Henry V By William Shakespeare.

¶ … Henry V by William Shakespeare. Specifically it will discuss the various meanings of the word war and how Shakespeare uses it throughout the play. War, of course, is an important, even vital word in this play, because so much of the play revolves around war and the results of war. The Compact Oxford English Dictionary defines "war" as, "1 a state of armed conflict between different nations, states, or armed groups. 2 a sustained contest between rivals or campaign against something undesirable: a war on drugs" (Compact Oxford English Dictionary). The war between France and England that King Henry V fought clearly falls under this definition. It was a contest between rivals and a conflict between nations. There are also many connotations to the word "war," and most of them are negative. Fighting wars always affects those who fight and die, but wars also affect those who are left behind, those who are conquered, and those who are victorious. The war King Henry V fought has all those aspects to it to, and Shakespeare tries to show that as he creates the characters and the situations in this play.

The word war appears often in this play, along with many variations. In this quote from the First Act, Henry shows the audience his desire to go to war and to conquer France. Shakespeare writes, "For we have now no thought in us but France, / Save those to God, that run before our business. / Therefore, let our proportions for these wars / Be soon collected, and all things thought upon / That may with reasonable swiftness add / More feathers to our wings; for, God before, / We'll chide this Dauphin at his father's door. / Therefore let every man now task his thought, / That this fair action may on foot be brought" (Shakespeare I, ii). The King uses the word as "wars," and acts as if the wars are guided by God.

This is an important aspect of the word, for often wars seem to be religiously inspired, or fought on "God's side." The "right" side in any war believes they are fighting for the right cause and the right reason. For example, in World War II, the Allies were fighting against Fascism and Hitler's horrible dictatorship. The Allies were certainly "right," while Hitler and his followers were "wrong." While that turned out to be the case, it is not always the case, and the right victor does not always come out ahead in war. For example, the French thought they were just as right as England did, and thought they had a right to the land they held. There are always two sides to any war, and Shakespeare shows this too, by showing Henry marrying Katherine of Aragon. Henry attempts to unite the countries by marrying Katherine. He knows he has torn the country apart, and now he wants to make amends. It goes unsaid that if Henry had not felt the need to attack, the entire situation would not have occurred, and he would not have had to marry to bring the countries together again.

There is a connotation to the word war that always brings up the right side and the wrong side. Many wars are certainly fought over small or petty reasons, but most major wars are fought because one side feels right, and must show their might over the wrong side. In this story, Henry feels that he has rightful claim to lands in France, and he is willing to fight for them to add to the might of England. He feels he is right and that the French Dauphin, who holds the land has wronged him, and worse, insulted him. Ultimately, men will die because of Henry's belief that he is right and the Dauphin has wronged and insulted him. This shows how wars can be fought on a whim and for the smallest, most minuscule reasons. They can change the course of history, and are often fought over a perceived insult as well as a perceived wrong.

War changes men too, and Shakespeare shows that by the end of the play. At the beginning of the play, Henry seems almost spoiled and impetuous, especially because he goes to war because he feels insulted by the Dauphin. Luckily, by the end of the play, Henry grows up and becomes more of a man and a leader. Perhaps fighting developed him, or perhaps he found exactly what he wanted and was content, but for whatever reason, Henry seems to have grown into a better king after the wars were over. One important thing that happens is that he begins to realize the cost of war on his men. However, he ultimately blames their suffering on God's will, which shows that he has not matured enough to recognize his impulsive actions brought about so many deaths. He says, "But in plain shock and even play of battle, / Was ever known so great and little loss / On one part and on the other? Take it, God, / For it is none but thine!" (Shakespeare IV, viii). Again, it is a case of victory and defeat, right and wrong. Henry feels he is justified in his war with France, and so, he can blame his men's deaths on God, rather than on his own decision to fight the war in the first place.

War is also incredibly hard on the people left behind, as Exeter notes in the Second Act. He says, "Deliver up the crown; and to take mercy / On the poor souls for whom this hungry war / Opens his vasty jaws; and on your head / Turning the widows' tears, the orphans' cries, / The dead men's blood, the privy maidens' groans, / For husbands, fathers, and betrothed lovers, / That shall be swallowed in this controversy" (Shakespeare, II, iv). War means death and destruction, and Shakespeare shows that very graphically here. It is not just the men on the battlefield who die; the people left behind also suffer. The fighting men's deaths affect their loved ones and the people they leave behind. The women cry for their sons, husbands, and fathers and the children cry for their parents.

War is always ugly, and it touches many more people than those who fight. This war is especially sad because Henry really goes into it on a whim, and then cannot accept that he is the cause of so much death, destruction, and unhappiness. He has changed England with this war, and many people will never be the same. Probably many of them will never forgive him, either. Not only did he create the situation that led to the deaths of so many of his men, he also brings home a French queen because of the war. England changes because of the war and most countries change after a war. For example, whatever happens in Iraq, it will never be the same country after this war. People have died, people have protested, and people have voted. The country is different now, and it will never go back to the way it was. Some people think that is a good thing and some people do not. It remains to be seen what will ultimately happen in Iraq, but it is sure that the country will never be exactly the way it was before the war.

War also changes the men who fight it, and Shakespeare uses the word to show the beast that can live in every man. He writes, "In peace there's nothing so becomes a man / As modest stillness and humility; / But when the blast of war blows in our ears, / Then imitate the action of the tiger: / Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood, / Disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd rage; / Then lend the eye a terrible aspect" (Shakespeare, III, i). In war, men have to be "tigers" to use Shakespeare's wars. At home, they can be "modest" and humble, but in war, they have to be full of rage and hate. Just like the people and the countries affected by war change, so do the men who fight them. That is why so many soldiers in wars come back with "Gulf War Syndrome" or "battle fatigue," or "Vietnam Vet Syndrome." It is because in war, men have to turn into animals, and they see things they will never forget, and it changes them.

The women and children waiting at home will never be the same, but neither will the men who return to them. The men who survive cannot just leave their experiences behind on the battlefield. They live on in their memories, and many of them do not want to keep remembering the horrible things they saw, but they have no choice. Again, Henry's rash action in going to war over an insult has ramifications on his men that could last their entire lifetimes. They have fought the French, killed, maimed, and had their own injuries, and they have done terrible things in the name of war and winning. They will not forget, and some of them may never get over their experiences. Henry may have grown up after the war, but he still really does not recognize just what he has done to his men or how war will affect them all in the end. Henry had the chance to stop the war when King Charles of France offers him a compromise, but he chose to go ahead. He was impetuous, young, and perhaps more than a little foolish. He was truly responsible for all the death and change that would surround this war. Shakespeare, in his own way, is showing the result of war and what it truly costs in this play, and Henry does not really seem to learn that lesson.