Short Assignment on 2 Henry V
February 10, 2015
Short Assignment on 2 Henry V
Help Received: None
Matthew Penaranda
February 10, 2015
Help Received: None
Short Assignment on 2 Henry V
a)
William Shakespeare’s plays are socio-cultural artifacts of the emerging sense of national identity and national pride then and thereafter. The early seventeenth century experienced a paradigm shift that displaced “loyalty to the king with that of loyalty to the land” (196).
Shakespeare’s plays evidence of the emerging national identity of Europe at the expense of the dynastic authority. Helgerson noted cartographic development during the early seventeenth century that reflected the increasing local and national pride reflected in the detail of countries’ emblems (197). Several of the maps provided by Helgerson portray the interest in topographic accuracy rather than the boundaries of royal authority. Emerging pride and sense of national identity is reflected in the attention to detail in more specific and localized maps such as the map of London borrowed for the Agas; there is particular effort put forth in depicting Elizabethan London and its architecture. The symbolic development and appreciation for the culture seen in cartography and literature reflects the improving patriotism of England at the time.
Royal bloodlust also contributed to the decline of the influence of the monarchy. Times of war especially strained the relationship of royal authority because of the competition for resources between the people and the armies attempting to sustain themselves through the conflicts of the day (197).
b)
Considering the charisma and how well spoken King Henry tends to be throughout the play, I was hesitant to argue that allegiance with national identity could prevail over that of the monarchy. Moreover, the motivations behind King Henry’s declaration of war are debatable as one wonders to what his own self-interest and pride influenced him over his duty to the country. His father before him was faced with the warring countries within Britain; to Henry IV tensions between the countries were an obstacle to proceeding with crusades and for Henry V their infighting was an obstacle to his authority as well as combat power against other powers such as France.
While it is debated as to whether the choruses present in Henry V facilitate the emerging patriotism in England, I am inclined to agree that they do as they very much romanticize the events of the play as well as England itself. The first chorus of the play that appears at the opening of Act II goes on about God being in favor of Henry and his followers and likens the country to an “inward greatness, like a little body with a small heart” (3.1 17-18). The implication of God’s favor followed by such a simile makes France the apparent aggressor and England innocent yet brave for facing them. Similar to the effective rhetoric of Henry’s orations throughout this play and Henry IV, the choruses also act to displace the responsibility of conflicts between the countries on his French opponents making the English plight all the more justified and virtuous. The choruses parallel not only the more political settings of the play but also the bloodshed itself.
Henry appeals to the national identity of his men. His speech beginning “on, on, you noblest English. Whose blood is fet from fathers of war-proof! Fathers that, like so many Alexanders” is an appeal to pride to their English heritage suggesting that they fight as brave as their ancestors before them and finally he closes the speech with the declaration that God is “for Harry, England and St. George” (3.1.1).
What is interesting about Henry’s army is that his allies come from countries of Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and England. The implication of the cooperation between these powers speaks to the emphasis on patriotism and identification with Britain. Fluellan, exclaims, “ I am your majesty’s countryman” even though he himself is Welsh and Henry is English. Increasing patriotism towards Britain is an important shift in the culture of Europe beginning in early Modern England and endures even today in the form of the United Kingdom.
Works Cited
Shakespeare, William, and Barbara Hodgdon. The First Part of King Henry the Fourth: Texts and Contexts. Boston: Bedford, 1997. Print.
Shakespeare, William, and Claire McEachern. King Henry V. New York, NY: Penguin, 1999. Print.