War! What is it good for? Uh... I'll get back to you on that.

In connection with my last post "THIS IS WAR!" I feel Kenneth Branagh had a similar outlook in mind as he directed the 1989 film of Henry V. In his movie, many of the scenes were painted with blood clearly showing how, many suffer from the horrors of war.
From reading the whole play, lines about glory and fear continued to emerge. Shakespeare wrote clearly about the two sides. In my last post I focused on the glory, especially in King Henry's "Saint Caspin's Day" speech, and this will focus more on the horrors of war.

How Far is Too Far?
Just before the great Battle of Agincourt, Fluellen reports to the king that a man named Bardolph was found robbing a church. In the movie, Kenneth Branagh stages this so that, Bardolph rides standing in the back of a wagon just as the news is made known. King Henry and Bardolph stare at each other as if they know each other. Then, cleverly, there is a flash back to the olden days, when the king used to run around in taverns drinking. He and Bardolph are playing a drinking game, smiling, laughing, and then the scene cuts back to reality. The life of Henry's friend is in his hands. "We would have all such offenders so cut off," says the King, going back to original text. The man has a rope slipped around his next, which is tied to the tree, and the men ride off with the horses pulling the wagon.
For the next three or four minutes, Bardolph's hanging body is the middle of the scene. It is clear, from the director's point of view, that war causes men to do things as if in a drunken rage.

No Place for Boys
There is another scene where the "Boy" runs back to the English camp to "protect the luggage." He knew there were only boys defending the camp and wisely sought to fortify the defense. There is a gruesome scene where, the men come back to camp to find all the boys killed by the French army. Men are wailing, and eventually pick up there lifeless bodies. Woman run to King Henry's side as he carries "Boy" over his shoulder. Screaming hysterically they are propelled back by the other soldiers.

When is War Justified?
To conclude, it is important that we understand King Henry's motives for war. My next post will consist of quotes and examples of where the King of England's heart is, the most intriguing element of the play.