SHAKESPEARE

What You’ll Love about… Henry V by William Shakespeare

Henry V is an interesting portrait of a cynical king who has mastered the persuasive power of speech.

“King Henry V of England at the Battle of Agincourt, 1415.” Public domain via Wikimedia Commons

There are two excellent films of Henry V. I adore the 1944 film directed by and starring Laurence Olivier, which is a triumph on all levels. Olivier, whom I don’t always love, is perfect. The 1989 film directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh is also excellent, and Branagh’s execution matches his vision admirably.

The Prologue of Henry V is remarkable for its quality, and both films mentioned above present a moving version of it. You can find them both by searching YouTube for “Henry V Prologue” if you’re interested in seeing them for yourself.

Prologues are usually perfunctory — they often add context to the beginning of a play by providing a synopsis of the state of affairs. This play’s Prologue does something different. By invoking a muse, the Chorus in the Prologue alludes to the genre of epic, which suggests that the play should be understood in terms of the conventions of that genre. The Prologue also calls attention to the artificiality of the stage production and highlights the disparity between the mundane conditions onstage and the majesty of the grand historical events depicted…