Questions on
Shakespeare’s History Plays
Shakespeare, William. The Life of Henry the Fifth. Folio. (The Norton Shakespeare: Histories, 3rd ed. 790-857.)
ACT 1
1. In the Prologue, what does the Chorus suggest would be the playwright’s and actors’ ultimate wish, if it were possible to grant such a wish? Short of that, what is the Chorus asking theatergoers to do, if they are to make the most of their experience at the present performance of The Life of Henry the Fifth? In what sense might the Chorus be suggesting that the audience should give the spoken words of Shakespeare’s actors the place of honor?
2. In Act 1, Scenes 1-2, the Bishops of Ely and Canterbury have their reasons (money, for the most part) for sending the young Henry off to France. But what specific arguments do they employ to convince him — what is Salic Law, and what do the Bishops say about Henry’s predecessor kings? What attitude toward power might they be said to endorse, at least implicitly?
3. In Act 1, Scene 2, what qualities in the young King Henry are brought to the fore by the Dauphin’s humorous present of “tennis balls” (799, 1.2.259) in place of a serious answer to his claims upon the French throne? What is it about Henry’s past that makes this gesture wickedly appropriate if the giver means to get under his skin? How does he respond to this obvious insult in the presence of his own court?
ACT 2
4. In the Prologue to Act 2, how does the Chorus describe the atmosphere in England as King Henry V and his armies make their preparations to bring war to the French? (They would sail for France on August 12, 1415.) Although the term “honor” is advanced, what ambivalence of motive soon enters the description, extending even to some of England’s great nobles? Finally, how does the Chorus carry forward from its initial observations about the limits of artistic representation?
5. In Act 2, Scene 1, what seems to be Shakespeare’s principle in going back and forth between serious and silly, noble and low, as he begins to do here with the comic scene between Bardolph (from 1 Henry IV ) and the antagonists Pistol and Nym (from 2 Henry IV )? How does the “base” quarreling of the latter two men compare to that of their so-called betters? What do they argue about, and how do they resolve their differences?
6. In Act 2, Scene 2, how does King Henry set forth the moral of the treasonous plot and fall of Richard Earl of Cambridge, Lord Scrope of Masham, and Sir Thomas Grey? Pay particular attention to his comments about Scrope from 806, 2.2.91-140–why is King Henry so distressed to find that this man, in particular, has joined forces with the French and with English traitors to betray him? What sentence does he pronounce against all three traitors?
7. In Act 2, Scene 3, how do King Henry’s former friends Pistol, Bardolph, and Nym see the impending war with France? What’s in it for them? When they learn that Sir John Falstaff has finally died of an illness, how do they deal with his passing and what it means to them? How does the Hostess, Mistress Quickly, describe Sir John’s last hours? What do they apparently believe was the cause of his death?
8. In Act 2, Scene 4, as the King of France (Charles VI, who reigned from 1380-1422, though he was often mentally ill) meets with his son the Dauphin and others to prepare for war with the English, what contrast between the French outlook on war and the English one appears? How does King Henry V’s uncle Exeter, in a message personally delivered to the French King, undercut the expectations and rhetoric of the French noblemen who surround their sovereign? How does King Charles VI respond to Exeter?
ACT 3
9. In the Prologue to Act 3, how does the Chorus describe the air of expectation that buffets England as its fleet makes for the French port city Harfleur? Since the Chorus repeatedly appeals to the imaginative capacity of the audience, how much description does the Chorus give the audience to work with? What level of detail is provided, and what remains to be “filled in” by the audience’s own efforts?
10. What perspectives on war do Act 3, Scenes 1-3, taken together, advance? In responding, first consider the set-piece inspirational speech remarks that King Henry V offers his men: what does he expect of them, and what promise does he make to them if they meet his expectations? Next comment on the interactions between Bardolph and Pistol and Nym; Pistol and Nym and Captain Fluellen; the Boy’s solitary assessment of Pistol, Bardolph, and Nym; and finally the contentious conversation between Captains Fluellen and Macmorris.
11. In Act 3, Scene 4, in front of Harfleur’s gates, King Henry V addresses the city’s leaders in the most threatening manner possible, and succeeds in getting them to surrender. What immediate future does he delineate for them if they do not immediately surrender? What will happen to the town itself and to the civilians living within it? Why, supposedly, won’t Henry be able to stop any of it once it starts, and why won’t he care to stop it should it begin? What the English King is describing are, of course, what we would today call grave “war crimes.” Does the King’s speech seem to be offered as somehow laudable, or is there some context for the audience’s processing of it as something other than just another “heroic” declaration? Either way, explain your view.
12. In Act 3, Scene 5, Princess Katherine de Valois explores with her gentlewoman Alice the significance of the English presence in France for her own life. Why does Katherine approach the matter with so much regard for learning a new language? Why does the Princess’s English lesson quickly turn comic–which words in French and English trouble her, and why? On the whole, what does Katherine’s perspective add to Shakespeare’s representation of the variety of French responses as they deal with the invading English?
13. In Act 3, Scenes 6 and 8, the French nobles gather to argue the business of war. In Scene 6, these include King Charles VI himself, the Dauphin (the French Crown Prince and future King Charles VII), Constable Charles D’Albret, John V Duke of Bretagne; and in Scene 8, the Dauphin with Charles Duke of Orléans together with Lord Rambures. What appears to be the general assessment of the French and English forces among these powerful Frenchmen? How do the respective meetings reflect upon the Dauphin’s character? What does the Constable have against the Dauphin? To what extent does the French King seem effective in managing the war preparations as he does?
14. In Act 3, Scene 7, why does Fluellen evidently fail to discern (at least initially) the rogue Pistol’s true nature even when the rascal tries to get Fluellen to speak up for Bardolph, who has been condemned by Exeter to die for stealing a church ornament? (Consider this question in light of Shakespeare’s perpetual interest in sorting out “seeming” from “being.”) How does King Henry’s insistence on hanging Bardolph serve as a corrective to Fluellen’s flawed perception? How does his response to the French herald Montjoy’s demands also show a proper grasp of leadership and rather surprising degree of honesty in the hearing of an enemy bound to report his words to the opposing King?
ACT 4
15. In the Prologue to Act 4, the Chorus, describing the valiant efforts of the English King to bring cheer to his beleaguered troops, thereby offers the audience “A little touch of Harry in the night” (828, 4.0.47). How does the conclusion of this prologue change in tone to suit the fearful prospects of the battle to come with the well-armed, confident French army? What is the Chorus most regretful about with regard to the soon-to-be-required representation of an historic battle?
16. In Act 4, Scene 1, why does King Henry wander about the camp in disguise on the eve of battle? What does he find out about the way some of his subjects (Williams and Bates) think of their part in the campaign? What argument does Henry use to bring Williams around, and what quarrel nonetheless remains between them? What theory, if any, of kingship emerges from Henry’s observations about the limits of his power, the nature of his accountability, and so forth?
17. In Act 4, Scene 1, when Henry is at last alone, how does he sum up his further thoughts on the nature and responsibilities of kingship? What spiritual burden relating to his father, King Henry IV, will he bring with him into battle, aside from anything to do with current events? What prayer does the son offer regarding this burden?
18. In Act 4, Scenes 2-3, contrast the French noblemen’s high words before battle with what Henry and his English followers say. What assumptions do the French make about the English, and what proves most effective for Henry in lifting the spirits of his men? In responding, consider in particular King Henry’s famous “band of brothers” speech from 836-37, 4.3.18-67: how does the King describe what he sees as the benefits of taking part in the imminent battle for the mostly lower-class soldiers who are about to risk their lives in his cause? What would not participating mean for them?
19. In Act 4, Scene 4, the roguish Pistol manages to capture a Frenchman, whose ransom he accepts, once the Boy translates the offer for him into English. What observations does the Boy offer regarding the fortunes of war in connection to anything like genuine virtue?
20. In Act 4, Scenes 5-7, how much realism do you find in Shakespeare’s representation of the Battle of Agincourt and the views characters take concerning war? Among other things, what shocking decision does King Henry make at the end of Scene 6, and why? Is there some irony in the way the English (and the Welshman Captain Fluellen in particular since at the outset of 4.7 he emphasizes “the law of arms”) react to Scene 7’s awful news that the boys and invalids protecting the English camp supplies have been slaughtered by the French? Explain.
21. In Act 4, Scenes 7-8, how is the quarrel settled between King Henry and the soldier Williams that started in Act 4, Scene 1? What moral or honor-based principle does this settlement reaffirm? Also in Scene 8, what report comes to King Henry V regarding the number of French and English dead? How does Henry explain this stunning and unlikely victory?
ACT 5
22. In the Prologue to Act 5, the Chorus informs us that a number of years after the hostilities in 1415, King Henry V has returned to France for more fighting. In Act 5, Scene 1, what lesson about respect does Fluellen teach Pistol when the two meet? What was the cause of this quarrel, and how does it turn out? What does Pistol plan to do now that the war is over and he has been humiliated? In what sense does this scene counterbalance the heroics of previous scenes chronicling King Henry’s glorious victory over an enemy that greatly outnumbered his forces?
23. Act 5, Scene 2, what strategy does King Henry employ to win Princess Katherine’s heart and her assent to the marriage that will make him heir to the French throne? What objections does Katherine make to the match, and how does Henry deal with them?
24. Critics have long argued both sides of an obvious issue regarding Shakespeare’s play Henry V: is the play’s representation of Henry as a great king and a national hero pro-English and pro-war to the point of uncritical jingoism (a “jingo” is someone who is too quick to call for war over national prestige or some similar issue)? Or should we say that Shakespeare is offering his audiences a representation of war and belief in national glory that instead sows seeds of criticism against such phenomena and values? Or do you find this “either/or” argument somehow doesn’t capture the true quality of the play? Explain your view.
Edition. Greenblatt, Stephen et al., editors. The Norton Shakespeare: Histories + Digital Edition. 3rd ed. W. W. Norton, 2016. ISBN-13: 978-0-393-93859-3.
Copyright © 2012, revised 2024 Alfred J. Drake