To "End the Conflict" on War

A Little History

In the 1590’s, England was on her toes. She had just won the battle against Spain’s Armada (with weather’s help), but Spain was still furious. In 1596 King Phillip of Spain promised Spain would strike again. “The overpowering fear of invasion reached its apogee in 1599, the very year, according to general scholarly consensus, that Shakespeare penned Henry V.”¹

Analysis on War

You don’t have to be a scholar to know Shakespeare is sending messages about war, but what is it he is telling his English audience in the early 1600’s? Depending on which side is looked at, critics have argued that Henry V is a genuine war hero while others feel Shakespeare painted the ironic image of a “Christian King” who served as a tyrant and an unmerciful ruler.²

Text to Configure the Conflict

In my posts I have discussed possible reasons for war, the glory of war, and the outcomes of war portrayed in Henry V. To tie these together and answer the question from the latter post “War... what is it good for?” I want to discuss Shakespeare’s use of Christianity in his text to show God fought for England and condoned the war.

Henry V “We are in God’s hand, brother, not in theirs.” Line 1637

Earl of Salisbury “If we no more meet till we meet in heaven.” Line 2238

Henry V “Praised be God, and not our strength, for it!” Line 2609

Fluellen “Is it not lawful, an please your majesty, to tell how many is killed?”

Henry V “Yes, captain; but with this acknowledgement,

That God fought for us.” Lines 2827-2830

Chorus “Being free from vainness and self-gloirous pride;

Giving full trophy, signal and ostent

Quite from himself to God….” Lines 2867-2869

This tone in the play suggests that it is God’s will that England fight the war.

Recall the time period. People were scared of Spain’s attack. They needed a boost, a different vision, and Shakespeare struck their hearts saying, “God is with us!”

Kenneth Branagh’s Adaptation

Of course, looking at the play from another angle produces another critique. Kenneth Branagh’s film from 1989 emphasizes the horrors of war and downplays justifiable reasons for it.

In the beginning, King Henry is given tennis balls from France to pay for the lands they feel are rightfully owned by France. It is over this that Branagh makes it seem King Henry goes to war. The king’s pride is overpowering and “will not be mocked.” As I discussed in a former post, Branagh portrays colorful blood scenes, directs the loss of “Boy” to be horrific with hysterical women trying to touch the dead body, and paints Henry V slightly irrational as he executes past friends with memories of the past flashing before his mind. By no means is he as irrational as King Leontes from Winter's Tale, but nonetheless, there is no mercy or second chances.

From Branagh’s adaptation, it is clear he feels Shakespeare is painting a gruesome battlefield, glorious at the expense of other’s lives.

An Opposing View

In a blog by Samantha Warren, a Murray State University student, she expresses how Shakespeare tried to portray Henry V as a tyrannical leader. She claims, as many others, that Henry V represents the ideas of Niccolo Machiavelli, an Italian philosopher who taught about corruption in a nation’s government.³ To learn more about her research click here.

So Why is this IMPORTANT to Us?

Well this is interesting to me because I LOVE hearing different people’s opinions about controversial topics. Doing this helps us understand how important point of view is. We can be looking at something with a strong opinion and then change our view and WALLAH, change our opinion.

Especially with this topic, from my religous background, I have a strong opinion about when war is justified. While serving as a missionary, I discussed for over a

n hour with a woman who opposed war at all costs. Recently in my history class, we discussed World War I and whether the US should have entered the war. The topic is open ended, and constantly emerging as it is prevalent in our past. It is important for us to become knowledgeable about it as it will undoubtedly be in our future.

So write your opinion, either about the post or about war in general. I would love to hear.

Source Citation:

1. "Machiavellianism by William Shakespeare." Shakespearean Criticism. Ed. Michelle Lee. Vol. 107. Detroit: Thomson Gale, 2007. 67-199. Literature Criticism Online. Gale. Brigham Young University - Provo. 20 October 2011 http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/LitCrit/byuprovo/FJ2633550003

2. Deats, Sara Munson. “Henry V at War: Christian King or Model Machievel.” In War and Words: Horror and Heroism in the Literature of Warfare, edited by Sara Munson Deats, Lagretta Tallent Lenker, and Merry G. Perry, pp. 83-101. Lanham, Md.: Lexington Books, 2004.

3. Warren, Samantha. "William Shakespeare's Henry V: The Self-Interested Schemer." http://samantha-warren.suite101.com/william-shakespeares-henry-v-the-self-interested-schemer-a330688