Henry V: Noble Hero or Devious Brute? (Shakespeare)

             The above title questions King Henry's alleged double-personality, which is obviously one of the key factors of his character in Shakespeare's famous play, "King Henry V". The text sugests two different sides to Henry, which are both revealed near the beginning of the play in Acts One and Two. Shakespeare gives us the impression that Henry has two faces; a public face and a private face- both of which will be explored in this essay.
             At the very start of the play, the Chorus enter the scene with the prologue. It begins abruptly with,
             The expression at the beginning of this sentence should immediately attract the audience's attention and give an instant sense of excitement. The effect of using such a quick, abrupt word at the beginning of 'King Henry V" also gives us a clear impression of power and mightiness, which may be a reflection of Henry's character later in the text. Henry's character is also compared to the Roman God of War, Mars. If Henry possessed any of this War God's typical traits, it would make him seem more brutal because of the horrific, violent nature of war itself.
             The first time we see Henry is in Act One, Scene Two. He is with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Ely, who are both trying to persuade him to declare war on France. Throughout this whole scene, Henry remains calm and seems a very levelheaded character, giving the audience the impression that he is a very noble, worthy King. This might surprise the audience because after hearing the Chorus' prologue, they might have expected Henry to be a very harsh, demanding and extremely powerful man. The fact that Henry is forced into declaring war makes him seem less brutal, which may contradict some of the audience's assumptions about his character.
             In Act Two, Scene Two, Henry meets with the three traitors, Cambridge, Gray and Scroop. In the play, they act as conspirators with France against King Henry, but what
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Henry V: Noble Hero or Devious Brute? (Shakespeare). (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 07:48, April 25, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/26535.html