Overview and class discussion: Please read the following background material and the speech from Henry V. Also, view the three performances of Henry V. Take note of the time period in which each was made. What was going on in world at the time? How did time impact the performances?
Homework: Compose a blog response attending to the following: 1) How do the soldiers feel at the beginning of the scene. 2) How does Shakespeare's King Henry appeal to his solider's emotions (pathos) using their belief in honor, 3) historical allusions, and 4) repetition? 5) How do the soldiers feel now? Use five direct examples from the text, one for each question.
Homework: Compose a blog response attending to the following: 1) How do the soldiers feel at the beginning of the scene. 2) How does Shakespeare's King Henry appeal to his solider's emotions (pathos) using their belief in honor, 3) historical allusions, and 4) repetition? 5) How do the soldiers feel now? Use five direct examples from the text, one for each question.
Background: Although Shakespeare penned this work nearly two hundred years after the Battle of Agincourt (1415), it remains the finest dramatic interpretation of what leadership meant to the men in the Middle Ages. Prior to the Battle, Henry V had led his English footmen across Northwestern France, seizing Calais and other cities in an attempt to win back holds in France that had once been in English possession and to claim the French crown through the obscure but powerful Salig Law. The French, aware of Henry's troops weaking condition because of their distance from England and the attacks of Dysentery that had plagued the dwindling band, moved between King Henry and Calais, the port he needed to reach in order to return to England. The troops followed Henry's band along the rivers, preventing their crossing and daring them to a battle they thought they could not win. The English knights fought on foot after the manner devised by Edward III. Archers were to be used in support, the English and Welsh longbows having established their credentials both at Crecy (1347) and at Poiters (1356). But here the French seemed to have sufficient numbers to deal with even this threat, and they refused to allow Henry pass, angered by the English seizure of the cities. Morale in the English line as they looked upon the overwhelming force of heavily armoured, highly skilled French knights must have been extremely low. King Henry, rising to the occasion, spoke words of encouragement that rallied the English troops and carried them to a victory. As a result of the victory the French Princess Catherine was betrothed to Henry V, and France and England were at peace for the remainder of Henry's short life. He perished of dysentery in 1422, but was survived by his son (Henry VI) and was buried at Westminster Abbey, close to the shrine of Edward the Confessor.
Although the speech below is a work of fiction, it is evocative of the spirit with which Henry--and all strong medieval kings--ruled through the strength of their convictions and by force of their personality.
GLOUCESTER
Where is the king?
BEDFORD
The king himself is rode to view their battle.
WESTMORELAND
Of fighting men they have full three score thousand.
EXETER
There's five to one; besides, they all are fresh.
SALISBURY
God's arm strike with us! 'tis a fearful odds.
God be wi' you, princes all; I'll to my charge:
If we no more meet till we meet in heaven,
Then, joyfully, my noble Lord of Bedford,
My dear Lord Gloucester, and my good Lord Exeter,
And my kind kinsman, warriors all, adieu!
BEDFORD
Farewell, good Salisbury; and good luck go with thee!
EXETER
Farewell, kind lord; fight valiantly to-day:
And yet I do thee wrong to mind thee of it,
For thou art framed of the firm truth of valour.
Exit SALISBURY
BEDFORD
He is full of valour as of kindness;
Princely in both.
Enter the KING
WESTMORELAND
O that we now had here
But one ten thousand of those men in England
That do no work to-day!
KING HENRY V
What's he that wishes so?
My cousin Westmoreland? No, my fair cousin:
If we are mark'd to die, we are enow
To do our country loss; and if to live,
The fewer men, the greater share of honour.
God's will! I pray thee, wish not one man more.
By Jove, I am not covetous for gold,
Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost;
It yearns me not if men my garments wear;
Such outward things dwell not in my desires:
But if it be a sin to covet honour,
I am the most offending soul alive.
No, faith, my coz, wish not a man from England:
God's peace! I would not lose so great an honour
As one man more, methinks, would share from me
For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more!
Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host,
That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made
And crowns for convoy put into his purse:
We would not die in that man's company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.
This day is called the feast of Crispian:
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when the day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian:'
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars.
And say 'These wounds I had on Crispin's day.'
Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember with advantages
What feats he did that day: then shall our names.
Familiar in his mouth as household words
Harry the king, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester,
Be in their flowing cups freshly remember'd.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember'd;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.
Re-enter SALISBURY
SALISBURY
My sovereign lord, bestow yourself with speed:
The French are bravely in their battles set,
And will with all expedience charge on us.
KING HENRY V
All things are ready, if our minds be so.
WESTMORELAND
Perish the man whose mind is backward now!
KING HENRY V
Thou dost not wish more help from England, coz?
WESTMORELAND
God's will! my liege, would you and I alone,
Without more help, could fight this royal battle!
KING HENRY V
Why, now thou hast unwish'd five thousand men;
Which likes me better than to wish us one.
You know your places: God be with you all!
Persuasive techniques employed by King Henry:
PATHOS: Appeal to the emotions, values or prejudices of the audience.
LOGOS: Appeal to logic or reason.
ETHOS: Ask for the audience to believe or agree with the speaker based on their credibility/trustworthiness.
Henry V - 1944 - Laurence Olivier
Henry V - 1988 - Kenneth Brannagh
That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made
And crowns for convoy put into his purse:
We would not die in that man's company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.
This day is called the feast of Crispian:
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when the day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian:'
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars.
And say 'These wounds I had on Crispin's day.'
Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember with advantages
What feats he did that day: then shall our names.
Familiar in his mouth as household words
Harry the king, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester,
Be in their flowing cups freshly remember'd.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember'd;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.
Re-enter SALISBURY
SALISBURY
My sovereign lord, bestow yourself with speed:
The French are bravely in their battles set,
And will with all expedience charge on us.
KING HENRY V
All things are ready, if our minds be so.
WESTMORELAND
Perish the man whose mind is backward now!
KING HENRY V
Thou dost not wish more help from England, coz?
WESTMORELAND
God's will! my liege, would you and I alone,
Without more help, could fight this royal battle!
KING HENRY V
Why, now thou hast unwish'd five thousand men;
Which likes me better than to wish us one.
You know your places: God be with you all!
Persuasive techniques employed by King Henry:
PATHOS: Appeal to the emotions, values or prejudices of the audience.
LOGOS: Appeal to logic or reason.
ETHOS: Ask for the audience to believe or agree with the speaker based on their credibility/trustworthiness.
- Acknowledge an opponent and/or their opposing viewpoint or argument
- Cite evidence from credible authorities, make historical references or quote well-known texts
- Mention an individual’s experience or tell a story from personal history
- Compare/contrast events, things, ideas
- Use figurative language, such as metaphors, similes, alliteration
Henry V - 1944 - Laurence Olivier
Henry V - 1988 - Kenneth Brannagh
Independence Day - 1996 - Bill Pullman
Michael DiCenzo
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning, the soldiers are feeling down and depressed they are tired sick and possible wounded. A lot of the soldiers have died and if not they are very sick.King Henry appeals to the soldiers by giving them a pep talk. He helps the soldiers find confidence in themselves by saying their names in the speech. “God's will! my liege, would you and I alone,
Without more help, could fight this royal battle”! “Thou dost not wish more help from England, coz”? “Perish the man whose mind is backward now”! “All things are ready if our minds are so”.
Griffin Littlewood
ReplyDeleteIn this King Henry gives a pep talk to a ton of soldiers these soldiers are scared and worried because they are beyond outnumbered. Henry basically just tries to boost their spirits and encourage them. He is telling them they will win as if there is no doubt in his mind. He makes up fake history too talking about this story. Henry constantly repeats that they will go down remembered till the end of the world. After this, the soldiers go crazy as if they have already won.
'' No, my fair cousin: If we are mark'd to die, we are enow To do our country loss; and if to live,The fewer men, the greater share of honour.''
''This day is called the feast of Crispian''
''He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
''Will stand a tip-toe when the day is named,''
''And rouse him at the name of Crispian.''
''For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother''
ReplyDeleteIn this play King Henry gives a big speech to his soldiers. The soldiers are uneasy and paranoid because they were very outnumbered by the enemy. King Henry helps them feel better and have more confidence through his speech. He encourages them by saying that they will be victorious although they have a disadvantage. After the big speech by King Henry, all of the soldiers gain confidence and act like they have already beat the enemy. He used Pathos by giving them encouragement and confidence through their emotions.
'' No, my fair cousin: If we are mark'd to die, we are enow To do our country loss; and if to live,The fewer men, the greater share of honour.''
''This day is called the feast of Crispian''
''He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
''Will stand a tip-toe when the day is named,''
''And rouse him at the name of Crispian.''
''For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother''
Dowol Lee
DeleteYasmiin Ali
ReplyDeleteThe soldiers at the beginning of the scene don't feel so confident with themselves that they're going to win against the French. “EXETER; There's five to one; besides, they all are fresh.” The soldiers know that the French have a better advantage because they have enough energy to fight, whereas they are tired and out of energy. King Henry overhears that Westmorland wants the workers in England to fight with them since its Crispin's day and there off work. King Henry doesn't like that his soldier feels useless without more soldiers. “To do our country loss; and if to live, The fewer men, the greater share of honour.” King Henry tells his soldiers that with fewer men means greater honor. The fewer people they have to fight with against will show how strong they are once they win. The feasts day of the Christian saints Crispin and Crispinian; the holiday Crispins day. “This day is called the feast of Crispian:” King Henry repeats the phrase “feast of Crispian” or “Crispins day.” After King Henry's speech, all the soldiers were confident again that they would win. They knew that once they win they will have great honor with the soldiers beside them that Crispin's day. “KING HENRY V; Thou dost not wish more help from England, coz?” “WESTMORELAND; God's will! my liege, would you and I alone, Without more help, could fight this royal battle!”
Evan Lin
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of the scene, the soldiers are feeling overwhelmed by the presence of the French, who outnumber them by 5. Exeter says "besides, they are all fresh", implying that the English soldiers are tired and stressed. King Henry appeals to his soldiers by telling them about how they can brag about fighting on the Feast of Crispian, how they can say "These wounds I had on Crispin's Day", which is honorable because they fought on a holy day? King Henry repeats the word "we" during his speech. "We few, we happy few, we band of brothers". After King Henry's speech, the soldiers feel confident and ready to take on the French. Westmoreland says that "would you and I alone, Without more help, could fight this royal battle", showing how ready he is to fight.
Dylan Brenner
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning the soldiers felt worried and were beginning to think they were outnumbered. King Henry gives his soldiers a speech, he boosts their confidence and motivates them as well, “fewer men there are, the greater share of honor”. After his speech they feel motivated and are ready for war. After all this he states, “May God Be With You All”.
Xingyun Pan
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of the scene, the soldiers had no confidence to win this battle. “There's five to one; besides, they all are fresh.” The English soldiers were tired and out of numbers. King Henry told his soldiers that it is an honor to fight and die for their country, fewer men share even more honor. “The fewer men, the greater share of honour” He used a challenge to provoke the soldiers to fight. “We would not die in that man's company, That fears his fellowship to die with us.” He also said that anyone who fights with him will be his brother and will be remembered forever. “For he to-day that sheds his blood with me, Shall be my brother” King Henry keeps repeating “we” in his conversation which makes him more approachable and makes the soldiers feel confidence. “But we in it shall be remember'd; We few, we happy few, we band of brothers” The soldiers are confidence after his speech. “God's will! my liege, would you and I alone,
Without more help, could fight this royal battle!”
Hanna Saad
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning the soldiers feel frightened cause it seems like the end. He is appearing like a fellow soldier and not like a king. he is being inspiring. There battle was fought on St Christopher day and they won. the soldiers feel like they can do this they can win. they are going to be celebrated.
Celia Hoffman
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of the scene, the soldiers feel worried, comparing their own army to the French army. They mentioning how many more soldiers the French have, how they are fresh, and Westmoreland wanting the men in England to come and help. The king reacts to his commenting saying, if we win, we will not have to share our glory. He is explaining how he doesn’t care about his gold or his wealth, trying to relate to the soldiers. Then he goes on to say, whoever doesn’t want to fight is free to leave, explaining he does not want to fight with anyone not willing to risk their life for each other. These are all examples of pathos, King Henry is appealing to the soldiers emotions by talking about their honor, relating to them, and showing that they are united. He uses Saint Crispin’s Day as a way to give the men more honor, by saying that their victory will also be a reason to celebrate on the feast. He repeatedly mentions the honor the soldiers will receive if they decide to fight, and he repeats how strong their brotherhood will become, making the soldiers feel like they are equal to the king. The soldiers now feel more empowered as Westward speaks for all of them when he says, “Let any man perish who isn’t ready now!”
Suhani Karki
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of the scene the soldiers feel nervous and hesitant about their battle against the French. “EXETER; There's five to one; besides, they all are fresh.” You can tell that the soldiers feel nervous because the French have gotten enough energy to fight and that makes them at a greater advantage, but the English are exhausted and have used up their strength.
King Henry does not like that his soldiers feel useless without more soldiers, so King Henry appeals to his soldier's emotions by reassuring his soldiers that with fewer men battling it means that they will have a greater share of honor. “To do our country loss; and if to live, The fewer men, the greater share of honour.” The more people that are battling the fewer people will care about their battle so they will have a greater share of honor between them because they have to share it will fewer people (fewer people are in the battle). A historical allusion in this scene is Crispin's day. Crispin’s Day is the feast day of Christian saints called Crispin and Crispinian. “This day is called the feast of Crispian:” King Henry repeats the phrase “feast of Crispian” or “Crispin’s day.” The soldiers felt much more confident that they would win after receiving King Henry’s speech. They no longer felt nervous or hesitant because they believe that they will have great honor after winning this battle. “WESTMORELAND; God's will! my liege, would you and I alone, Without more help, could fight this royal battle!”
Jacob Moore
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of the scene the soldiers of King Henry feel scared and unsure about fighting their enemy the french. “EXETER; There's five to one; besides, they all are fresh.” The reason for why the soldiers are so scared is because they are very much outnumbered compared to the french and the french have a lot more energy to fight than the british do.
King henry appeals to his soldiers emotions by explaining to them that because they have less men they will get higher honor if they win the battle. “KING HENRY V;The fewer men, the greater share of honour.” King Henrys men Liked the idea of getting a higher honor so after his speech they decide to battle and win. An historical allusion in the scene is Saint Crispin's day. Saint Crispin's day was a day where people would feast in honor of these two Christian saints Crispin and Crispinian. The repetition in this scene is when King Henry repeatedly brings ups Crispin's Day.
Shruthi Saravanan
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of the scene, the soldiers feel that this would be the end of them and that they are not going to be able to win. Due to them being outnumbered by stronger and brighter people from France. People wished they had more people specifically the people who weren’t working today because it was a holiday, Saint Crispin’s day. One of those people is Westmoreland “O that we now had here but one ten thousand of those men in England”. Though their King boosts his soldiers up giving them hope and making them feel the pride and the power these people would feel if they won that battle. He tells them how it would be if they made it through this, “Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars. And say These wounds I had on Crispin's day”. He states that Saint Crispin’s Day won’t be looked upon the same anymore because now the people will also think about them, the people who were out and defeated the French in the condition they were, these people would be looked up upon and the fighter can stand up with pride and show the scars that prove what they’ve been through. The main repetition that is in this was people continuously mentioning the holiday, Saint Crispin’s day.
jillian Boyer
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of the scene, The soldiers feel hopeless. They believe there is absolutely no way that they can win. The are tired, wounded outnumbered, and they even say goodbye to each other in manner that they don't expect to meet again.
...'tis a fearful odds. God be wi' you, princes all; I'll to my charge: If we no more meet till we meet in heaven, Then, joyfully, ...my kind kinsman, warriors all, adieu!
In order to give his men hope, he uses a speak that evokes their emotions. One way he does that is he speaks of honor, and how sweet the taste of victory will be. These men are soldiers, so honor is such an important thing to them. But if it be a sin to covet honour, “I am the most offending soul alive. No, faith, my coz, wish not a man from England: God's peace! I would not lose so great an honour As one man more, methinks, would share from me For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more!”
The king also uses the legend of st. crispin to motivate his soldiers. This battle took place on st. crispin's day, and he says if they win this battle, this day will also be celebrated for their victory and bravery.Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars.
And say 'These wounds I had on Crispin's day.' Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember with advantages What feats he did that day: then shall our names.”
5) How do the soldiers feel now?
After hearing this speech from their beloved kings, their attitudes about the battle took a complete 180. The soldiers were so pumped (forgive my informal speak here) to go fight alongside their king and win. “God's will! my liege, would you and I alone,
Without more help, could fight this royal battle!”
Nick Entner
ReplyDeleteIn this Speech By King Henry V he makes some great points on why you should believe in what you are doing and you will do great things. He is very smart and good with his word. This is a talent that he had. He was very accomplished and did many great things as a leader. Seeing him inspire his men was an amazing thing that only fue could do. This is a great speech that will be remember for a long time.
The soldiers feel worried about what is to come. They are scared of their defeat. They show this when Exeter says “There's five to one; besides, they all are fresh.” This shows they are scared of their defeat. There are many others scared including Westmorland when he says “O that we now had here. But one ten thousand of those men in England. That do no work to-day!” He was very worried about what was going to happen.