Signet Classic Scholarship Essay Contest
Animal Farm • Anthem • Beloved • Beowulf • The Call of the Wild • Cannery Row • City of God • The Country of the Pointed Firs and Other Stories • The Crucible • Death of a Salesman • Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde • Dubliners • Ethan Frome • The Fountainhead • Girl in Hyacinth Blue • The Grapes of Wrath • A Journey to the Center of the Earth • The Jungle • The Life of Ivan Denisovich • Looking Backward • Lysistrata • Main Street • Of Mice and Men • The Mousetrap and Other Plays • A Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave • Nectar in a Sieve • 1984 • The Odyssey • The Passion of Artemisia • The Pearl • Persuasion • The Prince and the Pauper • A Raisin in the Sun • The Red Pony • Redwall • The Scarlet Letter • The Scarlet Pimpernel • Silas Marner • A Tale of Two Cities • The Time Machine • Up from Slavery • The Women of Brewster Place • Wuthering Heights
TEACHER’S GUIDES FOR THE SIGNET CLASSIC SHAKESPEARE SERIES Antony and Cleopatra • As You Like It • Hamlet • Henry V • Julius Caesar • King Lear • Macbeth • Measure for Measure • A Midsummer Night’s Dream • Much Ado About Nothing • Othello • Richard III • Romeo and Juliet • The Taming of the Shrew • The Tempest • Twelfth Night
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