| The Life of Henry the Fifth Contributor(s): Shakespeare, William (Author) |
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ISBN: 1499369182 ISBN-13: 9781499369182 Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform OUR PRICE: $11.70 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: May 2014 * Not available - Not in print at this time * |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Drama | Shakespeare - History |
| Dewey: FIC |
| Physical Information: 0.28" H x 6.14" W x 9.21" (0.43 lbs) 132 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Henry V is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1599. It tells the story of King Henry V of England, focusing on events immediately before and after the Battle of Agincourt (1415) during the Hundred Years' War. In the First Quarto text, it was entitled The Cronicle History of Henry the fifth which became The Life of Henry the Fifth in the First Folio text. The play is the final part of a tetralogy, preceded by Richard II, Henry IV, Part 1 and Henry IV, Part 2. The original audiences would thus have already been familiar with the title character, who was depicted in the Henry IV plays as a wild, undisciplined lad known as "Prince Harry" and by Falstaff as "Hal". In Henry V, the young prince has become a mature man and embarks on a successful conquest of France. Elizabethan stages did not use scenery. Acknowledging the difficulty of conveying great battles and shifts of location on a bare stage, the Chorus (a single actor) calls for a "Muse of fire" so that the actor playing King Henry can " a]ssume the port bearing] of Mars". He asks, "Can this cockpit i.e. the theatre] hold / The vasty fields of France?" and encourages the audience to use their "imaginary forces" (imaginations) to overcome the stage's limitations: "Piece out our imperfections with your thoughts." The early scenes deal with the embarkation of Henry's fleet for France, and include a real-life incident in which the Earl of Cambridge and two others plotted to assassinate Henry at Southampton. (Henry's clever uncovering of the plot and his ruthless treatment of the plotters show that he has changed from the earlier plays in which he appeared.) When the Chorus reappears, he describes the country's dedication to the war effort - "They sell the pasture now to buy the horse." The chorus tells the audience "We'll not offend one stomach with our play", a humorous reference to the fact that the scene of the play crosses the English Channel.The Chorus appears again, seeking support for the English navy: "Grapple your minds to sternage of this navy" he says, and notes that "the ambassador from the French comes back and Tells Harry that the king doth offer him / Katharine his daughter."At the siege of Harfleur, Henry utters one of Shakespeare's best-known speeches, beginning "Once more unto the breach, dear friends..." |
