Shakespeare's Henry V as the ideal conscience-driven monarch

Henry the Fifth and the Ideal of a Monarch

Shakespeare's history plays are based mostly in fact yet have the insertion of beliefs and systems that where truly his own. In Shakespeare's Henry V can be seen a culmination of his goals of monarchical character development. Though the character King Henry does not always closely resemble his slightly more carefree youth, Prince Hal as seen through the story of his father, Henry V has aged into what Shakespeare thought to be the ideal king. (Losey 539) Shakespeare, through Henry V paints a vivid picture of a conscience driven monarch with a heart for life, god and country. Though some criticize the nationalistic romanticism of Henry's depiction the message of literature is meant to both entertain the viewer and make him or her think and Shakespeare clearly has this goal in both history and humor.

Throughout the drama Henry is depicted as very human, capable of mistakes and successes even capable of being entertained by the hollow duties of public ceremony. He possess all the attributes that make a man a good man and above all a monarch a good leader. King Henry is depicted as honorable, pious, dutiful and self-controlled. King Henry was markedly conscionable, "In Shakespeare's history plays, conscience is the nexus where internal self-awareness and external political action, the obligations of obedience and the authority of personal judgment converge. "

Slights)

Of coarse Henry's ultimate mistake is being tricked through the treachery of the Archbishop of Canterbury into engaging in a bloody war with France. As the editor of a 1926 collection of Shakespeare's works states it, "An Archbishop, with almost divine eloquence, but with covert and selfish purpose, urging a conscientious, humane, and Christian King to war; and at the same "mirror of all Christian kings" once resolved on war, setting over against the offence involved in the gift of a few tennis-balls to the lives of thousands of husbands and sons..." (540) Though Shakespeare is clear that the mistake of such a decision is clearly poorly made he gives Henry no real chiding for it. (540) noble English, that could entertain / With half their forces the full pride of France

And let another half stand laughing by,/

All out of work and cold for action!/

Ely. Awake remembrance of these valiant dead,/

And with your puissant arm renew their feats.

You are their heir, you sit upon their throne./

The blood and courage that renowned them/

Runs in your veins.

Dorius 11)

The impassioned pleas of the Archbishop to call Henry to action engulf the extent to which the man went to recruit the King into a scheme to hold up a vote on a bill that would revoke rights and property from the church. Shakespeare's well developed argument that the true villain was not Henry but his advisor does much to redeem his character.

Though the mistake is apparent the honor invoked by the ideas the Archbishop attempt to monopolize on are rooted in the traditional ideal of honor, duty to family and ancestry are a basis for the standard of honor set for Henry.

This internalization of conscience is expressed in a developing sense of nationhood. Henry's ambitions in France, which in the opening scenes are discussed in terms of family lineage and inherited right, by the battle at Agincourt have become a matter of national honor, transcending linguistic and class differences and uniting "a band of brothers" (4.3.60) in a common cause.

Slights)

Though here Slights expresses the idea that these "new" ideals are based on a developing sense of nationhood it is also apparent that the ideals are the basis for character, as seen through Shakespeare.

On the issue of the Kings humanity the depiction of him as noble enough to recognize the falseness of the pomp and circumstance that so guides the life of a monarch is present throughout the work.

The most significant cut is Henry's long soliloquy "Upon the king!" (235-89), where he meditates on "thrice-gorgeous ceremony" as nothing more than a "proud dream." Some readers and audience members find that Henry's questioning of his public role, his recognition of its hollowness and its cost in personal contentment, humanizes him.

Hall 8)

Though Henry is still consistently dutiful his humanity is bridged once again when it becomes clear repeatedly that he feels his greatest duty lies in the duty to his country and when he says country he means those both with wealth, title and property and those without wealth, title and property. Henry finds comfort in discussing the issue of the morality of war with his soldiers but he does so disguised as a simple man so he might hear and feel their true ideas on the subject. He wants full knowledge of his deed without the coloring of the depiction of his honor as king.

King: Even as men wrack'd upon a sand, that look / to be wash'd off the next tide.

Dorius 81-82)

Though it is clear that these men are afraid the rally of the anonymous king was heartfelt. The soldiers went on to face unknown ends the next day on the battlefield and loyalty to the crown was proved with the lives of many men.

Within the time of Shakespeare there has been a noted change in ideals associated with honor. On researcher points out that this shift is apparent throughout most of his historical works but particularly evident within Henry V.

Shakespeare's King Henry the Fifth seems to speak for his whole age in answer to the medieval Christian attitude toward honor when he says to his men before the battle of Agincourt:

By Jove, I am not covetous for gold,

But if it be a sin to covet honour, I am the most offending soul alive."

IV. iii. 24, 28-29)

(Watson 208)

Though this may clearly be a representation of the warrior values and not the whole of society Watson goes on to discuss the idea that attitudes toward the fundamental concepts like honor were melding with a new attention on classic ideals.

In the Renaissance merging of Christian and classical values, Christian values have not maintained the dominant position they held in the Middle Ages. In this speech, honor is being viewed in the Roman manner as the most precious of man's possessions; the medieval Christian attitude is being ignored. This does not mean that King Henry the Fifth ceases to be a Christian monarch; it simply means that he is adhering to a dual system of values.

Watson 208)

It is difficult even with perfect hindsight to completely understand Shakespeare's motive yet it is also clear that even up to this time the warrior mentality had to make certain adjustments to be able to exist within the realm of Christianity. As it was clear through the middle ages that when one was killing another Christian canon had to be severely tweaked in order to justify this even under duty of honor. For this reason and the simple long legacy of the Roman occupation upon even the nether lands of Europe left a certain imprint upon the hearts and minds of men, who's occupation it became to fight.

The piety found within Shakespeare's work, and particularly his historical works is often looked upon as a message of a political nature. Seen as evidence of the shifting away from the Roman Catholic Church and toward the reformation,

In Henry V, what David Kastan calls Henry's "characteristic idiom of moral certainty" (14) suggests the boldness of a regenerate conscience as described by Protestant theologians. But Henry is also specifically a medieval Christian, "a true lover of the holy Church" (1.1.23), according to the Bishop of Ely. (Slights)

One scholar even contributes the idea that Henry not only depicts the changes within the religious politics of the time but also that he himself can be seen evolving through the stages of this change, within his own character.

In the course of the play, Henry moves from a position as a medieval king consulting ecclesiastical authorities on political policy to one as an English Protestant king who recognizes no higher political or religious authority. By portraying this change, Henry V explores the moral and political implications of the emergent Protestant conscience in sixteenth-century England.

(Slights)

As Shakespeare was a sort of spokesman for what we today would think of a mass media it is fairly clear that some of these early thoughts of reformation were evident within his works, yet most of these interpretations are from very recent scholars.

Those more historical researchers that interpreted the religious nature of Henry the Fifth's character paint a much simpler picture of the man as a character. "One cannot fail to be impressed with the close connection of Henry's humanity with his religion. Form and ceremony are not enough. Pardon comes, not from building chantries or singing masses, but from penitence." (Losey 540) Though there can be seen within this statement a reliance upon individual responsibility to faith and God also evident within reformation ideals the concepts Henry portrayed are very internalized and idealized in Shakespeare's rendition of Henry's life and times. "That which binds humanity is not government, but trust. There is no more profound moral lesson to be found in Shakespeare than that conveyed, in Henry's speech condemning Lord Scroop. Scroop's crime of treason is one committed, not merely against the person of his king but against humanity. His fall is "Another fall of man." (540)

Through Shakespeare's historical plays there are countless examples of constancy of ideals within the time of Shakespeare. There is also a very human side to the characters, both noble and common. There are many who interpret these things to be foreshadowing of a more individualistic time to come and this may in part be true. Yet, also true to Shakespeare is complete character development. The character of King Henry the Fifth is not a shallow representation of Shakespeare's ideal of a great king he is a very human representation of a complete man. He is drawn as capable of mistakes and fear, conscience and distress, piety and pity. He is sometimes driven by anger and sometimes by honor just as any man should be.