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.
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. 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.
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
At the beginning of the scene, the soldiers are really nervous. Westmoreland says, “Of fighting men they have full three score thousand” and Salisbury says, “God's arm strike with us! 'tis a fearful odds. God be wi' you, princes all”. Just reading those small parts of those quotes, you can tell that these guys are really nervous about going into battle with whoever they are fighting. They are talking about how their army has 60 men and the odds are really bad for them. They are mostly just talking about how bad things are before they are going into battle. King Henry says. “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”. He’s kind of using their belief in honor against them because he’s saying that even if we die we are enough for this country and if we live we will become one of the few who have done that. He’s in a way making them feel special about fighting in this battle no matter what the outcome is. He also mentions Crispian a lot. He says, “This day is called the feast of Crispian”; “And rouse him at the name of Crispian”; “And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian”; “And say 'These wounds I had on Crispin's day”. He says that he’s a saint and that if they go into battle they will have wounds on Saint Crispin's day and overall just making him seem very important. Towards the middle to end of the speech, he starts saying “we” rather than “I” a lot more. He says, “we would not die in that man’s company”; “But we in it shall be remember'd”; and “That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day”. I think by saying “we” and “us” instead of “I” and “me” help the other soldiers think that they are in it together and they will win or lose together. To me, it bands them together in away and it’s not every man for himself. After he gives this speech to his men, everything that they had thought about this battle before has suddenly been disregarded and they are way more confident in themselves. Westmoreland says, “Perish the man whose mind is backward now!” I think that is such an interesting quote because he was the one who was saying that they had “full three scores thousand” and he was in his head about it. Now he seems to be mentally prepared for this battle and he’s almost warning the other man and saying if you're not prepared for this then that’s really bad for you.
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of the scene the soldiers looked quite confused and like they didn’t know where they were supposed to be in the first clip. In the clip the person giving the speech is very upbeat and trying to rally them. During this time in 1944 it was right before World War II ended so many had lost a lot of hope and were very depressed. I think this was meant to give them hope during this hard time. Also during this time, the soldiers were really tired and beaten down because they had been away from their families for such a long time and just wanted rest and to be home. Shakespeare’s King Henry used Pathos by saying, “The fewer men, the greater share of honour” which I took to mean that although there might be more people gone at least the people who are around have honor. He also made them look at their pride, “He that shall live this day, and see old age,
ReplyDeleteWill 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.'” I interpreted this quote to say that after the war you will look back with friends and family and show your scars and say I got these scars to be here right now. It's as though he made them look at themselves; he was reminding them of how there is a world after war and life goes back to normal. I also liked how he appealed to the soldiers emotion when talking about the army like a brotherhood, “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,” I liked this quote because he was putting every soldier on his level and saying how if you shed blood today you will always be family to me. I think this is so important because he was a king and had all of this power but he put himself on their level. I also liked when he appealed to their emotions by considering them a family again, “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!” I liked this quote because he was saying that no one gets left behind. In the other clip that happened in 1996 it was around the time many were scared because of Al Qaeda. Al Qaeda had been gaining more power and control and many feared them. In the movie clip it talked about how they, “Had to fight for their right to live” which directly related to the time because many had been dying. At the end of all of the clips I noticed how all of the soldiers/followers were uplifted and had more hope. I also noticed that in the movie clips they used Pathos, where they appealed to their emotions. I think this is one of the most convincing tactics because everyone has something or someone they care about and I think reminding them of what they are fighting for is something very powerful.
Nick Criniti
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the scene of Henry V. in the blog I noticed that the soldiers to answer the first question were very nervous. “God's arm strike with us! 'tis a fearful odds”. They obviously are praying to make it out of battle with bad odds. Shakespeares King Henry appeals to his soldiers emotions by saying they have nothing to worry about and to do their jobs. “Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost.” The brief reading also has a lot of repetition where King Henry is determined. “For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more!” King Henry hopes the best for his soldiers as they do for them selves. The soldiers are now not nervous at all and are ready to go into battle. “Perish the man whose mind is backward now!”
At the beginning of the scene, the soldiers are having second thoughts about going into battle, “fighting men they have full three score thousand,” Westmoreland explains, as Exeter replies “There's five to one; besides, they all are fresh.” As the king comes onto the scene, he can tell that the soldiers are apprehensive, yet honor what he says. “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,” furthermore, King Henry V mentions that he’s not fighting this war for the gold, and he just wants to do the best for his people. “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”, “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”. Throughout the entire speech, King Henry V tells the soldiers that he’s fighting this war for them, and how it’s a great honor for the soldiers to fight in this war. After Henry’s speech, we know that people listened with Salisbury replies, “My sovereign lord, bestow yourself with speed: The French are bravely in their battles set, And will with all expedience charge on us”. Not only are the soldiers ready to fight for their king, but are told they are doing so in great honor, one of the main reasons they’re loyal to their king.
ReplyDeleteNo matter which presentation of Henry V you look at, the beginnings are all the same. The soldiers in the scene are fearful of what is to come, looking anywhere they can for a sign of hope. Due to different things going on during the time period of the presentation, this may be for different reasons. However, in every performance, the soldiers are doubtful that they will succeed in whatever is next to come for them and they are in desperate need of encouragement from their leader. The soldiers view anything as an odd against them, for example when Exeter says, “There’s five to one; besides, they all are fresh.” This is an example of when somebody is not confident in their capabilities and will use any information possible to speak poorly of their chances of success. When King Henry witnesses all of the negativity in his men, he begins to turn their feelings around with a motivating speech. Close to the middle of his speech, King Henry brings the soldier’s minds towards the future by saying, “Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot, but he’ll remember with advantages what feats he did that day.” First, by bringing their focus to the future, Henry is able to distract them from the upcoming battle that they have built up so much fear over. Also, after removing the fear out of the soldiers’ minds, he gives them another incentive to win the fight, the honor of telling stories about the battle to people when they become old. Henry presents the idea of the soldiers creating their own legacy to pass on to further generations if they end up winning the fight; this causes the soldiers to be eager to enter battle so they can win and return home victorious. Each of the performances created in the 1900s was made with an extra message in between the lines of the play. One message that was very powerful to me was the message to the people of the United States in the performance by Laurence Olivier in 1944. When this play was released, there was a lot of fear in the general population of the American people, because in 1944, the United States stormed Normandy Beach in the notorious day labeled “D-Day.” So, to spark hope in the American people, Olivier stressed the idea of sticking together when going out to war with your fellow soldiers. In the performance, King Henry puts a large emphasis on the line, “We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.” The idea of a band of brothers, or a tight knit group of men who are willing to risk their lives for each other, spread the popularity of the idea that teamwork was how the United States was going to win the war and finally send the troops back home to their families. So, I believe the underlying messages in each individual performance were what really spread popularity over this speech. To add on, King Henry uses a lot of repetition in his speech, bringing up the name “Crispian” many times in order to get the idea to stick into the minds of his soldiers. By repeating the name of the day, Henry makes the battle the main focus of the soldiers as well as removing any stigma about the name that could have caused more fear. He also shows his soldiers that he is brave enough to confront the battle directly, which sparks confidence in his soldiers. Finally, after the motivational speech is finished, the soldiers have completely changed their minds on the battle and are ready to fight for their fellow soldiers. One powerful line that expresses the soldiers’ confidence after the speech is when Westmoreland says, “God’s will! My liege, would you and I alone, without more help, could fight this royal battle!” This final quote before the scene ends truly captures the main goal of Henry’s speech, because now his men are ready for anything that comes their way and they are all prepared to do whatever it takes to return home victorious with all of their brethren besides them.
ReplyDeleteBefore this speech in Henry V the soldiers in the scene are pretty skeptical about the battle they are about to encounter. They all are doubting their abilities to beat the other side. Before the speech while talking to Gloucester, Salisbury says “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!” They all feel that the only thing that will happen is that all of them would die and they would let everyone down. During his speech, Henry V talks about how they cannot let their country down and he says “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.” He is basically just trying to convince the soldiers that they have to fight to honor the country and even if they do lose, they will still have honor because they fought for their country. The soldiers would have really wanted to be honored and to do the best for their country so this would have easily convinced the soldiers to fight. He also used the historical day of Crispin’s day to appeal to the emotions of the soldiers. Many of them just wanted all the glory and they would have wanted to be known and celebrated in a day all about them. Henry said, “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.” They wanted their own day. Henry V also appealed to the emotions of the soldiers by repeating things over and over to prove to them how important it was for them. All the soldiers really ever dreamed about and wanted was to be loved and respected in their home country. They wanted to make them proud and Henry knew this and used it to his advantage. He showed them that he could get them the glory they so desired and they just had to fight. He said to them over and over again, “'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.” He used this to empower the soldiers and give them a reason to fight. He would tell them over and over how loved they would be and how proud they would make people and showed them how brave it would make them. By the end of his speech he had convinced the soldiers of his plan. They were all on board with it and the speech had empowered them. Westmoreland had said “Perish the man whose mind is backward now!” He wanted to show that anyone who thought they couldn’t do it was wrong and they could beat them if they felt they could.
ReplyDeleteWhen the scene began, the soldiers did not feel confident they would even have a chance against the opposing army. As it states in the text, Exeter says they are extremely outnumbered with their troops “There's five to one; besides, they all are fresh.” Westmorland wishes they had a larger scale of an army. However, when King Henry overhears what he is saying he strongly disagrees. He delivers an appealing speech that overviews why having a smaller army is actually more respectable. He tells them by having fewer troops, that will translate to a greater share of honor for each of them. “The fewer men, the greater share of honour.” He continues his speech by telling all the soldiers that if they wish to leave they can. He wants every man to be there not by force, but because they want to fight. King Henry uses pathos to appeal to the solider’s, thus making them want to fight even more. He tells them that if they are victorious, then they will be able to live with great pride for the rest of their lives. He also tells the soldiers if they fight on this day, they will forever be his brothers.” For he to-day that sheds his blood with me Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile” Shakespeare uses historical allusions in the text to add even more confidence to his speech. “Harry the king, Bedford and Exeter, Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester, Be in their flowing cups freshly remember'd. “ Shakespeare uses repetition in his speech in many areas. This day is called the feast of Crispian, And rouse him at the name of Crispian, And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian:' He constantly says “Crispian” at the end of his sentences to remind the troops what they are fighting for. After King Henry is finished with his speech the soldiers are very inspired and are ready to go into combat. “God's will! my liege, would you and I alone, Without more help, could fight this royal battle!” King Henry’s speech greatly motivated the soldiers to fight and rose their courage to a whole new level.
ReplyDeleteThe soldiers feel as though they are going to be defeated, so they seem rather gloomy before they go off to war. “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… (4-7)”. King Henry appeals to the soldier’s emotions (pathos) by telling them that if they win, they’ll be honored way more for having less men. As well as he sees all of the soldiers as his brothers. King Henry marks the day Crispian’s day. A holiday that they will be able to show people their scars they received from war on Crispian’s day. “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.' (49-50)”. With repetition, King Henry tells the soldiers about Crispian’s day over and over again. At the end of the scene, the soldiers have a completely different feeling about the war. “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! (75-80).”
ReplyDeleteIn all of the different versions of Henry V. The soldiers are nervous to go into battle and clearly having second thoughts about going into battle against whoever they are fighting. All the soldiers do not feel as if they are ready to go to war and do not believe they have much of a fighting chance. Salisbury says “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!” This shows just have afraid everyone is and how little a chance they think they have of winning. After this another man named Exeter says “There's five to one; besides, they all are fresh.” meaning on top of being nervous they are outnumbered and overpowered. After hearing how his men don't think they can win and how nervous they are King Henry makes a strong motivational speech. In his speech, King Henry says “Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot, but he’ll remember with advantages what feats he did that day.” he says this to both calm the soldiers down and distract them from the horrible thoughts about losing the battle. King henry then proceeds to tell his troops of the honor they will gain if the war is won. After hearing this it causes the soldiers to be less tense and more excited to go into battle. The King also says “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,” meaning that if they lose, they will lose they country but if they win they will bring back great honor. King Henry in his speech is saying that he is fighting the war for his people not for himself and how the soldiers should be grateful for the opportunity to fight in it. After his speech the soldiers are less nervous and more anxious to go into war.
ReplyDeleteThe soldiers were very sad in the beginning because they knew they had no chance of winning. They were very outnumbered and they were all very down on themselves. “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!” The king walks onto the battlefield and can see the doubt in all of the soldier's eyes. Even Though no one has any faith, they listen to the kings wise words. “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.” The king is telling the soldiers to just go out there and fight and try their hardest. Whatever happens out there happened for their country and in honor of their country. “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!” The king is trying to give his soldiers a little pep talk before the battle. He is giving them what they want to hear, that they are appreciated for everything they accomplish. He told the soldiers his plan and convinced them to agree.
ReplyDeleteMaddy Francis
The soldiers don’t feel too confident as they say “God's arm strike with us! 'tis a fearful odds. God be wi' you, princes all; I'll to my charge:” which seems like they have prayed that God will be with them, helping them. Exeter also says “There's five to one; besides, they all are fresh.” meaning that one army is way larger than the other. King Henry appeals to the soldier’s emotions by saying “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.” King Henry is saying that everyone dies somehow, and this could be theirs. I think he’s saying something along the lines of if we live and do nothing our country loses, and we have to bear that burden and if we fight and live we get to bear that great honor. “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.” King Henry uses this idea that major events in the world will have a day named after them. He calls this the feast of Crispian and he uses this to convince the soldiers that if they live past this day, they will be able to be honored and held high. King Henry keeps on using the idea of family and personal honor to get into the soldier’s heads, getting them to believe. “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,”. He says that if you stand here today with me and fight, you will be my brother, my family. Furthermore, he says “Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot, But he'll remember with advantages What feats he did that day: then shall our names”, saying that if people forget what happened, but they will remember our names and they will go down in history. King Henry is starting to convince them that great honor comes with a sacrifice, that some people may have to lose their lives but in return, everyone gets recognition for saving their country or at least attempting to. “God's will! my liege, would you and I alone, Without more help, could fight this royal battle! KING HENRY V:
ReplyDeleteWhy, 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!”. Here Westmoreland states that he will help fight with King Henry, that he would fight with just the King and himself and that they don’t need help from England.
At the beginning of the scene based off context it can be assumed that Henry’s soldiers are demoralized. The entire first piece prior to Henry’s speech and arrival is enough to prove it. Here’s what I mean:
ReplyDeleteGLOUCESTER
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!
You can tell that they’re not happy. Salisbury highlights these are not favorable odds to their army, and he gives kind of a crappy goodbye speech. He probably makes the situation of morale worse than it already was. In addition, Westmoreland later highlights the conditions of the men after Henry arrives, saying:
WESTMORELAND
O that we now had here
But one ten thousand of those men in England
That do no work to-day!
So morale is practically dead. Can’t go into battle without troops that will follow your leadership, and if your troops are practically DRAINED of morale…. Yeah… sorry to say but all of military history says you’re f***ed. Henry can’t afford this, however. He’s fighting the equivalent of a battle of annihilation. If he falls and fails, then England herself could be at risk. So Henry has to rouse up his troops and rally them together for one final fight to the end. So his first attempt, is to what appears to be him intimidating his enemy saying:
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.
Either that or he is going after the idea that those who do not wish to fight can leave if they want, they’re allowed to surrender. Some of his men are most likely anxious, scared, and most importantly deprived of what they love most. Henry must now paint a picture to tell them what will happen should they fail, so he refers to St. Crispian's Day:
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;
So in order to get his men to follow orders and fight together, he wishes for them to know that someone’s going to remember them for what they do today. He promises them that they will all make it home and reassures them that victory is within their cusp. They control this battle. They control the war. Henry will not lose this battle, and he wants to do it with his men, his brothers. He wants the honor of battle o be on their shoulders. The honor of fighting on Saint Crispian’s day, and the honor of fighting one last time alongside each other to the end so they can return home. On top of what he’s doing already, referring to St. Crispian is him using the story of him to reflect onto his troops. He reflects Saint Crispian as his troops so they know that they will be victorious, and on top of that they will go home. To take from the previous quotation used:
DeleteThis 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.'
He’s really trying to use religion as a way to get his troops riled up. Considering his men are likely religiously devout, being reassured that god is on their side, that he sees them as Saints undeniably gets them to get on their feet, work together, and win this battle to get back home. In their minds now, it’s because god decreed they shall return home, and because god decreed they shall survive and win. Henry particularly wants to emphasize they shall be remembered, stating the idea of remembrance multiple times. First stating:
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
And then stating again later in his speech:
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,
By the time Henry has finished his speech, his mean, his brothers, they’re ready to fight and die with him. Even against impossible odds in a battle of annihilation, they’re willing to walk with him until the end. Westmoreland showed that he’s REALLY riled up now to fight after Henry’s speech:
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!
He’s gonna fight to the end no matter the cost. He’s not just doing it for England, he’s doing it for god, and his brother in arms, King Henry V. By the end of the speech, Henry’s really gotten to all his men’s hearts, and now he’s gotten them ready to fight as long as necessary, no matter the cost, to win this battle.
-Paul Yannalfo
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ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of the scene, King Henry’s men seem lost and hopeless. They are strongly outnumbered and believe that they are going to be slaughtered. When the king arrived he saw a group of defeated men. Henry would go on to present a speech that questioned his men’s loyalty to God. This meant a lot to the men as they then went on to prove their worth to God by fighting the French with dignity. He personalized his army calling his men by their real name that would mean a lot to the average footsoldier. Throughout history, the King usually did not participate in the battles as they would risk their life and the kingdom. However this could give the men less support for a king that doesn’t fight his own battles. With Henry, he scouted out the enemy and led the battle which gave his men a reason to fight, to fight for him.
ReplyDeleteBen Weeden
At the beginning, the soldiers seem to be fearful of what the future has in store for them. They seem worried about the outnumbered battle. A quote that shows this is, 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!" King Arthur's men pray to God that he will be with them, and for his help in this battle. They need the morale and idea of an extra more powerful being to help they win and survive. "O that we now had here. But one ten thousand of those men in England. That do no work to-day!" They are outnumbered in this battle, but with a revitalizing speech from King Arthur, his men are ready to win. "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." Everything they do to win will be for the King and they will never give up.
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