Henry V

Presented at the Shire Hall, Lancaster Castle, 29th May – 1st June 2024

Henry V Flyer (scan of original)

Shakespeare’s Henry V (1599) dramatizes the English campaign to France, culminating in the famous Battle of Agincourt (1415).

Is Henry V presented as a hero in the play -‘the mirror of a Christian king‘ ?
OR
As a Machiavellian war criminal bringing ‘famine, sword and fire‘?
Or both?

Note: An overview of the play can be found on the Plot summary page.

Staging Henry V in Shire Hall Lancaster Castle’s historic courtroom puts the king and the play on trial.

Curtain call, Henry V (Lancaster Castle’s Shire Hall, 2024)

The places, or ‘sites’, where plays are performed have an immeasurable impact on how audiences interact with and perceive those plays.

In this case, the sombre setting of Shire Hall sets an appropriate tone for the play, and the scenes as they unfold.

Henry V (Part 1, pre-interval)

As you watch Part 1 of the play, think about:

1) What the churchmen think about Henry and about war with France.
2) The boy’s comments on the realities of war.
3) The patriotism of the Chorus.
4) The four British captains.

Henry V (Part 2, post-interval)

As you watch the second half of the play, reflect on:

1) Henry’s encouragement and threats at Harfleur.
2) The ‘enemy’ French nobles.
3) How the Battle of Agincourt is presented and how does Henry treat prisoners?
4) Henry’s encounter with the common soldiers, especially Williams.
5) How Henry makes peace and what he achieves according to the Chorus.

Now it’s time to cast your vote! Select the response below that best reflects how you thought the text represented the king and then press the ‘Submit’ button.

Note: After you’ve submitted your vote, you’ll be taken to a page showing how people at the live performance, just before the UK General Election, voted to see how that compares.